Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17A.04 · Chapter 17A. CORPORATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
SERVICE ON CORPORATION.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) Except as provided in Paragraph (d) of this article, a peace officer shall serve a summons on a corporation by personally delivering a copy of it to the corporation's registered agent. However, if a registered agent has not been designated, or cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office, then the peace officer shall serve the summons by personally delivering a copy of it to the president or a vice-president of the corporation.
(b) If the peace officer certifies on the return that he diligently but unsuccessfully attempted to effect service under Paragraph (a) of this article, or if the corporation is a foreign corporation that has no certificate of authority, then he shall serve the summons on the secretary of state by personally delivering a copy of it to him, or to the deputy secretary of state, or to any clerk in charge of the corporation department of his office. On receipt of the summons copy, the secretary of state shall immediately forward it by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the defendant corporation at its registered or principal office in the state or country under whose law it was incorporated.
(c) The secretary of state shall keep a permanent record of the date and time of receipt and his disposition of each summons served under Paragraph (b) of this article together with the return receipt.
(d) The method of service on a corporation regulated under the Insurance Code is governed by that code.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 980, ch. 399, Sec. 2(D), eff. Jan. 1, 1974.
Amended by:
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 41 (H.B. 297), Sec. 15, eff. September 1, 2005.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.17A.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 0f14423bc0ca51c6283c0a0bbbfa052a5244e938fbc2ad9bf9219fd486a572cc
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.