Can I Be the Registered Agent for My Llc

WHAT IS A REGISTERED Agent?

A registered agent is an private or business entity that accepts revenue enhancement 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 take an LLC registered amanuensis when you grade an LLC. The agent tin can exist a professional service, yourself, or a colleague given they meet the state'south criteria.

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

To learn the guidelines in your country, cull your state from the dropdown below.

What is an LLC Registered Agent?
Can I Exist My Ain Registered Agent?
Should I Employ a Registered Agent Service?
What is the All-time Registered Agent Service?
How Practise I Change My LLC Registered Agent?
Ofttimes Asked Questions

Final Updated: 2022-01-21

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 business.

Most states require y'all to designate a registered agent for your LLC, partnership, or corporation when forming your business. After choosing your business structure, you will be expected to add together a registered agent office when you file your Manufactures of Organization with the Secretary of Country or other official authorities agency.

Service of Process Definition

Service of process is the action of informing an private or entity that at that place's a pending lawsuit confronting him or her, or in this case, confronting one's company. Registered agents take service of process.

What is the Purpose of a Registered Agent?

Besides receiving official mail on behalf of your business organization, the main purpose of a registered agent is to help your business maintain effective corporate compliance by informing you lot of legal notices or sending almanac report filing reminders. Essentially, a registered agent is a gatekeeper for business organisation entities, so y'all can accept appropriate activeness and resolve potential bug in a timely fashion.

Whether you run a modest business or large corporation, you can expect your designated registered amanuensis to receive the following on your LLC's behalf later business organisation formation:

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

Can I be my ain Registered Agent?

Yep, yous can be your ain registered agent for your business organization (eastward.thou., Single-Member LLC). You lot could as well choose to designate an officer or member of your business concern, or even a friend you trust, as long equally the person beingness elected meets the following registered agent requirements:

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

Another option would be to rent a professional person registered agent service.

Should I use a Registered Amanuensis Service?

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

Compliance with the Law
Peace of Mind
Flexibility
Privacy

Visit our Should I Employ 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 help businesses stay upwardly-to-date on state requirements by sending regular reminders, and sometimes filings things like annual study filings and other official regime notifications.

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

Peace of Mind

Registered agents requite you peace of mind and then you can focus your time, energy, and attention on running your small business. Here's what a professional person, third-political party registered agent service can do to ease your stress:

Make growing your business the number ane priority. Important revenue enhancement and legal documents for your LLC volition be automatically received and stored for safekeeping.
Help maintain your work-life balance. Business and personal post are kept split up, preventing your work from overtaking your home life.
Offer personal guidance. You have additional support if your business runs into a trouble or if any questions arise.

Flexibility

If you choose to act every bit your own registered agent, you volition need to be available to receive official government correspondence and service of process notices during standard business hours at the physical accost you provide.

Designated registered agents give you the flexibility to focus on your business organisation instead of keeping runway of deadlines and being available during business concern hours.

With a registered agent service, you can:

Maintain flexible business concern hours. A registered agent must be bachelor from 8-5 every weekday. By designating a third-party registered agent service, yous tin can choose your own work hours.
Form an LLC in another country. Registered agents must accept a legal residence in the state where the business is formed. Hiring a national registered amanuensis service volition let you form an LLC in any of the 50 states.
Form an LLC in multiple states. If y'all gear up up your business to have a concrete location in multiple states, y'all will need to have an appointed registered agent for each state.

Privacy

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

Preventing y'all from beingness 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 physical address public instead of yours. Equally a effect, you're less likely to receive unsolicited mail.

What is the Best Registered Agent Service?

Hiring a professional, third-party registered agent service has several advantages, merely you may exist request yourself,"How do I cull a registered agent?" In addition to having a legitimate office in the country of your LLC, nosotros encourage you to find and cull a national registered amanuensis service with the post-obit features:

Compliance management: reminders for filing an annual written report and other of import deadlines for concern entities.
Document management: local scanning of all official legal documents so you can access them from your online business account.
Availability: a reliable client service squad who can answer whatsoever questions by phone or online that you may have regarding your concern.
Thorough coverage: the ability to provide registered agent services in all fifty states.

Best Registered Agent Service - ZenBusiness ($99/yr)

ZenBusiness provides one of the best registered agent services you lot can get for the price. They are as well upwards-front end about offer premium features for your business organization formation similar their worry-free guarantee, a service in which they file your company's annual report and other compliance documentation.

Other companies offer this under different names, typically buried in their online dashboards, and for significantly college fees. With ZenBusiness, at that place are no subconscious costs or gimmicks. Plus, they'll include a total year of professional registered agent services with LLC formation.

ZenBusiness'due south online document management arrangement and regular compliance alerts make working with them every bit your third-political party registered agent service completely seamless. They'll scan and upload all your essential legal documents and postal service you physical copies as needed.

ZenBusiness really stands apart for its excellent customer service. The representatives are known for beingness highly knowledgeable most company germination and business maintenance.

Best Registered Agent Service

Starting at $99 Annually
(for those who already have started an LLC)

Go Started

LLC Formation + Registered Agent Service for 1yr

$39 + Country Fees
(Registered Agent: $119 later on 1st year)

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Larn Nearly Registered Agents in Your State

How Exercise I Change the Registered Agent for My LLC?

To modify your registered agent, just file the correct paperwork with the Secretarial assistant of State; there may be a nominal filing fee depending on the land in which you deport business organization.

When changing the registered agent, brand sure to submit your new registered agent'southward signed consent class if applicable. This stride may vary by state.

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

How much does it toll to change my registered agent?

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 do business with your LLC.

Registered Agent LLC FAQ

Do I need a registered agent?

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

What does a registered agent do?

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

Acquire more than about what registered agents do.

Can the owner of an LLC exist the registered agent?

Yeah, the registered agent of an LLC can be its owner, as long as the conditions of age and residency are met according to land guidelines. Some small business owners choose to do this instead of hiring a third party or appointing someone else to the office.

This position does come with extra responsibilities and potential inconveniences, all the same, so many business owners make up one's mind it's ameliorate for them to choose another person or a professional person service to act as their registered agent. Y'all should weigh the pros and cons of each option and make up one's mind which is best for y'all and your concern.

Who can be a registered amanuensis?

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

Individuals must exist at to the lowest degree 18 years onetime and business entities must exist registered to operate in the state. Both must have a physical office location and be present during regular concern hours.

Although yous can be your ain registered agent, we 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 toll?

The toll of a registered agent varies, but information technology tin can exist anywhere from free (if you act equally your company's registered amanuensis) to a few hundred dollars a twelvemonth for some third-party services.

Hiring a registered agent service could salve you fourth dimension and coin in the long-run.

Is a registered agent the same equally the owner?

No, a registered amanuensis is not considered an possessor, its responsibleness is to go along certain paperwork upwards to engagement and accepts official correspondence on behalf of the company. Still, the individual owner of a business may too act as the company'due south registered amanuensis.

Why practice I demand a registered amanuensis?

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

Are registered agents liable?

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

Can I change my registered agent?

Yes. Y'all can change your registered agent past filing the necessary paperwork with the advisable state bureau. Different states take unlike processes and forms so read our gratuitous guides for details almost your state.

What is a statutory agent?

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

What is a resident amanuensis?

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

What is a service of process agent?

A service of procedure 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 land by filing a commercial registered agent listing statement with the Secretary of State in accordance with the Model Registered Amanuensis Act (MoRAA) or similar state law.

What does "service of process" mean?

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

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

Most states require LLC owners to provide their LLC's registered agent'southward name and address when forming your LLC. In some states, you volition be asked whether you are electing a commercial or noncommercial registered amanuensis. Some states refer to professional registered agents as commercial agents, which requires these agents to exist specially listed with their state, and private 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 organization where virtual offices, business organisation addresses, and mailboxes offer everything from temporary physical office space to an accost you lot tin use for normal mail of your business.

Are there any costless registered amanuensis services?

No, there are no free 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.

You tin serve as your own registered agent for free. Yet, this comes with the expectation that yous will be bachelor to receive service of process at all normal business concern hours.

Can my husband or wife be my registered agent?

Yes, your husband or married woman can be 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 business hours.