A registered agent receives legal papers and certain official notices for your LLC. Service of process means the formal delivery of legal papers, such as notice of a lawsuit.
Choose an agent who will get those documents to you promptly. Agent services do not automatically include legal advice, bookkeeping, tax filing or ordinary mail forwarding.
Who can be your registered agent?
You can use an eligible individual or a registered-agent service. Before appointing anyone, confirm:
- They meet your state’s eligibility rules.
- Their office address meets the state’s requirements.
- They can reliably receive and forward legal papers.
- They agree to serve and complete any required acceptance.
You may be able to act as your own agent if you meet those conditions. Plan how notices will be handled when you travel or move, and remember that the listed address may be public.
Check the rules for your state
Arizona calls the role a statutory agent and requires the appointee’s acceptance. Other states use registered agent or resident agent. Use the term and fields on your state’s form.
Minnesota is different: its ordinary LLC articles require a registered office, but naming an agent is optional. See the Minnesota instructions or your state guide before choosing an arrangement.
Questions to ask before hiring an agent
- What will the service cost after the introductory year?
- How quickly are documents scanned or forwarded?
- Does the price include ordinary mail, or only agent services?
- Can the provider serve in every state where you need an agent?
- Who files the state paperwork when you switch providers?
- What happens to documents received after cancellation?
A provider’s subscription is separate from state filing charges. Florida, for example, includes a state agent-designation charge in the LLC formation total. That payment does not buy a year of private agent service.
How to change your agent
Arrange the new agent’s consent, then file the state’s agent-change document. Save the accepted filing and confirm when the new agent begins receiving notices. You must update the state record as well as your provider account.
Before using an agent’s address elsewhere in the application, check which fields allow it. The state privacy comparison explains what formation records disclose.
