Corp. Code, § 31420

When any person, including any nonresident of this state, engages in conduct prohibited or made actionable by this law or any rule or order hereunder, whether or not he has filed a consent to service of process under Section 31155, and personal jurisdiction over him cannot otherwise be obtained in this state, that conduct shall be considered equivalent to his appointment of the commissioner or his successor in office to be his attorney to receive service of any lawful process in any noncriminal suit, action, or proceeding against him or his successor, executor, or administrator which grows out of that conduct and which is brought under this law or any rule or order hereunder, with the same force and validity as if served on him personally. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process in the office of the commissioner, but it is not effective unless (a) the plaintiff, who may be the commissioner in a suit, action, or proceeding instituted by him, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the defendant or respondent at his last known address or takes other steps which are reasonably calculated to give actual notice, and (b) the plaintiff’s affidavit of compliance with this section is filed in the case on or before the return day of the process, if any, or within such further time as the court allows.