Section 491.15. Service of original notice — secretary of state.

  Any corporation organized under the laws of this state that does not maintain an office in the county of its organization may file with the secretary of state a certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors of said corporation giving name and address in Iowa of a resident agent on whom the service of original notice of civil suit in the courts of this state may be served, or file with the secretary of state a written instrument duly signed and acknowledged authorizing the secretary of state to acknowledge service of notice or process for and in behalf of such corporation in this state and consenting that service of notice or process may be made upon the secretary of state. Failing which, or in the event such agent may not be found within the state, service of such process may then be made upon said corporation through the secretary of state by sending the original and two copies thereof to the secretary, and the secretary shall immediately upon its receipt acknowledge service thereon in behalf of the defendant corporation by writing thereon, giving the date thereof, and shall immediately return such notice or process by certified mail to the clerk of the court in which the suit is pending, addressed by the clerk’s official title, and shall also forthwith mail a copy with a copy of the secretary’s acknowledgment of service written thereon, by certified mail addressed to the corporation at the address of its principal place of business as shown by the records in the secretary of state’s office, and shall retain the second copy for the secretary’s files.

[C97, §1612; S13, §1612; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §8355, 8356; C46, 50, §491.15, 491.16; C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §491.15]