2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 5 - Businesses and Professions › Chapter 5-20.5 - Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons › Section 5-20.5-10. - Nonresident brokers — Employment of unlicensed brokers restricted — Nonresident salespersons — Service of process.

§ 5-20.5-10. Nonresident brokers — Employment of unlicensed brokers restricted — Nonresident salespersons — Service of process.
(a)
A nonresident of this state may become a real estate broker by conforming to all the provisions of this chapter, except that a nonresident real estate broker regularly engaged in the real estate business as a vocation and who maintains a definite place of business and is licensed in some other state that offers the same privileges to the licensed brokers of this state, is not required to maintain a place of business within this state. The director shall recognize the license issued to a real estate broker by another state as satisfactorily qualifying him or her for a license as a broker in this state; provided that the other state permits licenses to be issued to licensed brokers in this state without examination and provided that the licensing requirements set forth in § 5-20.5-4 have been met.
(b)
It is unlawful for any licensed real estate broker to employ or compensate directly or indirectly any person for performing any of the acts regulated by this chapter who is not a licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson; provided, that a licensed real estate broker may pay a commission to a licensed real estate broker of another state; provided, that the nonresident real estate broker does not conduct in this state any of the negotiations for which a fee, compensation, or commission is paid.
(c)(1)
A nonresident of this state may become a real estate salesperson by conforming to all the provisions of this chapter, including those set forth in § 5-20.5-4; provided that the nonresident real estate salesperson is regularly employed by a real estate broker licensed to do business within this state.
(2)
The director shall recognize the license issued to a real estate salesperson by another state as satisfactorily qualifying him or her for a license as a salesperson in this state and also that the other state permits licenses to be issued to licensed salespersons in this state without examination.
(d)
No license shall be issued to a nonresident until he or she has filed with the director a power of attorney constituting and appointing the director and his or her successor his or her true and lawful attorney, upon whom all lawful processes in any action or legal proceeding against him or her may be served, and in the power of attorney agrees that any lawful process against him or her that may be served upon his or her attorney is of the same force and validity as if served on the nonresident, and that the authority continues irrevocably in force as long as any liability of the nonresident remains outstanding in the state. Service of that process shall be made by leaving duplicate copies of it in the hands or office of the director, and the director shall immediately send one of those copies by mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the defendant at his or her last address as appearing on the records of the commission. One of the duplicates of that process, certified by the director as having been served upon him or her, is deemed sufficient evidence of that service, and service upon that attorney is deemed service upon the principal.
History of Section.
P.L. 1973, ch. 215, § 2; P.L. 2011, ch. 102, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 113, § 1.