Sec. 7.196.  SERVICE OF SUMMONS.  (a)  A peace officer shall serve a summons on a private corporation by personally delivering a copy of it to the corporation's registered agent for service.  If a registered agent has not been designated or cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office, 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 the peace officer diligently but unsuccessfully attempted to effect service under Subsection (a) or if the corporation is a foreign corporation that has no certificate of authority, the peace officer shall serve the summons on the secretary of state.  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 office or, if it is a foreign corporation, at its 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 the disposition of each summons served under Subsection (b) together with the return receipt.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1072, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.