(a) Each corporation shall maintain a registered agent at its principal office or place of business upon whom may be served any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon the corporation. The registered agent may be changed upon the filing of proper notice in the office of the Secretary of State.
(b)
(1) Whenever a corporation fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent in this state or whenever its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office, then the Secretary of State shall be an agent of the corporation upon whom any such process, notice, or demand may be served.
(2) Service on the Secretary of State shall be made by delivering to and leaving with him or her, or with any clerk having charge of the corporation department of his or her office, duplicate copies of the process, notice, or demand.
(3) The Secretary of State shall cause one (1) of the copies of the process, notice, or demand to be forwarded by registered mail or certified mail with a return receipt requested to the corporation at its last known principal office or place of business.
(4) Any service so had on the Secretary of State shall be returnable in not less than thirty (30) days.
(c) Nothing contained in this section shall limit or affect the right to serve any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon a corporation in any manner permitted by law.