1. A principal office, which shall be a place of its business and which may but need not be within the Commonwealth, at which shall be kept the records required to be maintained pursuant to § 50-73.8;

2. A registered office in the Commonwealth that may be the same as any of its places of business; and

3. A registered agent, who shall be either:

a. An individual who is a resident of the Commonwealth and is either (i) a general partner of the limited partnership, (ii) an officer or director of a corporate general partner of the limited partnership, (iii) a general partner of a general or limited partnership that is a general partner of the limited partnership, (iv) a member or manager of a limited liability company that is a general partner of the limited partnership, (v) a trustee of a trust that is a general partner of the limited partnership, or (vi) a member of the Virginia State Bar and whose business office is identical with the registered office; or

b. A domestic or foreign stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company or registered limited liability partnership authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth, the business office of which is identical with the registered office; provided such a registered agent (i) shall not be its own registered agent and (ii) shall designate by instrument in writing, acknowledged before a notary public, one or more natural persons at the office of the registered agent upon whom any process, notice or demand may be served and shall continuously maintain at least one such person at that office. Whenever any such person accepts service, a photographic copy of such instrument shall be attached to the return.