Registered Agent
Most businesses need a registered agent to accept service of process on behalf of your business. When you form a business, you need to list a registered agent on your state documents.
Every state has their own registered agent requirements, but generally, fulfilling this duty means the agent is required to be at a known location during business hours. This ensures that when legal mail is delivered, someone is always there to receive it and provide it to the relevant party.
Our premier service is available in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and includes your annual report filing.
What Is a Registered Agent?
Required by state statute, registered agents make sure service of process and other legal documents reach the businesses they’re intended for. They are a regulatory fail-safe. Many states do not require businesses to include their own contact information on formation documents and other state filings. Since registered agent information is required, it means there’s always a way to get legal documents into the correct hands.
Who Can Be a Registered Agent?
Either a person or a business can act as a registered agent. If the registered agent is an individual, they need to reside in the state where service is needed. If the agent is a business, it needs to have a physical location in the state.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes. You can be your business’s registered agent as long as you live in the state where you need service. Note that your address will be on state documents. As such, it will become part of the public record.
Select your state below to learn about applicable registered agent requirements:
Should You Hire a Registered Agent or Be Your Own?
Whether to hire a registered agent or be your own depends on a few important factors. Here are a few questions to ask before signing up to be your own registered agent:
Are you always available at your office during business hours?
Registered agents need to be at the office location recorded with the state during business hours, Monday through Friday. For many small business owners, this commitment is impossible to keep.
Do you work out of your home?
If your home and office addresses are the same, consider whether you want your home address to be the one recorded with the state. Hiring a registered agent service generally means you can keep your own address private.
Do you have offices in multiple states?
Businesses operating in multiple states need multiple registered agents. Since you can live in just one state at a time, you can be your own registered agent in just one state. When you hire a registered agent service like us, we’re available in every state, all the time.
Is your business location client-facing?
For those with customers coming in and out of their business, receiving legal documents during the work day is less than ideal. Hiring a registered agent means you don’t have to worry about that.
Benefits of Our Registered Agent Service
At Registered Agents Inc, we’re setting the standard for what a registered agent should provide. Our premium service costs just $200 a year. With that, you get:
Compliance Filing
Our Registered Agent service includes annual report (or equivalent) filing for your state. That means you don’t need to keep track of those deadlines and requirements—we’ll do it for you at no extra cost.
Nationwide Service
Need Registered Agent service in one state today but more tomorrow? No problem. We have offices in all fifty states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
Additional Branding Tools
When you hire us to be your registered agent, you can add services like website, domain name, and email to help your business launch its online presence. All free to start.
Expert Assistance
Our experienced customer support team work closely with local agencies and offices to provide the most relevant and accurate information to our clients.Browse More Business Identity Services
How Our Registered Agent Service Works
Our Registered Agent Service is incredibly easy to sign up for and maintain. It works like this:
1
Select services.
Go to the Registered Agent sign-up form to select your state(s) and tell us information like your company’s name and the type of entity it is. From here, you can also add tools to help establish your business’s online presence, like a website and domain name.
2
Place your order.
Our Registered Agent service costs $200 a year.
3
Visit online account.
After you place your order, you can begin navigating your online account. You can manage your services from there, and when we receive legal documents for you, your account is where they’ll live.
4
Let us handle your annual report.
When you hire Registered Agents Inc to be your registered agent, we’ll file your annual or biennial report with your state at no extra cost. This helps ensure your business remains in good standing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a registered agent for my LLC?
Yes. Exact rules vary by location, but all states require LLCs to appoint a registered agent.
How do you become a registered agent in the US?
To become a registered agent in the US, you’ll first need to look up the specific requirements for the state where you wish to operate. In general, individual agents must be at least 18 years old and live in the state where they provide service. Entity agents must have a business location in the state of service. Additional rules may apply, so be sure to check the relevant state statutes.
How much does a registered agent cost?
Most registered agent services cost between $50 and $300 a year. Our premier service is $200 annually and includes annual report filing, as well as free trials of domain name, website, phone, and email services to help you launch your online business presence.
What does it mean to choose a registered agent?
Choosing a registered agent means deciding who you trust to receive and forward your sensitive legal documents. It is an essential part of the business formation and maintenance process.
What is service of process?
Service of process involves delivering legal documents, such as a court summons or complaint, so the necessary party. Registered agents are responsible for receiving service of process and passing it along to the business in question.