Executive Statutory Summary
Under Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d)(4) and the Mississippi Registered Agents Act (Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13), service of process upon a domestic or foreign corporation, LLC, or partnership is made by delivering a copy of the summons and complaint to an officer, a managing or general agent, OR to any other agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service of process (the Registered Agent). When a registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13(b) and § 13-3-57 govern alternative and Secretary of State service.
- • Miss. R. Civ. P. 4(d)(4) (Service Upon Domestic or Foreign Corporations, Partnerships & LLCs)
- • Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13 (Mississippi Registered Agents Act — Service of Process on Entities)
- • Miss. Code Ann. § 79-4-5.04 & § 79-29-125 (Corporate & LLC Service Rules)
- • Miss. Code Ann. § 13-3-57 (Long-Arm Service via Mississippi Secretary of State)
1. Authorized Corporate Recipients Under MRCP Rule 4(d)(4)
In Mississippi litigation, serving a business entity improperly is a fatal jurisdictional defect. Under Mississippi Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d)(4), service upon a domestic or foreign corporation, partnership, or unincorporated association (including a Limited Liability Company) must be delivered to one of three specifically authorized categories of individuals:
- 1. The Registered Agent: The individual or commercial registered agent appointed on file with the Mississippi Secretary of State;
- 2. An Officer of the Entity: The President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Executive Officer, or LLC Manager/Member;
- 3. A Managing or General Agent: An individual vested with broad managerial discretion over the entity’s operations or local branch facility (mere receptionists, clerks, or shift supervisors do NOT qualify under Mississippi Supreme Court precedent).
2. Mississippi’s Four Primary Commercial Registered Agent Hubs (Jackson Metro)
Almost every commercial registered agent in Mississippi is located within a 15-mile radius of Jackson across Rankin and Madison Counties. Our Jackson Metro couriers run daily routes to all four commercial registered agent locations:
- C T Corporation System (CT Corp) / National Registered Agents, Inc. (NRAI): Located at 645 Lakeland East Drive, Suite 101, Flowood, MS 39232 (Rankin County). Primary Mississippi SOP intake for Fortune 500 corporations, national banks, and insurers.
- Corporation Service Company (CSC): Located at 109 Executive Drive, Suite 3, Madison, MS 39110 (Madison County). Primary Mississippi statutory intake office for CSC-represented entities.
- Northwest Registered Agent, LLC: Located at 270 Trace Colony Park, Suite B, Ridgeland, MS 39157 (Madison County). Note: Northwest Registered Agent, LLC is a separate company from Registered Agents Inc.
- Registered Agents Inc. (RAI): Located at 270 Trace Colony Park, Suite B, Ridgeland, MS 39157 (Madison County). Separate commercial registered agent company from Northwest Registered Agent; always verify which exact entity is listed on the Mississippi Secretary of State portal.
3. What If an Entity Has No Registered Agent or the Agent Cannot Be Found? (Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13)
Mississippi enacted the Model Registered Agents Act (Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-1 et seq.), which modernized the procedure when a domestic or qualified foreign LLC or corporation fails to maintain a registered agent or when its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served.
Under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13(b), if an entity’s registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the entity may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the governors of the entity (its directors, officers, or LLC managers) at the entity’s principal office as shown on its most recent annual report filed with the Secretary of State.
Furthermore, for unregistered foreign corporations or non-resident business entities that commit a tort, enter a contract, or do business in Mississippi without registering with the Secretary of State, Miss. Code Ann. § 13-3-57 (the Mississippi Long-Arm Statute) designates the Mississippi Secretary of State (125 South Congress Street, Jackson, MS 39201) as the entity’s true and lawful agent for service of process.
4. Serving Licensed Insurance Carriers via the Mississippi Insurance Department
When serving a foreign insurance company licensed in Mississippi, Miss. Code Ann. § 83-21-1(c) requires every foreign insurer to appoint the Commissioner of Insurance (or a designated Mississippi resident agent) as its attorney for service of process. Our Jackson couriers hand-deliver statutory insurance process directly to the Mississippi Insurance Department Service of Process Desk at Suite 1001, Woolfolk State Office Building, 501 North West Street, Jackson, MS 39201.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I serve a corporation in Mississippi by certified mail?
Under MRCP Rule 4(c)(5), service by certified mail (marked "Restricted Delivery") is ONLY available against persons or corporations located OUTSIDE the State of Mississippi! For an in-state Mississippi defendant or in-state registered agent, certified mail is NOT valid initial service unless you use Notice and Acknowledgment of Service by first-class mail under Rule 4(c)(3) AND the defendant voluntarily signs and returns the acknowledgment form within 20 days. If the defendant ignores a Rule 4(c)(3) mail packet, you MUST use personal service by a process server or sheriff.
Why is it critical to distinguish Northwest Registered Agent from Registered Agents Inc. in Ridgeland?
Both companies operate out of 270 Trace Colony Park, Suite B in Ridgeland, MS 39157, but they are separate corporate entities with separate client databases. Naming the wrong registered agent on the summons can result in a formal rejection letter.