Section 24254 Of Chapter 2. Administration From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 9. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 2.
24254
. (a) The operation of an aircraft on the land or waters of,
or in the air over, this state shall be deemed an appointment by the
owner or operator of the department to be his true and lawful
attorney upon whom may be served all legal process in any action or
proceeding against him, arising from the ownership, maintenance, use
or operation of such aircraft and resulting in damage or loss to
person or property, and said use or operation shall be signification
of their agreement that any such process against him which is so
served, shall be of the same legal force and validity as though
served upon him personally; provided, such person is a nonresident of
this state or at the time a cause of action arises is a resident of
this state but subsequently becomes a nonresident of this state.
(b) Service of such process shall be made by leaving a copy of the
summons and complaint with the department or in its office at
Sacramento, together with a fee of two dollars ($2), and by the
mailing of a copy of such summons and complaint by the plaintiff or
his attorney to the defendant, and to each of the defendants if more
than one at his last known address, within 10 days thereafter by
registered mail. In lieu of such mailing to such defendant in a
foreign state, plaintiff may cause a copy of the summons and
complaint to be served personally in the foreign state upon such
defendant by any adult person not a party to the suit, by actually
delivering the same to such defendant or by offering to make such
delivery in case defendant refuses to accept delivery.
(c) Proof of the service of such process upon the department, and
proof of the mailing or personal delivery thereof to the defendant,
shall be made by the affidavit or affidavits of the party or parties
doing the acts, which shall be filed with the court from out of which
such summons issued, within such time as the court may allow for the
return of such summons. Process shall be deemed to be completed upon
the filing of such affidavit or affidavits and of the original
registry receipt issued by the post office upon the mailing of such
registered letter, if service is obtained by mail.