KRS 454.210: Personal jurisdiction of courts over nonresident -- Service of process -- Fee

-- Venue.

(1) As used in this section, "person" includes an individual, his or her executor,

administrator, or other personal representative, or a corporation, pa rtnership,

association, or any other legal or commercial entity, who is a nonresident of this

Commonwealth.

(2) A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a person who is a party to a civil

action on any basis consistent with the Constitution of Kentu cky and the

Constitution of the United States, including but not limited to the person's:

(a) Transacting any business in this Commonwealth;

(b) Contracting to supply services or goods in this Commonwealth;

(c) Causing tortious injury by an act or omission in this Commonwealth;

(d) Causing tortious injury in this Commonwealth by an act or omission,

including but not limited to designing, manufacturing, or marketing products,

including product components, outside this Commonwealth, which are used

or consumed in this Commonwealth or regularly available for purchase in this

Commonwealth if he or she does or solicits business, or engages in any other

course of conduct, or derives substantial revenue from goods used or

consumed or services rendered in this Commonwealth;

(e) Causing injury in this Commonwealth to any person by breach of warranty

expressly or impliedly made in the sale of goods outside this Commonwealth

when the seller knew such person would use, consume, or be affected by, the

goods in this Commonw ealth, if he or she also does or solicits business, or

engages in any other course of conduct, or derives substantial revenue from

goods used or consumed or services rendered in this Commonwealth;

(f) Having an interest in, using, or possessing real proper ty in this

Commonwealth, providing the claim arises from the interest in, use of, or

possession of the real property, provided, however, that such in personam

jurisdiction shall not be imposed on a nonresident who did not himself or

herself voluntarily ins titute the relationship, and did not knowingly perform,

or fail to perform, the act or acts upon which jurisdiction is predicated;

(g) Contracting to insure any person, property, or risk located within this

Commonwealth at the time of contracting;

(h) Committing sexual intercourse in this state which intercourse causes the birth

of a child when:

1. The father or mother or both are domiciled in this state;

2. There is a repeated pattern of intercourse between the father and mother

in this state; or

3. Said intercourse is a tort or a crime in this state; or

(i) Making a telephone solicitation, as defined in KRS 367.46951, or a charitable

solicitation as defined in KRS 367.650 via telecommunication, into the

Commonwealth.

(3) (a) When personal jurisdiction is authorized by this section, service of process

may be made:

1. In any manner authorized by the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure;

2. On such person, or any a gent of such person, in any county in this

Commonwealth, where he or she may be found; or

3. On the Secretary of State who, for this purpose, shall be deemed to be

the statutory agent of such person.

(b) The clerk of the court in which the action is brough t shall issue a summons

against the defendant named in the complaint. The clerk shall execute the

summons either by:

1. Sending by certified mail two (2) true copies to the Secretary of State

and shall also mail with the summons two (2) attested copies of

plaintiff's complaint; or

2. Transmitting an electronically attested copy of the complaint and

summons to the Secretary of State via the Kentucky Court of Justice

electronic filing system.

(c) The Secretary of State shall, within seven (7) days of receipt thereof in his or

her office, mail a copy of the summons and complaint to the defendant at the

address given in the complaint. The letter shall be posted by certified mail,

return receipt requested, and shall bear the return address of the Secretary of

State. The clerk shall make the usual return to the court, and in addition the

Secretary of State shall make a return to the court showing that the acts

contemplated by this statute have been performed, and shall attach to his or

her return the registry recei pt, if any. Summons shall be deemed to be served

on the return of the Secretary of State and the action shall proceed as provided

in the Rules of Civil Procedure.

(d) The clerk mailing the summons to the Secretary of State shall mail to him or

her, at the same time, a fee of ten dollars ($10), which shall be taxed as costs

in the action. The fee for a summons transmitted electronically pursuant to

this subsection shall be transmitted to the Secretary of State on a periodic

basis.

(4) When the exercise of pe rsonal jurisdiction is authorized by this section, any action

or suit may be brought in the county wherein the plaintiff resides or where the cause

of action or any part thereof arose.

(5) A court of this Commonwealth may exercise jurisdiction on any other basis

authorized in the Kentucky Revised Statutes or by the Rules of Civil Procedure,

notwithstanding this section.