California · Health and Safety Code - HSC

HSC §1394.5: When any person, including any nonresident of this state, engages in conduct prohibited or made actionable by this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order adopted hereunder, whether or not the perso

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes a procedure for serving legal process on persons who engage in prohibited conduct under this chapter when personal jurisdiction cannot be obtained in the state, allowing service through the director as attorney in fact.

Read the full statutory text
When any person, including any nonresident of this state, engages in conduct prohibited or made actionable by this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order adopted hereunder, whether or not the person has filed a power of attorney under subdivision (j) of Section 1351, and personal jurisdiction over the person cannot otherwise be obtained in this state, that conduct shall be considered equivalent to the appointment of the director or the director’s successor in office to be the attorney in fact to receive any lawful process in any noncriminal suit, action, or proceeding against the person or the person’s successor, executor, or administrator which arises out of that conduct and which is brought under this chapter or any rule, regulation, or order adopted hereunder, with the same force and validity as if personally served. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process in the office of the director, but it is not effective unless the plaintiff or petitioner, who may be the director in a suit, action, or proceeding instituted by him or her, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the defendant or respondent at his or her last known address or takes other steps which are reasonably calculated to give actual notice, and in a court action, an affidavit of compliance with this section is filed in the case on or before the return day of the process, if any, or within such further time as the court allows. In the case of administrative orders issued by the director, the affidavit of compliance need not be filed with the administrative tribunal unless the respondent requests a hearing.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.