§46A-6F-703. Service of process on certain nonresidents.

Any nonresident person, except a nonresident corporation authorized to do business in this state pursuant to the provisions of chapter thirty-one of this code, who directs telemarketing solicitations to persons residing in this state, shall be conclusively presumed to have appointed the Department of Tax and Revenue as his attorney-in-fact with authority to accept service of notice and process in any action or proceeding brought against him arising out of such consumer credit sale, consumer lease or consumer loan. A person shall be considered a nonresident hereunder if he is a nonresident at the time such service of notice and process is sought. No act of such person appointing the Department of Tax and Revenue shall be necessary. Immediately after being served with or accepting any such process or notice, of which process or notice two copies for each defendant shall be furnished the Department of Tax and Revenue with the original notice or process, together with the fee required by section two, article one, chapter fifty-nine of this code, the Department of Tax and Revenue shall file in his office a copy of such process or notice, with a note thereon endorsed of the time of service or acceptance, as the case may be, and transmit one copy of such process or notice by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to such person at his address, which address shall be stated in such process or notice: Provided, That such return receipt shall be signed by such person or an agent or employee of such person if a corporation, or the registered or certified mail so sent by said Department of Tax and Revenue is refused by the addressee and the registered or certified mail is returned to said Department of Tax and Revenue, or to his office, showing thereon the stamp of the U.S. postal service that delivery thereof has been refused, and such return receipt or registered or certified mail is appended to the original process or notice and filed therewith in the clerk's office of the court from which such process or notice was issued. But no process or notice shall be served on the Department of Tax and Revenue or accepted fewer than ten days before the return date thereof. The court may order such continuances as may be reasonable to afford each defendant opportunity to defend the action or proceeding.

The provisions for service of process or notice herein are cumulative and nothing herein contained shall be construed as a bar to the plaintiff in any action from having process or notice in such action served in any other mode and manner provided by law.