The Office of the Texas Secretary of State says its in-person services have been temporarily relocated to 400 W. 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701, in Travis County. That matters to anyone serving a business through the state: when a company's registered agent has disappeared, papers can go to the Secretary of State instead, and the agency's service of process team then forwards them to the company. Citations and petitions against Texas and foreign businesses make up most of this traffic, along with notices and demands that a statute directs to the Secretary of State.
Pricing and Turnaround
Hand delivery in Austin is priced on the same three tiers as any other address. Standard Service costs $69 and the attempt comes within 5 business days; Rush Service costs $119 for an attempt within 48 hours; 24-Hour Service costs $169 for an attempt within 24 hours. Because Texas requires a state-court citation or summons to be served by a sheriff, constable or certified process server, that kind of paper adds a $100 fee to whichever tier you pick; on the Standard tier a state-court citation therefore comes to $169. The forwarding fee the Secretary of State charges is separate and is paid to the state with the papers. After delivery you receive a signed Rule 107 return of service by email. See pricing, then place the order.
What Can Be Served Here
Texas law makes the Secretary of State an agent for service on a filing entity in two situations: the entity has no registered agent, or its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office (Bus. Orgs. Code 5.251). Service is made by delivering duplicate copies of the process together with the required fee, and the process must be returnable in not less than 30 days (Bus. Orgs. Code 5.252). The Secretary of State can also act for certain nonresidents under CPRC 17.044, but only where that statute's conditions are met. The office itself asks for a service of process request form and two copies of the documents being served; originals are not required.
Before You Send Papers
Keep a record of the attempts at the registered office, because the reasonable-diligence condition is what opens this route, and the court may want to see it. Prepare both copies of every document, fill in the request form, and include the forwarding address you want the state to use for the defendant. Check the return date on the citation against the 30-day minimum before anything is delivered. One caution on the address: the agency's service of process page still names the James E. Rudder Building, 1019 Brazos, Room 105, for courier deliveries, while its temporary location notice points in-person visitors to 15th Street. Confirm which applies on the day, and remember that papers sent by certified mail or regular mail go to P.O. Box 12079, Austin, Texas 78711-2079.
Nearby Courts and Other Locations
The Travis County Courthouse is at 1000 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78701, and the Travis County page lists the courts and towns there. Most business citations still start with the company's own agent, such as Cogency Global in Dallas, and only come here when that fails.