---
title: O.C.G.A. § 40-12-2. How service on nonresident made.
collection: code
id: 40-12-2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 40-12-2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-12-2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-12-2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-12-2/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t40-ch6-16-(v29)-2018-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=97c394d6_0#page=612
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-12.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-12-1.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/40-12-3.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC / ACTIONS AGAINST NONRESIDENT MOTORISTS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 40-12-2. How service on nonresident made.

Service of process upon a nonresident pursuant to Code Section 40-12-1 shall be made by serving a copy of the complaint or other pleading with summons attached thereto on the Secretary of State, his duly authorized agent, or his successor in office, along with a copy of the affidavit to be submitted to the court pursuant to this Code section. Such service shall be sufficient service upon any such nonresident, provided that notice of such service and a copy of the complaint and process are forthwith sent by registered or certified mail or statutory overnight delivery by the plaintiff to the defendant, if his address is known, and the defendant’s return receipt and the plaintiff’s affidavit of compliance with this Code section are appended to the summons or other process and filed with the summons, complaint, and other papers in the case in the court wherein the action is pending. The Secretary of State shall charge and collect a fee as set out in Code Section 45-13-26 for service of process on him under this Code section.

## History

Ga. L. 1937, p. 732, § 2; Ga. L. 1959, p. 113, § 1; Ga. L. 1965, p. 231, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1474, § 2; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 40; Ga. L. 1989, p. 364, § 2; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1589, § 3.

## Law Reviews

For article, ‘‘Foreign Corporations in Georgia,’’ see 10 Ga. St. B.J. 243 (1973).