Subject to § 8.01-286.1, service of process on a foreign stock or nonstock corporation or a foreign limited liability company may be effected in the following manner:
1. By personal service on any officer or director or the registered agent of a foreign stock or nonstock corporation that is authorized to do business in the Commonwealth, by personal service on any agent of any such foreign corporation transacting business in the Commonwealth without such authorization, wherever any such officer, director, or agents be found within the Commonwealth, and by personal service on the registered agent of a foreign limited liability company that is registered to do business in the Commonwealth;
2. By substituted service on (i) a foreign stock or nonstock corporation in accordance with §§ 13.1-766 and 13.1-928, respectively, and on a foreign limited liability company in accordance with § 13.1-1018, if any such corporation or limited liability company is authorized or registered to transact business or affairs within the Commonwealth, and (ii) a foreign stock or nonstock corporation in accordance with subsection F of § 13.1-758 and subsection E of § 13.1-920, respectively, and on a foreign limited liability company in accordance with subsection E of § 13.1-1057, if any such corporation or limited liability company is not authorized or registered to transact business within the Commonwealth;
3. By substituted service on a foreign stock or nonstock corporation or foreign limited liability company in accordance with § 8.01-329, or by service in accordance with § 8.01-320, where jurisdiction is authorized under § 8.01-328.1, regardless of whether any such foreign corporation or foreign limited liability company is authorized or registered to transact business within the Commonwealth; or
4. By order of publication in accordance with §§ 8.01-316 and 8.01-317 where jurisdiction in rem or quasi in rem is authorized, regardless of whether the foreign stock or nonstock corporation or foreign limited liability company so served is authorized or registered to transact business within the Commonwealth.
This section does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a foreign stock or nonstock corporation or foreign limited liability company.
For the purposes of responding to a subpoena served in the manner prescribed by this section, a foreign corporation transacting business in the Commonwealth that has a registered agent in the Commonwealth shall be deemed to have consented to service and shall respond to such subpoena in a manner consistent with the laws of the Commonwealth and the Rules of the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Code 1950, § 8-60; 1977, c. 617; 1991, c. 672; 2005, c. 866; 2013, c. 113; 2024, c. 454; 2025, c. 345; 2026, c. 868.
Notes of Decisions
Consol. Eng'g Co. v. S. Steel Co., 88 F.R.D. 233 (E.D. Va. 1980).
· cites it 13× “Section 8.01-301 provides in pertinent part as follows: Service of process on a foreign corporation may be effected in the following manner: 1.”
Fleming v. Yamaha Motor Corp., 774 F. Supp. 992 (W.D. Va. 1991).
· cites it 5× “For the preceding reasons, the court finds that service on Yamaha USA is not effective service on Yamaha Japan; that because Fleming’s use of Va.Code Ann. §§ 8.01-301(3) and 8.01-329(0 to effect service on Yamaha Japan requires the Secretary to send documents abroad, Fleming…”
Miller & Rhoads v. West, 442 F. Supp. 341 (E.D. Va. 1977).
· cites it 3× “Similarly, Va.Code § 8.01-301 (Acts 1977, c. 617) provides for service of process upon a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this State.”
Davies v. Jobs & Adverts Online, Gmbh, 94 F. Supp. 2d 719 (E.D. Va. 2000).
· cites it 2× “Also applicable is Virginia Code § 8.01-301, which states that process may be served on a foreign corporation transacting business in Virginia without authorization “by personal service on any agent of [the] foreign corporation .”
Guyon v. Basso, 403 F. Supp. 2d 502 (E.D. Va. 2005).
· cites it 2× “See Va.Code Ann. § 8.01-301 (West Supp.2005) (providing general rule for service on foreign corporations); Va.”
Davis v. Am. Interinsurance Exch., 319 S.E.2d 723 (Va. 1984).
· cites it 2× “01-288 2 now recognizes the validity of process which reaches the foreign corporation to whom it is directed within the time prescribed by law, even if not served as directed by Code § 8.01-301, *4 it did not so reach such person here.”
Pennington v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 576 F. Supp. 868 (E.D. Va. 1983).
“Code § 8.01-301(3). That section provides for substituted service upon the Secretary where the Virginia long arm statute, Va.”
Yelp, Inc. v. Hadeed Carpet Cleaning (Va. 2015).
· cites it 12× “In this regard, Code § 8.01-301 sets forth the most common modes of service upon a foreign corporation depending on whether the foreign corporation is authorized to transact business in Virginia and the basis for exercising jurisdiction over such corporation.”
Hadeed Carpet Cleaning, Inc. v. Doe, 86 Va. Cir. 59 (Alexandria Cir. Ct. 2012).
· cites it 5× “Specifically, Va. Code § 8.01-301 states that, if a foreign corporation is authorized to transact business in the *60 Commonwealth, then it may be served through its registered agent, but, if a corporation is not authorized to transact business in Virginia, then it is only…”
Geloo v. Doe, 43 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2125 (Fairfax Cir. Ct. 2014).
· cites it 4× “On March 14, 2014, Defendants’ motion to quash was granted, and the Court ordered that service of the subpoena strictly comply with Va. Code § 8.01-301. § 8.01-301. How process served on foreign corporations generally — Subject to § 8.”
— Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-301(1) — 4 cases
Consol. Eng'g Co. v. S. Steel Co., 88 F.R.D. 233 (E.D. Va. 1980).
“Section 8.01-301 provides in pertinent part as follows: Service of process on a foreign corporation may be effected in the following manner: 1.”
Yelp, Inc. v. Hadeed Carpet Cleaning (Va. 2015).
“In this regard, Code § 8.01-301 sets forth the most common modes of service upon a foreign corporation depending on whether the foreign corporation is authorized to transact business in Virginia and the basis for exercising jurisdiction over such corporation.”
— Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-301(2) — 1 case
— Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-301(3) — 4 cases
Fleming v. Yamaha Motor Corp., 774 F. Supp. 992 (W.D. Va. 1991).
“For the preceding reasons, the court finds that service on Yamaha USA is not effective service on Yamaha Japan; that because Fleming’s use of Va.Code Ann. §§ 8.01-301(3) and 8.01-329(0 to effect service on Yamaha Japan requires the Secretary to send documents abroad, Fleming…”
Pennington v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 576 F. Supp. 868 (E.D. Va. 1983).
“Code § 8.01-301(3). That section provides for substituted service upon the Secretary where the Virginia long arm statute, Va.”
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