Registered Agent FAQs

Registered agents receive important tax and legal letters and packages for their clients. These packages may arrive from many sources including the state and include annual statements, tax documents or litigation notices which inform you of legal suits.

Registered agents must have a physical location, such as a street address, in the state where your business is formed. They must also be open from 9:00am to 5:00pm or similar hours of business. They may not use any type of post office box or rented mailbox for their address as a registered agent. Their address is considered a public record which means everyone may access it. Some states don’t require legal addresses for all companies to accompany the formation documentation or other filing documents. In this case the address of the registered agent will be the only one filed with the state.

States do allow individuals to perform the service of a registered agent for businesses. If you have a street address in the same state where the formation of your business takes place, you can become its agent. You may not name your corporation as its own agent. For a corporation to perform the service of registered agent, it has to get approval from the state of location.

Occasionally it is in the company’s best interest to obtain the services of a professionally established registered agent service provider. Keep the following instances in mind as you consider who can best serve your corporation as its registered agent.

• If you don’t have a street address in the state where your company is planning its formation you will be required by law to obtain the services of a registered agent with a street address located in that state. A professionally registered agent will enable you to fulfill this obligation.
• If your business address is a post office box, you may not be considered for the position of registered agent for your company. You can use the services offered by professional registered agents to comply with the need to provide a street address.
• Your company may operate in many states. You are required to supply your business with a registered agent in each additional state you operate within beyond the state in which you formed the company. If you choose a professional registered agent service provider, only one entity need handle your important documents.
• Registered agent addresses must remain up to date within each state. Address changes necessitate formal filing of state documentation and fee payment. If you choose a professional company as your registered agent provider this will never be a concern.
• As noted a registered agent’s address is a public record. If you own a home based business, anyone who wishes to access the public records will have access to your home address, this includes marketers. To prevent excessive junk mail from cluttering your home mailbox you can allow a registered service agent to process your business mail.
• If your business should happen to be served a legal notice, you don’t want an officer to appear before your employees and customers compounding an already uncomfortable situation. Having a professional registered agent will guarantee discreet delivery of such official notices.
• Registered agents have to be available for normal working hours. If you choose to operate on a different schedule, a professional registered agent can fill this need.
• No matter where you move or what you do, a professional registered agent can provide you with the peace of mind that you will receive all pertinent business documents.
• You can increase your productivity by using the many faceted services offered by professional registered agents. These include, but are not limited to, accessing your accounts and documents online, as well as filing state required annual documentation of LLCs and corporations.