How Do I Find A Registered Agent For An Llc

What Is a Registered Agent?

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

About states require you to take an LLC registered agent when you form an LLC. The agent tin be a professional service, yourself, or a colleague given they come across the country'southward criteria.

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

Last Updated: 2022-06-01

Registered Agent Definition

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

Nigh states require you to designate a registered agent for your LLC, partnership, or corporation when forming your business. Afterward choosing your business construction, you lot will be expected to add a registered agent office when you file your Articles of Organization with the Secretary of Land or other official government agency.

Service of Procedure Definition

Service of procedure is the action of informing an individual or entity that there'south a pending lawsuit confronting him or her, or in this instance, against one'south company. Registered agents take service of process.

What is the Purpose of a Registered Agent?

Besides receiving official mail on behalf of your business, the principal purpose of a registered agent is to assist your concern maintain effective corporate compliance past informing you lot of legal notices or sending annual report filing reminders. Essentially, a registered agent is a gatekeeper for business entities, and then you can accept appropriate action and resolve potential issues in a timely style.

Whether y'all run a minor business or large corporation, you can await your designated registered agent to receive the post-obit on your LLC'southward behalf after business formation:

Tax forms
Legal documents
Official regime correspondence (ie. almanac written report)
Summons (Service of Process) - Notice of a lawsuit

Tin can I be my own Registered Agent?

Aye, yous tin can be your own registered agent for your business (e.one thousand., Unmarried-Member LLC). You could also choose to designate an officer or member of your business, or even a friend you trust, as long every bit the person beingness elected meets the following registered agent requirements:

is 18 years or older
has a physical address in the state where the business concern is formed
is available (in person) during normal business hours

Another option would exist to hire a professional registered amanuensis service.

Should I employ 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, 3rd-political party registered agent service officer—like ZenBusiness or Incfile—such equally:

Compliance with the Law
Peace of Mind
Flexibility
Privacy

Visit our Should I Use a Registered Amanuensis Service guide for assist with making the right selection for your business.

What is a Registered Agent Service?

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

Compliance with the Police force

Registered agents help businesses stay up-to-date on state requirements by sending regular reminders, and sometimes filings things similar annual report filings and other official authorities notifications.

Registered agent services will besides keep copies of your corporate documents. In case of theft, natural disaster, or other unexpected losses, you lot will accept a backup of all your important business and legal documents.

Peace of Mind

Registered agents give you peace of heed so you can focus your fourth dimension, free energy, and attention on running your small business. Hither's what a professional person, third-party registered amanuensis service can do to ease your stress:

Make growing your concern the number one priority. Important revenue enhancement and legal documents for your LLC volition be automatically received and stored for safekeeping.
Assistance maintain your piece of work-life balance. Concern and personal mail are kept separate, preventing your work from overtaking your home life.
Offer personal guidance. You take additional support if your business concern runs into a trouble or if any questions arise.

Flexibility

If you choose to act as your ain registered agent, you volition need to exist available to receive official government correspondence and service of procedure notices during standard business hours at the physical address y'all provide.

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

With a registered agent service, you lot can:

Maintain flexible business hours. A registered amanuensis must be available from eight-5 every weekday. Past designating a third-political party registered agent service, yous can cull your own work hours.
Course an LLC in some other land. Registered agents must have legal residence in the country where the business is formed. Hiring a national registered agent service will allow y'all grade an LLC in any of the 50 states.
Grade an LLC in multiple states. If you lot set up your business to take a physical location in multiple states, you will demand to have an appointed registered agent for each state.

Privacy

We all value our privacy. Your registered amanuensis service'south physical address will exist listed on the public record— not your personal or company location. This is especially of import to consider if your business operates out of your home. An LLC registered agent service will maintain your privacy by:

Preventing you from being served with a lawsuit in person. Yous don't want to receive a summons in front of your family unit, employees, or worse, your customers.
Having their concrete accost public instead of yours. Every bit a event, you're less probable to receive unsolicited post.

What is the Best Registered Amanuensis Service?

Hiring a professional, third-political party registered agent service has several advantages, only you may be request yourself,"How practice I choose a registered agent?" In add-on to having a legitimate function in the state of your LLC, we encourage you to find and choose a national registered agent service with the post-obit features:

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

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest is the best registered amanuensis service based on overall quality and transparent pricing. Northwest offers a seamless user feel and best-in-industry client service and privacy protection.

When you choose Northwest every bit your registered agent service, yous'll get an online account to access essential documents, mail forwarding, and business address services.

Northwest's virtual mailbox service will browse your postal service and frontwards it to you electronically. This means that you can continue runway of your mail service no affair where y'all are in the world.

LLC Formation + Registered Amanuensis Service for 1yr

(Registered Agent: $125 after 1st Yr)

Get Started

Acquire About Registered Agents in Your State

How Exercise I Modify the Registered Agent for My LLC?

To change your registered agent, just file the correct paperwork with the Secretary of State; in that location may exist a nominal filing fee depending on the state in which you conduct business.

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

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

How much does it cost to change my registered agent?

Changing the registered agent for your company tin toll from $0 to $50 per country depending on the number of states you're registered to do business with your LLC.

Registered Amanuensis LLC FAQ

Do I need a registered agent?

Yep. Every U.S. country requires all corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), and partnerships to have a registered agent. A registered agent may be called different names in different states, such equally a resident amanuensis, a statutory agent, or an agent for service of process.

What does a registered agent practise?

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

Learn more virtually what registered agents do.

Can the owner of an LLC exist the registered agent?

Yes, the registered agent of an LLC tin be its owner, as long as the weather condition of age and residency are met according to state guidelines. Some modest business owners cull to practice 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 owners decide it's ameliorate for them to cull another person or a professional person service to human activity as their registered agent. You should counterbalance the pros and cons of each option and decide which is best for you and your business.

Who tin can be a registered agent?

Registered agent requirements tin vary a fleck from state to state, but they generally permit for both individuals and business entities to serve every bit a visitor's registered agent.

Individuals must exist at least xviii years old and business entities must be registered to operate in the land. Both must have a physical office location and exist present during regular business organisation hours.

Although y'all can be your ain registered agent, nosotros recommend you consider hiring an experienced and reliable registered agent service to handle this portion of your business needs.

How much does a registered agent cost?

The cost of a registered agent varies, merely it tin can exist anywhere from free (if you deed as your visitor's registered amanuensis) to a few hundred dollars a twelvemonth for some third-political party services.

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

Is a registered amanuensis the aforementioned equally the owner?

No, a registered agent is not considered an owner, its responsibleness is to keep certain paperwork upwards to date and accepts official correspondence on behalf of the company. However, the individual possessor of a business organisation may also act as the visitor's registered agent.

Why do I demand a registered agent?

Well-nigh states require you to designate a registered agent if you own a business. Withal, even if it isn't required, we strongly recommend appointing a registered agent to accept service of process, proceeds peace of mind, and maintain your privacy.

Are registered agents liable?

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

Can I change my registered agent?

Yes. Yous tin change your registered agent by filing the necessary paperwork with the appropriate state bureau. Dissimilar states have different processes and forms and so read our free guides for details almost your state.

What is a statutory agent?

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

What is a resident agent?

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

What is a service of procedure agent?

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

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 statement with the Secretary of Land in accord with the Model Registered Agent Act (MoRAA) or like country law.

What does "service of process" mean?

Service of process means receiving legal documents, such as a summons. A summons is an guild to appear before a gauge due to a pending lawsuit.

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

Near states require LLC owners to provide their LLC's registered agent's name and address when forming your LLC. In some states, you will exist asked whether you are electing a commercial or noncommercial registered agent. Some states refer to professional person registered agents every bit commercial agents, which requires these agents to exist particularly listed with their country, and individual agents as noncommercial.

Are registered agents and virtual offices the same?

No, registered agents and virtual offices are not the same types of service. Registered agent services receive important legal services on behalf of your business concern where virtual offices, business addresses, and mailboxes offer everything from temporary physical office space to an address yous can use for normal mail of your business concern.

Are there whatever gratuitous registered amanuensis services?

No, in that location are no complimentary registered agent services, however, there are services that offer upwards to a free twelvemonth of registered agent service when you course your business with them.

Y'all tin can serve as your own registered agent for costless. However, this comes with the expectation that you lot volition be available to receive service of procedure at all normal business organization hours.

Can my hubby or wife exist my registered agent?

Yes, your husband or married woman can be your registered agent, as long as they authorize to exist a registered agent in your state, and are bachelor to receive service of process at all normal business hours.