(a) Service of Process. Service of process on the secretary of state, secretary of the public service commission or director of insurance shall be made by serving a copy of the summons and petition, together with any remittance fixed by statute, on the respective official. The service of process shall be made as provided in Rule 54.13 or Rule 54.16.
Rule 54.15.Service on Secretary of State, Secretary of Public Service Commission and Director of Insurance.
Part I · Rule 54: Issuance and Service of Summons or Other Process · Last amended January 1, 1994 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceService on the secretary of state, secretary of the public service commission, or director of insurance is made by serving that official with the summons, petition, and any required remittance, after which the official must mail the defendant notice and a copy by registered or certified mail.
Full Text of Rule 54.15
(b) Notice to Defendant. The secretary of state, secretary of the public service commission or director of the department of insurance shall forthwith mail to the defendant at the defendant’s last known address a copy of such service and a copy of the summons and petition. The mailing shall be by registered or certified mail requesting a return receipt signed by addressee only.
(c) Form of Notice. The notice provided for in Rule 54.15(b) shall be in substantially the following form: To (here insert the name of the defendant and defendant’s last known address. ) You will take notice that original process in the suit against you, a copy of which is attached hereto, was duly served upon you at Jefferson City, Missouri, by serving the same on (here insert the name of the public official. ) Dated at ______________________ , Missouri, this ______________________ day of ______________________ , 19 ______________________ ______________________ (appropriate official)
Amendment History
Adopted Jan. 19, 1973, eff. Sept. 1, 1973. Amended June 1, 1993, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 54.15 provides a service route through designated Missouri officials for cases where service on the official substitutes for direct service on the actual defendant, under authority granted elsewhere by statute. Subsection (a) explains how service on the official itself is accomplished: by serving a copy of the summons and petition, along with any remittance a statute requires, on the secretary of state, the secretary of the public service commission, or the director of insurance, following the methods in Rule 54.13 or Rule 54.16.
Subsection (b) then obligates that official to forward notice to the actual defendant. The official must mail, to the defendant’s last known address, a copy of the service received and a copy of the summons and petition, and this mailing must be by registered or certified mail requesting a return receipt signed by the addressee only. This ensures the defendant, who was not served directly, still receives notice through the mail.
Subsection (c) supplies a form of notice for the official to use, which identifies the defendant, states that the original process was served on the official at Jefferson City, Missouri, and names the official through whom service occurred.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which officials can be served under Rule 54.15?
The secretary of state, the secretary of the public service commission, or the director of insurance.
How is service on one of these officials carried out?
By serving a copy of the summons and petition, together with any remittance fixed by statute, on the official, using the methods described in Rule 54.13 or Rule 54.16.
What happens after the official is served?
The official must forthwith mail the defendant, at the defendant’s last known address, a copy of the service and a copy of the summons and petition, by registered or certified mail requesting a return receipt signed by the addressee only.
Is there a required form for the notice the official sends?
Yes, Rule 54.15(c) sets out a form of notice stating that process was served on the named official at Jefferson City, Missouri.
Why would service go through one of these officials instead of directly on the defendant?
Other Rule 54 provisions and Missouri statutes designate these officials as points of service for certain out-of-state parties, such as nonresident motorists, foreign corporations, or unauthorized insurers, when direct personal service is not practical.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: service on secretary of stateservice on director of insurancestatutory agent serviceservice on public service commission