Chapter 181

181.1510(1) (1) A foreign corporation may be served with any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law by serving its registered agent. The department may serve any written notice required or authorized under this chapter by e-mailing it to the registered agent’s e-mail address on file with the department, and such notice shall be effective as provided in s. 181.0105 (4).

181.1510(2) (2) A foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state may be served in the manner provided in sub. (4) if the foreign corporation has no registered agent or its registered agent cannot, with reasonable diligence, be served.

181.1510(3) (3) A foreign corporation formerly authorized to transact business in this state may be served in the manner provided in sub. (4) in any civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory proceeding based on a cause of action arising while it was authorized to transact business in this state, if the foreign corporation has done any of the following:

181.1510(3)(a) (a) Withdrawn from transacting business in this state under s. 181.1520.

181.1510(3)(b) (b) Had its certificate of authority revoked under s. 181.1531.

181.1510(4) (4) 

181.1510(4)(a) (a) With respect to a foreign corporation described in sub. (2) or (3), the foreign corporation may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by similar commercial delivery service, addressed to the foreign corporation at its principal office, as shown on the records of the department on the date of sending, except as provided in par. (b). Service is perfected under this paragraph at the earliest of the following:

181.1510(4)(a)1. 1. The date the foreign corporation receives the mail or delivery by commercial delivery service.

181.1510(4)(a)2. 2. The date shown on the return receipt, if signed on behalf of the foreign corporation.

181.1510(4)(a)3. 3. Five days after its deposit in the U.S. mail, or with the commercial delivery service, if correctly addressed and with sufficient postage or payment.

181.1510(4)(b) (b) If process, notice, or demand in an action cannot be served on a foreign corporation pursuant to subs. (1) to (3), service may be made by handing a copy to the individual in charge of any regular place of business or activity of the foreign corporation if the individual served is not a plaintiff in the action. If the address of the foreign corporation’s principal office cannot be determined from the records of the department, the foreign corporation may be served by publishing a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, in the community where the foreign corporation’s principal office or registered office, as most recently designated in the records of the department, is located.

181.1510(4m) (4m) Service of process, notice, or demand on a registered agent must be in a written record.

181.1510(5) (5) Service of process, notice, or demand may be made by other means under law other than this chapter.

181.1510 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2011 a. 234; 2021 a. 258.

181.1520 181.1520 Withdrawal of foreign corporation.

181.1520(1) (1) Certificate required. A foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state may not withdraw from this state until it obtains a certificate of withdrawal from the department.

181.1520(2) (2) Application for certificate. A foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state may apply for a certificate of withdrawal by delivering an application to the department for filing. The application shall include all of the following information:

181.1520(2)(a) (a) The name of the foreign corporation and the name of the state or country under whose law it is incorporated.

181.1520(2)(b) (b) A statement that it is not transacting business in this state and that it surrenders its authority to transact business in this state.

181.1520(2)(c) (c) A statement whether it revokes the authority of its registered agent to accept service on its behalf and, in any event, that it also consents to service of process under s. 181.1510 (3) and (4) in any civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory proceeding based on a cause of action arising during the time it was authorized to transact business in this state.

181.1520(2)(d) (d) The mailing address of its principal office, if different from that shown on its most recent annual report.

181.1520(2)(e) (e) A commitment to notify the department in the future of any change in the mailing address of its principal office.

181.1520 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2021 a. 258.

181.1530 181.1530 Grounds for revocation.

181.1530(1) (1) Permissive revocation by department. Except as provided in sub. (1m), the department may bring a proceeding under s. 181.1531 to revoke the certificate of authority of a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state if any of the following applies:

181.1530(1)(a) (a) The foreign corporation fails to file its annual report with the department within 4 months after it is due.

181.1530(1)(b) (b) The foreign corporation does not pay, within 4 months after they are due, any fees or penalties due the department under this chapter.

181.1530(1)(c) (c) The foreign corporation is without a registered agent or registered office in this state for at least 6 months.

181.1530(1)(d) (d) The foreign corporation does not inform the department under s. 181.1508 or 181.1509 that its registered agent or registered office has changed, that its registered agent has resigned or that its registered office has been discontinued, within 6 months of the change, resignation or discontinuance.

181.1530(1)(e) (e) The foreign corporation obtained its certificate of authority through fraud.

181.1530(1)(f) (f) The department receives a duly authenticated certificate from the secretary of state or other official having custody of corporate records in the state or country under whose law the foreign corporation is incorporated stating that it has been dissolved or has disappeared as the result of a merger.

181.1530(1)(g) (g) The foreign corporation violates s. 940.302 (2) or 948.051 (2).

181.1530(1m) (1m) Mandatory revocation by department. If the department receives a certificate under sub. (1) (f) and a statement by the foreign corporation that the certificate is submitted by the foreign corporation to terminate its authority to transact business in this state, the department shall issue a certificate of revocation under s. 181.1531 (2) (b).

181.1530(2) (2) Revocation by a court. A court may revoke, under s. 946.87, the certificate of authority of a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state. The court shall notify the department of the action, and the department shall issue a certificate of revocation under s. 181.1531 (2) (b).

181.1530 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2007 a. 116.

181.1531 181.1531 Procedure for and effect of revocation.

181.1531(1) (1) Notice of proceeding by department. If the department determines that one or more grounds exist under s. 181.1530 (1) for revocation of a certificate of authority, the department shall give the foreign corporation under s. 181.1510 written notice of the determination, addressed to the foreign corporation’s registered agent.

181.1531(2) (2) Cure, revocation and reinstatement.

181.1531(2)(a) (a) Within 60 days after the notice takes effect, the foreign corporation shall correct each ground for revocation or demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of the department that each ground determined by the department does not exist.

181.1531(2)(b) (b) If the foreign corporation fails to satisfy par. (a), the department may revoke the foreign corporation’s certificate of authority by entering a notation in the department’s records to reflect each ground for revocation and the effective date of revocation. The department shall give notice of those facts to the foreign corporation in the same manner as a notice of determination under subs. (1) and (2).

181.1531(2)(c) (c)

181.1531(2)(c)1. 1. If a foreign corporation’s certificate of authority is revoked, the department shall reinstate the certificate of authority if the foreign corporation does all of the following within 6 months after the effective date of revocation:

181.1531(2)(c)1.a. a. Corrects each ground for revocation.

181.1531(2)(c)1.b. b. Pays any fees or penalties due the department under s. 181.1502 (4) (a) or $500, whichever is less.

181.1531(2)(c)2. 2. A reinstatement under this paragraph shall relate back to and take effect as of the effective date of the revocation, and the foreign corporation may resume carrying on its business as if the revocation never occurred.

181.1531(2g) (2g) Secondary notices.

181.1531(2g)(a) (a) If a notice under sub. (1) or (2) (b) is returned to the department as undeliverable, the department shall again give written notice to the foreign corporation, addressed to the principal office of the foreign corporation, as most recently designated in the records of the department.

181.1531(2g)(b) (b) If the notice under par. (a) is returned to the department as undeliverable or if the corporation’s principal office cannot be determined from the records of the department, the department shall give the notice by posting the notice on the department’s Internet site.

181.1531(2r) (2r) Effective date of notice. A notice under sub. (1), (2) (b), or (2g) (a) takes effect at the earliest of the following:

181.1531(2r)(a) (a) When received.

181.1531(2r)(b) (b) Five days after its deposit in the U.S. mail, if mailed postpaid and correctly addressed.

181.1531(2r)(c) (c) On the date shown on the return receipt, if sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and the receipt is signed by or on behalf of the addressee.

181.1531(3) (3) Effect of revocation. The authority of a foreign corporation to transact business in this state, ends on the effective date of revocation of its certificate of authority, as reflected in the records of the department.

181.1531(4) (4) Service on corporation after revocation. If the department or a court revokes a foreign corporation’s certificate of authority, the foreign corporation may be served under s. 181.1510 (3) and (4) or the foreign corporation’s registered agent may be served until the registered agent’s authority is terminated, in any civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory proceeding based on a cause of action which arose while the foreign corporation was authorized to transact business in this state.

181.1531(5) (5) Authority of registered agent. Revocation of a foreign corporation’s certificate of authority does not terminate the authority of its registered agent.

181.1531 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2001 a. 44; 2011 a. 234; 2013 a. 20.

181.1532 181.1532 Appeal from revocation.

181.1532(1) (1) Right to appeal. A foreign corporation may appeal the department’s revocation of its certificate of authority under s. 181.1530 (1) to the circuit court for the county where the foreign corporation’s principal office or, if none exists in this state, its registered office is located, within 30 days after the effective date of the notice of revocation. The foreign corporation shall appeal by petitioning the court to set aside the revocation and attaching to the petition copies of its certificate of authority and the department’s notice of revocation.

181.1532(2) (2) Permissible remedies. The court may order the department to reinstate the certificate of authority or may take any other action that the court considers appropriate.

181.1532(3) (3) Appeal of judicial decision. The court’s final decision may be appealed as in other civil proceedings.

181.1532 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2001 a. 44.

subch. XVI of ch. 181 SUBCHAPTER XVI

RECORDS AND REPORTS

181.1601 181.1601 Corporate records.

181.1601(1) (1) Minutes and records of action. A corporation shall keep as permanent records minutes of all meetings of its members and board, a record of all actions taken by the members or directors without a meeting, and a record of all actions taken by committees of the board as authorized under s. 181.0825.

181.1601(2) (2) Accounting records. A corporation shall maintain appropriate accounting records.

181.1601(3) (3) Membership records. A corporation or its agent shall maintain a record of its members in a form that permits preparation of a list of the name and address of all members, in alphabetical order by class, showing the number of votes each member is entitled to cast.

181.1601(4) (4) Form. A corporation shall maintain its records in written form or in another form capable of conversion into written form within a reasonable time.

181.1601(5) (5) Copies at principal office. A corporation shall keep a copy of all of the following records at its principal office:

181.1601(5)(a) (a) Its articles of incorporation and all amendments to them currently in effect.

181.1601(5)(b) (b) Its bylaws or restated bylaws and all amendments to them currently in effect.

181.1601(5)(c) (c) Resolutions adopted by its board relating to the characteristics, qualifications, rights, limitations and obligations of members or any class or category of members.

181.1601(5)(d) (d) The minutes of all meetings of members and records of all actions approved by the members for the past 3 years.

181.1601(5)(e) (e) The financial statements furnished for the past 3 years under s. 181.1620.

181.1601(5)(f) (f) A list of the names and business or home addresses of its current directors and officers.

181.1601(5)(g) (g) Its most recent annual report delivered to the department under s. 181.0214.

181.1601 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2021 a. 258.

181.1602 181.1602 Inspection of records by members.

181.1602(1) (1) Records at principal office. Subject to s. 181.1603 (3), a member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and location specified by the corporation, any of the records of the corporation described in s. 181.1601 (5) if the member gives the corporation written notice or a written demand at least 5 business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy.

181.1602(2) (2) Other records that may be inspected. A member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and reasonable location specified by the corporation, any of the following records of the corporation if the member meets the requirements of sub. (3) and gives the corporation written notice at least 5 business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy:

181.1602(2)(a) (a) Excerpts from any records required to be maintained under s. 181.1601 (1), to the extent not subject to inspection under sub. (1).

181.1602(2)(b) (b) Accounting records of the corporation.

181.1602(2)(c) (c) Subject to s. 181.1605, the membership list.

181.1602(3) (3) When other records may be inspected. A member may inspect and copy the records identified in sub. (2) only if all of the following apply:

181.1602(3)(a) (a) The member’s demand is made in good faith and for a proper purpose.

181.1602(3)(b) (b) The member describes with reasonable particularity the purpose and the records the member desires to inspect.

181.1602(3)(c) (c) The records are directly connected with this purpose.

181.1602(4) (4) Applicability. This section does not affect any of the following:

181.1602(4)(a) (a) The right of a member to inspect records under s. 181.0720 or, if the member is in litigation with the corporation, to the same extent as any other litigant.