Marvin Mandel, Governor                         659

Section 55. And be it further enacted, That Sections 9-301 (b),
9-301(c), 9-301(e), 9-301(g), 14-115, 16-105(b), 16-106, 16-107,
16-107.2(e), 16-108(c), 16-109(a), 16-109(c), 16-109.1, 16-111, 16-
112, 16-113(c), and 16-117(b) of Article 66˝, Annotated Code of
Maryland (1970 Replacement Volume), title "Vehicle Laws," sub-
titles, respectively, "Civil Liability," "Size, Weight and Load," and
"Parties and Procedure upon Arrest, Trial, Citation and Appeal,"
be and they are hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments,
to read as follows:

§ 9-301. Service of process on nonresidents and on residents who
leave State.

(b)    How service made.—Service of these persons shall be made
by leaving a copy of the process with a fee of $2.00 in the hands of
the Secretary of State or in his office, or by sending a copy of the
process by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to
the Secretary of State, for which the clerks of courts [, justices of
the peace, or trial magistrates] shall collect a fee of one dollar to
cover the cost of mailing, and this service shall be sufficient service
upon the said nonresident individual, firm, or corporation, and of full
force and effect in any court [and before any justice of the peace or
trial magistrate] of this State; provided that notice of the service
and a copy of the declaration, cause of action, or titling shall forth-
with be sent by registered mail by the plaintiff or his attorney to the
defendant and defendant's return receipt and the plaintiff's or his
attorney's affidavit of compliance herewith shall be filed with the
clerk of the court [or before the justice of the peace or trial magis-
trate] in which the proceedings are pending.

(c)    Procedure if registered notice not received.—If the return
receipt is not returned to the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney,
signed by the defendant, notice of the service and a copy of the dec-
laration, cause of action, or titling, shall be served upon the defendant
by any person authorized to serve process under the law of the
jurisdiction in which the defendant may be found; and when a
declaration, cause of action, or titling in the action shall have been
filed in court [or before a justice of the peace or trial magistrate]
and service of process made upon the Secretary of State, and notice
thereof and a copy of the declaration, cause of action, or titling sent
to the defendant, and the defendant's return receipt, together with
the affidavit of compliance, or an affidavit by the person making the
service on the defendant, that a notice of the service and a copy of
the declaration, cause of action, or titling have been served upon the
defendant by a person authorized to serve process under the law
of the jurisdiction in which the defendant was found, filed with the
clerk of the court [or before the justice of the peace or trial magis-
trate] as hereinabove provided.

(e) Judgment by default.—And if the defendant fails to so plead,
judgment by default shall be entered against him, by the court or
clerk thereof [or the justice of the peace, or trial magistrate,] upon
motion in writing made by the plaintiff or his attorney, at any time
thereafter, before the defendant has pleaded, unless the court
[, the justice of the peace or trial magistrate] for good reasons, has
granted the defendant further time to plead; and upon the entry of
judgment, the plaintiff may forthwith sue out his writ of inquiry, or
otherwise enter up final judgment, according to the course of the
court.