(a) A domestic business or nonprofit corporation's registered agent is the agent of the corporation for service of any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served, and the service is binding upon the corporation.

(b) The business or nonprofit corporation may be served under Rule 4(d)(8) of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the office of the registered agent, or the office of the secretary of the corporation at its principal office. Service is effective upon the date of delivery as shown on the return receipt. Entry of default and default judgments shall be subject to the conditions of Rule 4(d)(8).

(c) If the business or nonprofit corporation has no registered agent, or the agent cannot be served with reasonable diligence by means authorized by rule or statute, other than under Section 15-9-710, and such appears by affidavit, the court or judge thereof, the clerk of the court of common pleas or the master may grant an order that the corporation may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the office of the secretary of the corporation at its principal office. The summons shall state the date it was mailed under this subsection, and the date service is effective. Service is perfected five days after its deposit in the United States mail, as evidenced by the postmark, or other evidence of the date the summons and complaint was mailed pursuant to this paragraph, if mailed postpaid and correctly addressed to the address of the company's principal office which is listed on the last filed annual report of the business corporation or last filed notice of change of principal office for a nonprofit corporation or, if none has been filed, the address of the principal office specified in the initial annual report of the business corporation filed with the South Carolina Department of Revenue and, in the Articles of Incorporation (or initial annual report, if filed) for a nonprofit corporation. Entry of judgment and judgment by default may be taken as otherwise provided by Rule 55 of the Rules of Civil Procedure.

(d) This section does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a domestic business or nonprofit corporation.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 10-421; 1952 Code Section 10-421; 1942 Code Section 434; 1932 Code Section 434; Civ. P. '22 Section 390; Civ. P. '12 Section 184; Civ. P. '02 Section 155; 1870 (14) 456 Section 157; 1873 (15) 497; 1882 (18) 256; 1883 (18) 437; 1887 (19) 835; 1892 (21) 404; 1899 (23) 42; 1927 (35) 292; 1940 (41) 1831; 1941 (42) 275; 1947 (45) 322; 1964 (53) 1830; 1981 Act No. 146, Section 4; 1988 Act No. 444, Section 3; 1993 Act No. 42, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 258; 1994 Act No. 384, Section 2.