Can An Officer Of A Corporation Be The Registered Agent

What Is a Registered Agent?

A registered agent is an individual or business concern entity that accepts tax and legal documents on behalf of your business. A registered agent is also known as a resident agent or statutory agent .

Most states require yous to have an LLC registered agent when y'all form an LLC. The agent can be a professional service, yourself, or a colleague given they meet the country's criteria.

Registered agent servicesoffer a number of benefits. To explore your options, check out our Best Registered Agent Services review.

To learn the guidelines in your land, choose your land from the dropdown beneath.

What is an LLC Registered Agent?
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent?
Should I Use a Registered Agent Service?
What is the Best Registered Agent Service?
How Practise I Alter My LLC Registered Agent?
Often Asked Questions

Last Updated: 2022-04-28

Registered Agent Definition

A registered agent is an individual or entity that has been appointed past an LLC or Corporation to receive service of process, authorities correspondence, and compliance documents on behalf of the business.

Virtually states require you to designate a registered agent for your LLC, partnership, or corporation when forming your business organization. Later choosing your business construction, you will be expected to add a registered amanuensis office when y'all file your Manufactures of Organization with the Secretarial assistant of State or other official regime bureau.

Service of Process Definition

Service of process is the action of informing an individual or entity that in that location's a pending lawsuit against him or her, or in this case, against i's visitor. Registered agents accept service of process.

What is the Purpose of a Registered Agent?

As well receiving official mail on behalf of your business organisation, the primary purpose of a registered agent is to help your business concern maintain effective corporate compliance by informing you lot of legal notices or sending annual written report filing reminders. Substantially, a registered agent is a gatekeeper for business entities, so you tin accept appropriate activity and resolve potential issues in a timely way.

Whether you run a minor business organisation or big corporation, y'all can expect your designated registered agent to receive the following on your LLC's behalf after business formation:

Tax forms
Legal documents
Official government correspondence (ie. annual report)
Summons (Service of Process) - Notice of a lawsuit

Can I be my own Registered Agent?

Yes, y'all tin be your own registered agent for your business (e.g., Single-Member LLC). You could also choose to designate an officer or member of your business, or even a friend you trust, equally long as the person being elected meets the following registered agent requirements:

is 18 years or older
has a concrete address in the country where the concern is formed
is bachelor (in person) during normal business concern hours

Some other option would exist to hire a professional registered agent service.

Should I use a Registered Agent Service?

Designating someone else to serve as a registered agent for your LLC or corporation has its benefits. In this section, we cover the major advantages of using an affordable, national, tertiary-party registered amanuensis service officer—like ZenBusiness or Incfile—such as:

Compliance with the Constabulary
Peace of Heed
Flexibility
Privacy

Visit our Should I Utilise a Registered Agent Service guide for help with making the right choice for your business.

What is a Registered Agent Service?

Registered agent services are business entities that accept revenue enhancement and legal documents on behalf of LLCs and corporations for a fee.

Compliance with the Law

Registered agents assist businesses stay up-to-appointment on state requirements by sending regular reminders, and sometimes filings things like almanac report filings and other official authorities notifications.

Registered amanuensis services will besides keep copies of your corporate documents. In case of theft, natural disaster, or other unexpected losses, you volition have a fill-in of all your important business concern and legal documents.

Peace of Mind

Registered agents requite you peace of mind and then you can focus your time, free energy, and attention on running your small business. Here'southward what a professional person, 3rd-party registered agent service tin can exercise to ease your stress:

Make growing your business the number one priority. Important tax and legal documents for your LLC will be automatically received and stored for safekeeping.
Help maintain your work-life balance. Business and personal mail are kept carve up, preventing your work from overtaking your dwelling house life.
Offer personal guidance. Y'all have additional support if your business runs into a problem or if whatever questions ascend.

Flexibility

If you choose to act equally your ain registered agent, yous will demand to exist available to receive official government correspondence and service of procedure notices during standard business hours at the concrete address you provide.

Designated registered agents give y'all the flexibility to focus on your business instead of keeping track of deadlines and being available during business hours.

With a registered amanuensis service, y'all can:

Maintain flexible business hours. A registered amanuensis must be available from 8-5 every weekday. By designating a third-political party registered agent service, you can choose your own work hours.
Form an LLC in another state. Registered agents must take legal residence in the state where the business is formed. Hiring a national registered agent service will allow you form an LLC in whatsoever of the 50 states.
Grade an LLC in multiple states. If you lot gear up your business to have a physical location in multiple states, you will demand to have an appointed registered amanuensis for each state.

Privacy

Nosotros all value our privacy. Your registered amanuensis service'south concrete address will be listed on the public record— not your personal or company location. This is particularly important to consider if your business concern operates out of your home. An LLC registered agent service will maintain your privacy by:

Preventing y'all from being served with a lawsuit in person. You don't want to receive a summons in front of your family, employees, or worse, your customers.
Having their concrete address public instead of yours. Equally a issue, yous're less likely to receive unsolicited mail.

What is the All-time Registered Amanuensis Service?

Hiring a professional, third-political party registered agent service has several advantages, merely y'all may be asking yourself,"How practice I choose a registered amanuensis?" In addition to having a legitimate office in the state of your LLC, we encourage you to find and cull a national registered agent service with the following features:

Compliance management: reminders for filing an almanac report and other important deadlines for business entities.
Certificate management: local scanning of all official legal documents so you tin can access them from your online business organization account.
Availability: a reliable customer service team who tin can respond any questions by phone or online that you may have regarding your business.
Thorough coverage: the ability to provide registered agent services in all 50 states.

Northwest Registered Amanuensis

Northwest is the best registered agent service based on overall quality and transparent pricing. Northwest offers a seamless user feel and best-in-manufacture customer service and privacy protection.

When you cull Northwest as your registered amanuensis service, you'll get an online business relationship to admission essential documents, mail forwarding, and business address services.

Northwest's virtual mailbox service will browse your mail and forward it to you electronically. This means that you can keep runway of your mail no matter where yous are in the world.

LLC Formation + Registered Agent Service for 1yr

(Registered Amanuensis: $125 afterwards 1st Year)

Get Started

Learn About Registered Agents in Your State

How Practise I Change the Registered Agent for My LLC?

To change your registered amanuensis, just file the correct paperwork with the Secretary of Country; there may be a nominal filing fee depending on the country in which yous conduct business organization.

When changing the registered agent, brand sure to submit your new registered amanuensis's signed consent grade if applicable. This step may vary past state.

For more information on how to change the registered agent for your LLC, you can visit our state-specific registered agent guides.

How much does it cost to change my registered amanuensis?

Changing the registered agent for your company can cost from $0 to $50 per state depending on the number of states you're registered to practice business with your LLC.

Registered Agent LLC FAQ

Do I need a registered agent?

Aye. Every U.S. state requires all corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), and partnerships to have a registered agent. A registered agent may exist chosen dissimilar names in dissimilar states, such as a resident amanuensis, a statutory agent, or an agent for service of process.

What does a registered agent do?

Registered agents keep your business compliant by maintaining upwardly-to-date paperwork. They also are in accuse of accepting official correspondence on behalf of your business, such every bit paperwork from the land and federal government, tax forms, and legal notices.

Learn more than about what registered agents do.

Can the owner of an LLC exist the registered agent?

Yes, the registered agent of an LLC can exist its possessor, as long as the conditions of historic period and residency are met according to state guidelines. Some small-scale business owners choose to do this instead of hiring a third political party or appointing someone else to the role.

This position does come with extra responsibilities and potential inconveniences, all the same, so many business concern owners decide it's improve for them to choose another person or a professional service to act as their registered amanuensis. You should weigh the pros and cons of each option and decide which is all-time for you and your business organization.

Who can be a registered agent?

Registered agent requirements tin can vary a fleck from state to country, but they generally let for both individuals and business entities to serve as a company's registered agent.

Individuals must be at to the lowest degree xviii years erstwhile and business organization entities must be registered to operate in the state. Both must have a physical office location and exist present during regular business concern hours.

Although y'all can be your own registered agent, we recommend you consider hiring an experienced and reliable registered amanuensis service to handle this portion of your concern needs.

How much does a registered agent cost?

The toll of a registered agent varies, but it can be anywhere from complimentary (if you deed equally your company's registered agent) to a few hundred dollars a year for some third-party services.

Hiring a registered agent service could save you time and money in the long run.

Is a registered agent the same as the owner?

No, a registered agent is not considered an possessor, its responsibleness is to continue certain paperwork up to engagement and accepts official correspondence on behalf of the company. Nonetheless, the private owner of a business may also deed equally the company's registered agent.

Why practice I demand a registered agent?

Most states require you to designate a registered agent if yous own a business. However, fifty-fifty if it isn't required, nosotros strongly recommend appointing a registered amanuensis to accept service of process, gain peace of mind, and maintain your privacy.

Are registered agents liable?

A registered agent could potentially be liable for damages in the event they fail to meet their legal responsibilities as a registered agent, such as not informing a company information technology was being sued.

Can I change my registered agent?

Yeah. You can modify your registered agent by filing the necessary paperwork with the appropriate land bureau. Different states have different processes and forms so read our free guides for details about your land.

What is a statutory agent?

A statutory agent is another name for a registered agent, a service of process agent, or a resident agent.

What is a resident agent?

A resident agent is another name for a registered agent, a service of process agent, or a statutory agent.

What is a service of process agent?

A service of procedure agent is some other name for a registered agent, a resident amanuensis, or a statutory amanuensis.

What is a commercial registered agent?

A commercial registered agent is a person or entity that has registered with the state by filing a commercial registered agent list argument with the Secretarial assistant of Country in accordance with the Model Registered Agent Human activity (MoRAA) or similar state police.

What does "service of process" hateful?

Service of process means receiving legal documents, such every bit a summons. A summons is an order to appear earlier a judge due to a awaiting lawsuit.

What is the divergence between a commercial registered agent and a noncommercial registered agent?

Most states require LLC owners to provide their LLC's registered agent's name and address when forming your LLC. In some states, y'all will exist asked whether you are electing a commercial or noncommercial registered agent. Some states refer to professional registered agents as commercial agents, which requires these agents to be specially listed with their state, and individual agents as noncommercial.

Are registered agents and virtual offices the same?

No, registered agents and virtual offices are not the aforementioned types of service. Registered agent services receive of import legal services on behalf of your business where virtual offices, business concern addresses, and mailboxes offer everything from temporary concrete office infinite to an address y'all can use for normal mail of your business.

Are there whatsoever free registered agent services?

No, there are no gratis registered agent services, nonetheless, at that place are services that offer up to a free year of registered agent service when you lot form your business with them.

You tin serve as your own registered agent for gratis. However, this comes with the expectation that you will be available to receive service of process at all normal business hours.

Can my hubby or wife be my registered agent?

Yes, your married man or wife tin can exist your registered amanuensis, as long as they qualify to be a registered agent in your state, and are available to receive service of process at all normal concern hours.