55A-15-01. Authority to conduct affairs required.

(a) A foreign corporation shall not conduct affairs in this State until it obtains a certificate of authority from the Secretary of State.

(b) Without excluding other activities which might not constitute conducting affairs in this State, a foreign corporation shall not be considered to be conducting affairs in this State solely for the purposes of this Chapter, by reason of carrying on in this State any one or more of the following activities:

(1) Maintaining or defending any action or suit or any administrative or arbitration proceeding, or affecting the settlement thereof or the settlement of claims or disputes;

(2) Holding meetings of its directors or members or carrying on other activities concerning its internal affairs;

(3) Maintaining bank accounts or borrowing money in this State, with or without security, even if such borrowings are repeated and continuous transactions;

(4) Maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange, and registration of memberships or securities, or appointing and maintaining trustees or despositories with relation to those securities;

(5) Soliciting or procuring orders, whether by mail or through employees or agents or otherwise, where the orders require acceptance without this State before becoming binding contracts;

(6) Making or investing in loans with or without security including servicing of mortgages or deeds of trust through independent agencies within the State, the conducting of foreclosure proceedings and sale, the acquiring of property at foreclosure sale, and the management and rental of such property for a reasonable time while liquidating its investment, provided no office or agency therefor is maintained in this State;

(7) Taking security for or collecting debts due to it or enforcing any rights in property securing the same;

(8) Conducting affairs in interstate commerce;

(9) Conducting an isolated transaction completed within a period of six months and not in the course of a number of repeated transactions of like nature;

(10) Selling through independent contractors;

(11) Owning, without more, real or personal property.