Business Organizations

V.S.A. tit. 12, ch. 25, subch. 6

in effect

12 V.S.A. § 851 Service on Secretary of State

851. Service on Secretary of State A business organization is subject to the service of process provisions in 11 V.S.A. § 1656. Amended 2025, No. 10, § 25, eff. July 1, 2025.

12 V.S.A. § 852 Fees; mailing of copy to business organization

852. Fees; mailing of copy to business organization When process is served on the Secretary of State under the provisions of 11 V.S.A. § 1656, there shall be paid to the Secretary by the officer at the time of such service the sum of $35.00. Amended 1963, No. 37, § 6; 1967, No. 278 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. July 1, 1968; 2023, No. 77, § 41, eff. June 20, 2023; 2025, No. 10, § 25, eff. July 1, 2025.

12 V.S.A. § 853 Doing business by particular companies without designating process agent; penalty

853. Doing business by particular companies without designating process agent; penalty A person or agent for a foreign insurance, express, shipping car, telephone or telegraph company, or other foreign company doing like business, which has not designated the Secretary of State as its process agent, who solicits or receives a risk or application for insurance, or receives money or value for such insurance by such company, or receives money or value for the transportation of a package or property by such express or shipping car company, or for the transmission of a message or dispatch by such telegraph company, or receives money, rent, royalty, or income for such telephone company for the use of its instruments or lines or for the sending of any message, shall be fined not more than $500.00 nor less than $100.00. Amended 2025, No. 10, § 25, eff. July 1, 2025.

12 V.S.A. § 855 Doing business as appointment of process agent

855. Doing business as appointment of process agent If the contact with the State or the activity in the State of a foreign business organization, or the contact or activity imputable to it, is sufficient to support a Vermont personal judgment against it, the contact or activity shall be deemed to be doing business in Vermont by that foreign organization and shall be equivalent to the appointment by it of the Secretary of the State of Vermont and the Secretary’s successors to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served all lawful process in any action or proceedings against it arising or growing out of that contact or activity, and also shall be deemed to be its agreement that any process against it that is so served upon the Secretary of State shall be of the same legal force and effect as if served on the foreign corporation at its principal place of business in the state or country where it is incorporated according to the law of that state or country. Amended 1967, No. 353 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. July 1, 1968; 1971, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 43, eff. March 29, 1972; 2025, No. 10, § 25, eff. July 1, 2025.

12 V.S.A. § 856 Service of process

856. Service of process Service of process by virtue of section 855 of this title shall be made pursuant to 11 V.S.A. § 1656 by delivering to the Secretary of State duplicate copies of the process and a fee of $25.00, to be taxed in the plaintiff’s costs if he or she prevails. Amended 1963, No. 37, § 7; 1967, No. 278 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. July 1, 1968; 1971, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 44, eff. March 29, 1972; 2013, No. 72, § 11; 2025, No. 10, § 25, eff. July 1, 2025.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/12/025Fetched: 10/21/2026