35-14-504. Service on corporation. (1) A corporation's registered agent is the corporation's agent for service of process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the corporation.

(2) If a corporation does not have a registered agent or the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the corporation may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the secretary at the corporation's principal office. Service is perfected under this subsection at the earliest of:

(a) the date the corporation receives the mail;

(b) the date shown on the return receipt if signed on behalf of the corporation; or

(c) 5 days after its deposit in the United States mail, as evidenced by the postmark, if mailed postpaid and correctly addressed.

(3) If process, notice, or demand cannot be served on a corporation pursuant to subsection (1) or (2) or is to be served on a registered foreign corporation that has withdrawn its registration pursuant to 35-14-1507 or 35-14-1509 or the registration of which has been terminated pursuant to 35-14-1511, then the secretary of state is an agent of the corporation on whom process, notice, or demand may be served. Service of any process, notice, or demand on the secretary of state as agent for a corporation may be made by delivering to the secretary of state duplicate copies of the process, notice, or demand. If process, notice, or demand is served on the secretary of state, the secretary of state shall forward one of the copies by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the corporation at the last address shown in the records of the secretary of state. Service is effected under this subsection at the earliest of:

(a) the date the corporation receives the process, notice, or demand;

(b) the date shown on the return receipt if signed on behalf of the corporation; or

(c) 5 days after the process, notice, or demand is deposited in the United States mail by the secretary of state.

(4) This section does not prescribe the only means or necessarily the required means of serving a corporation.