Cal. Civ. Code § 55.1-1211
Appointment of resident agent by nonresident property owner; service of process, etc., on such agent or on Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Operative Text
A. As used in this section, "nonresident property owner" means any nonresident individual or group of individuals who owns and leases residential real property. B. Every nonresident property owner shall appoint and continuously maintain an agent who (i) if such agent is an individual, is a resident of the Commonwealth, or if such agent is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or other entity, is authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth and (ii) maintains a business office within the Commonwealth. Every lease executed by or on behalf of nonresident property owners regarding any such real property shall specifically designate such agent and the agent's office address for the purpose of service of any process, notice, order, or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon such nonresident property owner. C. Whenever any nonresident property owner fails to appoint or maintain an agent, as required in this section, or whenever his agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found, then the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall be an agent of the nonresident property owner upon whom may be served any process, notice, order, or demand. Service may be made on the Secretary of the Commonwealth or any of his staff at his office who shall forthwith cause it to be sent by registered or certified mail addressed to the nonresident property owner at his address as shown on the official tax records maintained by the locality where the property is located. D. The name and office address of the agent appointed as provided in this section shall be listed on a form provided by the State Corporation Commission and delivered to the office of the clerk of the State Corporation Commission for filing. Beginning July 1, 2022, the clerk of the State Corporation Commission shall charge a fee of $10 for the filing of a resident agent appointment. E. No nonresident property owner shall maintain an action in the courts of the Commonwealth concerning property for which a designation is required by this section until such designation has been filed.
Virginia Code § 55.1-1211 requires nonresident individuals or groups who own and lease residential property in Virginia to designate a resident agent — a person or entity with a Virginia business office — who can receive legal notices, process, and orders on their behalf. Every lease covering such property must identify this agent and their office address. If a nonresident owner fails to maintain a qualifying agent or the agent cannot be located with reasonable effort, the Secretary of the Commonwealth automatically steps in as the legal agent for service of process, and the agent's name must be filed with the State Corporation Commission for a $10 fee (beginning July 1, 2022).
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Va. Code § 55.1-1211, nonresident property owners operating in Virginia generally ensure they have a continuously maintained resident agent — an individual living in Virginia or a business entity authorized to operate there — with an active in-state office address. Compliant operators include the agent's name and office address in every lease they execute for Virginia residential property and file the required designation form with the State Corporation Commission, paying the $10 filing fee. Owners who have not completed this filing are barred from bringing court actions in Virginia related to those properties until the designation is on record.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Va. Code § 55.1-1211 gives tenants and other parties a reliable way to serve legal notices, orders, or demands on a nonresident landlord: the lease itself is required to name a resident agent and provide that agent's Virginia office address for exactly this purpose. If a nonresident landlord has failed to appoint or maintain such an agent, or the agent cannot be found after reasonable effort, Virginia law designates the Secretary of the Commonwealth as an automatic fallback recipient for service of process. Tenants who need to deliver formal legal notices to a nonresident landlord may want to review their lease for the required agent information and, if it is missing or the agent is unreachable, consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office about using the Secretary of the Commonwealth as provided under this section.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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