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13:3472. Service on foreign corporation through secretary of state
In any case where service on a foreign corporation may be made through the secretary of state, under any law heretofore or hereafter enacted, such service may be made in person on the secretary of state anywhere in the state. Should the secretary of state be absent from his office, service may be made on the assistant secretary of state, or on some other individual in the office of the secretary of state designated by the latter to receive service of process in his absence, and such service has the same effect as if made upon the secretary of state personally.
13:3474 Operation of motor vehicle by non-resident as appointment of secretary of state as agent for service of process
The acceptance by non-residents of the rights and privileges conferred by existing laws to operate motor vehicles on the public highways of the state of Louisiana, or the operation by a non-resident or his authorized agent, employee or person for whom he is legally responsible of a motor vehicle within the state of Louisiana, shall be deemed equivalent to an appointment by such non-resident of the secretary of state of Louisiana or his successor in office, to be his true and lawful attorney for service of process, as well as the attorney for service of process of the public liability and property damage insurer of the vehicle, if such insurer be a non-resident not authorized to do business in the state, upon whom or such insurer, may be served all lawful process in any action or proceeding against the non-resident, or such insurer, growing out of any accident or collision in which the non-resident may be involved while operating a motor vehicle in this state, or while same is operated by his authorized agent or employee. In the event of the death of such non-resident before service of process upon him, any action or proceeding growing out of such accident or collision may be instituted against the executors or administrators of such deceased non-resident, if there be such, and if not, then against his heirs or legatees, and service may be made upon them as provided in R.S. 13:3475. Process against the defendant or defendants, the non-resident, his executors or administrators, if there be such, and if not, then against his heirs or legatees, or the liability insurer of such vehicle, as the case may be, shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon such defendant personally.
13:3475. Service on secretary of state; sending or delivering notice and copies; filing receipt or affidavit; continuances
(A) The service of the process authorized by R.S. 13:3474 shall be made by serving a copy of the petition and citation on the secretary of state, or his successor in office, and such service shall be sufficient service upon said defendant, the nonresident, the executors or administrators of the deceased non-resident, if there be such, and if not, then against his heirs or legatees, or the nonresident liability insurer of the vehicle, as the case may be; provided that notice of such service, together with a copy of the petition and citation, is forthwith sent by the plaintiff by registered mail or certified mail with receipt requested, or is actually delivered to the defendant and the defendant's return receipt, in case notice is sent by registered or certified mail, or affidavit of the party delivering the petition and citation in case notice is made by actual delivery, is filed in the proceedings before judgment can be entered against the defendant. The court in which the action is pending may order such continuances as may be necessary to afford the defendant reasonable opportunity to defend the action.
(B) For purposes of this Section, the return receipt indicating that the registered or certified mail was actually delivered, refused, or unclaimed, is satisfactory proof of service of process if mailed to the defendant's address as indicated on the defendant's safety responsibility personal accident report, SR10, or if such report was not timely filed with the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, if mailed to the defendant's address as indicated on the accident report filed with the department by the law enforcement officer who responded to the accident.
13:3476. Service by constable or court-appointed officer when service cannot be made by the sheriff; sheriff an interested party
Whenever the sheriff of any parish shall be interested in any suit or other legal process, or when there shall be no sheriff in office in any parish, or the sheriff shall be disqualified by law, from interest or otherwise, from serving any legal process, it shall be served by any regular constable of the parish, or by any officer appointed by the court. Such constable or officer shall have in the suit all powers, receive all the emoluments, and be liable to all the responsibilities of the sheriff.
13:3477. Inability or refusal of constable or deputy constable to act; employment of sheriff or deputy; appointment of special deputy constable
In case of the inability or refusal to act on the part of the constable or a duly appointed deputy constable because of relationship, sickness or from other causes in civil suits, and in case of the execution of conservatory writs in civil suits, the justices of the peace may employ either the sheriff or his deputy or appoint a special deputy constable to execute all orders, citations, summons, seizures and writs.
13:3478. Constable or deputy constable to act when not disqualified or unwilling or unable to act
When there is a constable or duly appointed deputy constable not disqualified to act because of relationship, or unable to act on
account of sickness or other cause, and who is willing to act, and who is personally present when conservatory writs are sued out, then and in
these cases, the justice of the peace for whose ward said constable shall have been elected or appointed and qualified, shall employ said
constable or his duly appointed deputy constable to the exclusion of the sheriff or his deputy, or a special deputy constable, to execute all orders,
citations, summons, seizures and writs in civil cases, and in such cases services made by other than said constable or his duly appointed deputy constable shall be void and of no effect.
13:3479. Operation of water craft by non-resident as appointment of secretary of state as agent for service of process
The operation, navigation or maintenance by a non-resident or non-residents of a boat, ship, barge of other water craft in the state, either in person or through others, and the acceptance thereby by such non-resident or non-residents of the protection of the laws of the state for such water craft, or the operation, navigation or maintenance by a non-resident or non-residents of a boat, ship, barge or other water craft in the state, either in person or through others, other than under the laws of the state, shall be deemed equivalent to an appointment by each such non-resident of the Secretary of State, or his successor in office or some other person in his office during his absence he may designate, to be the true and lawful attorney of each such non-resident for service of process, upon whom may be served all lawful process in any suit, action or proceeding against such non-resident or non-residents growing out of any accident or collision in which such non-resident or non-residents may be involved while, either in person or through others, operating, navigating or maintaining a boat, ship, barge or other water craft in the state; and such acceptance or such operating, navigating or maintaining in the state of such water craft shall be a signification of each such non-resident's agreement that any such process against him which is so served shall be of the same legal force and effect as if served on him personally.
13:3480. Service of citation on secretary of state; sending or delivering notice and copies; filing receipt or affidavit; continuances
Service of citation in any case provided in R.S. 13:3479 shall be made by serving a copy of the petition and citation on the secretary of state, or his successor in office, and such service shall be sufficient service upon any such non-resident; provided that notice of such service, together with a copy of the petition and citation are forthwith sent by registered mail by the plaintiff to the defendant, or actually delivered to the defendant, and the defendant's return receipt, in case notice is sent by registered mail, or affidavit of the party delivering the petition and citation in case notice is made by actual delivery, is filed in the proceedings before judgment can be rendered against any such non-resident. The court in which the action is pending may order such continuances as may be necessary to afford the defendant reasonable opportunity to defend the action.
13:3481. Service of any other process on secretary of state
Service of any process other than citation in any case provided by R.S. 13:3479 shall be made by serving a copy thereof on the secretary of state, and such service shall be sufficient service upon any such non-resident.
13:3482. Not to affect other methods of process against non-residents R.S. 13:3479 through 13:3481
Nothing in R.S. 13:3479 through 13:3481 shall be construed as affecting other methods of process against non-residents as now provided by existing laws.
13:3483. Service in suits arising from sale or manufacture of sugar cane or syrup
In all cases provided in R.S. 13:3232 where suit is brought in the parish in which the domicile of defendant is not situated, service of petition, citation and other process shall be made by delivering the same to the agent, overseer or manager of the factory of defendant.
13:3484. Mailing of process to deputy, constable, or marshal for service; mileage and mailing costs; sheriff not responsible for constable marshal
When requested to do so by the party at whose instance service is to be made, and when the place where service is to be made is more than ten miles distant from the sheriff's office, the sheriff may mail the process to be served to one of his deputies, a constable of a justice of the peace court, or to a constable or marshal of a city court, living in the vicinity of the place where service is to be made, for such service. If service is made as authorized in this section, the serving deputy, constable, or marshal shall make the return showing the manner in which service was made, and mail it to the sheriff for filing in the issuing court.
When a party has requested service, as authorized in this section, whether the sheriff complies with the request or not, the only mileage for which the sheriff may charge is for the actual distance from the home or office, whichever is lesser, of the deputy, constable, or marshal to the place where service is to be made, and return. The sheriff may also charge the actual cost of mailing the process and return, if service is made as authorized in this section.
The sheriff is not responsible for the performance or nonperformance of duties in making the service and return thereon by the constable or marshal to whom the process is mailed for service.
13:3485. Appointment of agent for service of process by nonresident individual or partnership no defense to nonresident attachment unless notice filed with secretary of state
The appointment of an agent for the service of process by a nonresident individual or partnership is no defense to an attachment of property on the grounds of the nonresidence of the defendant unless a written notice of such appointment, setting forth the name and address of the agent, has been filed with the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall keep available for public inspection a record of all such appointments, and the dates thereof.