48-51-306. Filing duty of secretary of state.

  (a)  If a document delivered to the office of the secretary of state for filing satisfies the requirements of § 48-51-301, the secretary of state shall file it.

   (b)  The secretary of state files a document by stamping or otherwise endorsing "filed," together with the secretary of state's name and official title and the date and time of receipt, on such document. After filing a document, except for filings pursuant to §§ 48-55-103, 48-65-109 and 48-66-203, the secretary of state shall deliver the document, with the filing fee receipt (or acknowledgement of receipt if no fee is required) attached, to the domestic or foreign corporation or its representative in due course. A domestic or foreign corporation or its representative may present to the secretary of state an exact or conformed copy of the document presented for filing, together with such document and, in that event, the secretary of state shall stamp or otherwise endorse the exact or conformed copy "filed," together with the secretary of state's name and official title and the date and time of receipt, and immediately return the exact or conformed copy to the party filing the original of such document.

 (c)  If the secretary of state refuses to file a document, the secretary of state shall return it to the domestic or foreign corporation or its representative within a reasonable time after the document was delivered, together with a brief, written explanation of the reason for the secretary of state's refusal.

 (d)  The secretary of state's duty to file documents under this section is ministerial. The secretary of state's filing or refusing to file a document does not:

       (1)  Affect the validity or invalidity of the document in whole or part;

       (2)  Relate to the correctness or incorrectness of information contained in the document;

       (3)  Create a presumption that the document is valid or invalid or that information contained in the document is correct or incorrect; or

      (4)  Establish that a document purporting to be an exact or conformed copy pursuant to § 48-51-301(i) is in fact an exact or conformed copy.

(e)  Any corporate document which meets the requirements of chapters 51-68 of this title for filing and recording shall be received, filed and recorded by the appropriate office, notwithstanding any contrary requirements found in any other provision of the laws of this state.

[Acts 1987, ch. 242, § 1.35.]