(1) As a condition precedent to having its name or its cigarettes listed and retained in the directory maintained by the commissioner pursuant to Section 75-101-5, a manufacturer not registered to do business in the state must appoint and continually engage, without interruption, a registered agent in Mississippi for service of process on whom all process and any action or proceeding arising out of the enforcement of this chapter may be served. The manufacturer shall provide to the commissioner the name, address and telephone number of its agent for service of process and any other information relating to its agent which may be requested by the commissioner.
(2) As a condition precedent to having its name or its cigarettes listed and retained in the directory maintained by the commissioner pursuant to Section 75-101-5, a manufacturer located outside of the United States shall cause each of its importers of any of its cigarettes to be sold in Mississippi to appoint and continually engage, without interruption, the services of an agent in the state in accordance with this section. All obligations of a manufacturer imposed by this section with respect to appointment of its agent also apply to importers with respect to appointment of their agents.
(3) A manufacturer shall provide written notice to the commissioner no later than thirty (30) calendar days before the termination of the authority of an agent appointed pursuant to subsection (1) or (2) of this section. No less than five (5) calendar days before the termination of an existing agent appointment, a manufacturer shall provide to the commissioner the name, address and telephone number of its newly appointed agent for service of process and any other information relating to the new appointment which may be requested by the commissioner. If an agent terminates an agency appointment, the manufacturer must notify the commissioner of the termination within five (5) calendar days and include proof to the satisfaction of the commissioner of the appointment of a new agent.