Service of process as authorized by § 15-7-6 shall be made by serving a copy thereof upon the secretary of state, or by filing the copy in the office of the secretary of state, together with payment of a fee of fifteen dollars. The service shall be sufficient service upon the absent resident or the nonresident or the resident’s or nonresident’s personal representative if the notice of the service and a copy of the process are within ten days thereafter sent by mail by the plaintiff to the defendant at the defendant’s last-known address and that the plaintiff’s affidavit of compliance with the provisions of this section is attached to the summons. The secretary of state shall keep a record of any process so served. The record shall show the day and hour of the service. The fee of fifteen dollars paid by the plaintiff to the secretary of state at the time of service of the process shall be recovered as taxable costs if the plaintiff prevails in the suit.

Source: SDC 1939, § 33.0809; SL 1957, ch 178; SL 1963, ch 226; SL 2003, ch 8, § 4; SL 2009, ch 4, § 5.