(a) No person may be issued a nonresident seller's permit until he shows that he has filed a certificate with the secretary of state certifying that he has appointed a resident of this state as his agent for the purposes of this section. The certificate shall contain the name, street address, and business of the agent.
(b) A notice of a hearing for the refusal, cancellation, or suspension of a permit may be served on any of the following:
(1) the agent designated in the certificate on file with the secretary of state;
(2) any person authorized to sell liquor in this state as agent of the permittee; or
(3) the permittee or, if the permittee is a corporation, any officer of the corporation.
(c) If a permittee fails to maintain a designated agent, notice of a hearing may be served on the secretary of state. In that case, the secretary of state shall forward the notice to the permittee by registered mail, return receipt requested, and the receipt shall be prima facie evidence of service on the permittee.
(d) Provisions of this code generally applicable to hearings for the refusal, cancellation, or suspension of a permit also to apply to proceedings relating to the refusal, cancellation, or suspension of a nonresident seller's permit.