A. Each registered limited liability partnership and each foreign registered limited liability partnership registered pursuant to this article shall continuously maintain in this Commonwealth:
1. A registered office that may be the same as any of its places of business; and
2. A registered agent who shall be either: a. An individual who is a resident of this Commonwealth and is either (i) a general partner of the registered limited liability partnership, (ii) an officer or director of a corporate general partner of the registered limited liability partnership, (iii) a general partner of a partnership or limited partnership that is a general partner of the registered limited liability partnership, (iv) a member or manager of a limited liability company that is a general partner of the registered limited liability partnership, (v) a trustee of a trust that is a general partner of the registered limited liability partnership, or (vi) a member of the Virginia State Bar, and whose business office is identical with the registered office; or b. A domestic or foreign stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company or registered limited liability partnership authorized to transact business in this Commonwealth, the business office of which is identical with the registered office, provided that such a registered agent (i) shall not be its own registered agent and (ii) shall designate by instrument in writing, acknowledged before a notary public, one or more natural persons at the office of the registered agent upon whom any process, notice or demand may be served and shall continuously maintain at least one such person at that office. Whenever any such person accepts service, a photographic copy of such instrument shall be attached to the return.
B. The registered agent of a registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership is the partnership’s agent for service of process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the partnership. The sole duty of the registered agent is to forward to the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership at its last known address any process, notice, or demand that is served on the registered agent.
C. A registered limited liability partnership or a foreign registered limited liability partnership that is registered to transact business in the Commonwealth may change its registered office or registered agent, or both, upon filing with the Commission a certificate of change on a form prescribed and furnished by the Commission that sets forth:
1. The name of the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership;
3. If the current address of its registered office is to be changed, the post-office address, including the street and number, if any, of the new registered office, and the name of the city or county in which it is located;
5. If the current registered agent is to be changed, the name of the new registered agent; and
6. That after the change or changes are made, the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership will be in compliance with the requirements of this section.
D. A certificate of change shall forthwith be filed with the Commission by a registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership whenever its registered agent dies, resigns, or ceases to satisfy the requirements of subsection A.
E. A registered limited liability partnership’s or foreign registered limited liability partnership’s registered agent may sign a certificate as required above if (i) the business address of the registered agent changes to another post office address within the Commonwealth or (ii) the name of the registered agent has been legally changed. A registered limited liability partnership’s or foreign registered limited liability partnership’s new registered agent may sign and submit for filing a certificate as required above if (a) the former registered agent is a business entity that has been merged into the new registered agent, (b) the instrument of merger is on record in the office of the clerk of the Commission, and (c) the new registered agent is an entity that is qualified to serve as a registered agent pursuant to subsection A. In either instance, the registered agent or surviving entity shall forthwith file a certificate of change as required in subsection D, which shall recite that a copy of the certificate shall be mailed to the principal office of the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership on or before the business day following the day on which the certificate is filed.
F. A registered agent may resign as agent for the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership by signing and filing with the Commission a certificate of resignation stating (i) the name of the domestic or foreign registered limited liability partnership, (ii) the name of the agent, and (iii) that the agent resigns from serving as registered agent for the domestic or foreign registered limited liability partnership. The certificate of resignation shall be accompanied by a certification that the registered agent will have a copy of the certificate mailed to the principal office of the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership by certified mail on or before the business day following the day on which the certificate is filed. When the certificate of resignation takes effect, the registered office is also discontinued. A certificate of resignation takes effect on the earlier of (a) 12:01 a.m. on the thirty-first day after the date on which the certificate was filed with the Commission or (b) the date on which a certificate of change in accordance with subsection C to appoint a registered agent is filed with the Commission. If any registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership whose registered agent has filed with the Commission a certificate of resignation fails to file a certificate of change pursuant to subsection C within 31 days after the date on which the certificate of resignation was filed, the Commission shall mail notice to the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership of the impending cancellation of its status as a registered limited liability partnership. If the registered limited liability partnership or foreign registered limited liability partnership fails to file a certificate of change on or before the last day of the second month immediately following the month in which the impending cancellation notice was mailed, the registered limited liability partnership’s or foreign registered limited liability partnership’s status as a registered limited liability partnership shall be automatically canceled as of that day.
G. Whenever a registered limited liability partnership or a foreign registered limited liability partnership fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent in this Commonwealth or whenever its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at his address, the clerk of the Commission shall be the agent of the partnership upon whom service may be made in accordance with § 12.1-19.1.
H. This section does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a registered limited liability partnership or a foreign registered limited liability partnership.