Get a Nebraska Registered Agent

Before you form a Nebraska limited liability company (LLC), corporation, or other state-registered business in Nebraska, you’ll need to designate a registered agent. But what is a registered agent? What are they required to do, and who can be one?

What is a Nebraska registered agent?

A registered agent is an individual or company that is designated by the business to receive important legal documents on behalf of the business. This position is important because it ensures that the correct people in a business are notified when there are time-sensitive events such as service of process for lawsuits, garnishment notices against employees, or notifications of taxes.

Do I need a registered agent in Nebraska?

If you’re forming an LLC, corporation, or any other state-registered business in Nebraska, you’re required by law to have a registered agent. A registered agent is essential to help ensure that you don’t miss out on critical notifications, like service of process or state filing reminders. Having a Nebraska registered agent helps ensure there’s a constant point of contact between the state and your business, helping safeguard your company’s good standing.

Who can be a registered agent in Nebraska?

By Nebraska law, those forming an LLC, corporation, or other registered business entity in Nebraska will need to choose a registered agent. The registered agent is designated by law as the business’s agent for service of process and official government communications. The name of the registered agent and the location of the registered office must be listed in the entity’s formation documents. The registered agent can be:

• An individual member of the business entity or a designated third party who resides in Nebraska or
• A corporation that is authorized to transact business in Nebraska.

The registered agent’s office must be identical to the registered office. The registered office must be a physical street address (not a P.O. box) in Nebraska, and the registered agent must be available there during all normal business hours to accept service of process in person.

Benefits of Using a Nebraska Registered Agent Service

There are a few reasons to consider hiring a service to act as a registered agent instead of doing it yourself:

• Availability – A registered agent needs to generally be available at the principal address during normal business hours.  This can tie the business owner to the office all day and make it difficult to run errands for the company, meet up with clients, etc.
• Avoiding Embarrassment – If you serve as your own registered agent and a lawsuit is filed against the business, you could have papers served to you at your office in front of clients. Obviously, that could be both embarrassing and bad for business.
• Penalties and Fees – By not continuously maintaining a current registered agent, the business may be responsible for penalties and fees, in addition to the potential for administrative dissolution.

How much does it cost for a registered agent in Nebraska?

The cost of a registered agent in Nebraska varies based on whether you choose an individual or a professional service. If you opt to be your own registered agent or designate someone you know, the costs can be minimal, primarily associated with the potential need to maintain a physical street address or office space during business hours. For many small business owners, being their own agent requires no out-of-pocket cost but requires time and attention instead. 

On the other hand, professional registered agent services usually come with a fee. These fees can range from $100 to a few hundred dollars annually, depending largely on the level of services offered. While using a professional service might seem like an added expense, the benefits they provide — like helping ensure compliance with the registered agent requirement, protecting your professional image, and offering added peace of mind — often justify the cost for many businesses.

Cost of Changing Registered Agents

To change your registered agent in Nebraska, you’ll need to file the Statement of Change form for your business entity type and submit it through the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office using their Corporate Document eDelivery. The fee for LLCs and corporations online is $25.

How do I find registered agent services in Nebraska?

Finding a registered agent in Nebraska is straightforward. If you’re considering an individual as your agent, you can simply ask a trusted friend or associate who resides in Nebraska and meets the basic requirements; you can also designate yourself as the agent. If you’re leaning toward professional Nebraska registered agent services, a quick online search for “registered agent Nebraska” will yield a plethora of options. 

When evaluating these services, look for customer reviews, their years of experience, and any additional services they offer, like compliance alerts for required reports, free mail forwarding, or online storage of your important documents. Regardless of the route you choose, ensure that your registered agent is reliable, accessible, and understands the responsibilities associated with the role.

Our registered agent service can fill this role for you quickly and reliably.

Recommended article: Best Nebraska registered agent services

How to Change Your Nebraska Registered Agent

In order to change your registered agent in Nebraska, you’ll need to download and complete the appropriate change of registered agent/registered office form from the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Forms and Fee Information page; look for the form for your business type. You can download this form and submit it online. Follow these instructions, and you’ll be done in no time:

1. Go to the Secretary of State’s Forms and Fees page.
2. Select the section for your business entity type. Note that there are different forms for domestic and foreign businesses, so make sure you choose the correct one.
3. Complete the form.
4. To the right of the Statement of Change form, click the “eDelivery” icon.
5. On the following page, you can create a subscriber login if you plan on using the eDelivery service frequently, or you can proceed as a non-subscriber.
6. Select “Filing for an existing entity/trade name” and enter your Secretary of State Business Services Account Number.
7. Follow the instructions provided to upload your completed document.

The filing fee (as of this writing) is $25.

While some states let businesses change their registered agent on biennial reports or by amending their Certificate of Organization, Nebraska does not. You must file the designated form to make this change.

If you’re too busy, or if you’d feel more comfortable letting someone else take the reins, you have the option of hiring a company or individual to file your paperwork for you. It’s a great way to save time and stress.

Submit your form? Pay your fee? That’s all you have to do! Kick back and wait for your new registered agent to show up on your records. The Nebraska Secretary of State’s typical processing time is 1-2 business days after receipt of your form.

Change of Registered Agent Requirements

When changing a registered agent, the new agent must meet the same requirements: be a Nebraska resident or a corporation authorized to conduct business in Nebraska, have a physical street address in the state, and be available during business hours.

Nebraska Secretary of State Contact Information

Resignation of a Nebraska Registered Agent

There are numerous reasons you might need to give up your Nebraska registered agent role, but only one way to resign.

Registered agents play an important role in the life of a business, handling sensitive legal and tax documents, so it’s essential that agents follow proper resignation procedures. Otherwise, you could leave your company with unplanned fines or penalties, and you could be individually liable.

Follow these steps to resign as a Nebraska registered agent:

Notifying the Nebraska Business

The Nebraska Secretary of State doesn’t require you to inform your business before officially resigning. They will send a copy of your resignation to the company after you submit it (Nebraska Revised Statute 21-235). That said, it can be helpful for everyone involved if you reach out to them in advance. This gives the business more time to establish a transition plan for changing its registered agent, thereby avoiding fines or other penalties.

But it’s not a one-sided deal. Giving advance notice can help your resignation move more quickly. Once the Secretary of State processes your filing, you remain on file as the registered agent for 31 days. But if your business already has a replacement lined up, you can pass off your duties sooner.

Submitting Your Resignation

You’re ready to pursue your next project, but before leaving your current role, you must file an official resignation with the Secretary of State. There is no official resignation form, so you’ll need to create your own. Fortunately, you’re only required to include a few pieces of information, so it shouldn’t take long. While drafting your statement of resignation, make sure to incorporate the following:

• The business name (exactly as it appears on record with the Secretary of State)
• The business address
• Your name and address
• A statement of your resignation
• Date
• Your signature

And that’s it! There’s a filing fee of $30 for LLCs, but there’s no fee for corporations. Pay via check (made out to “Nebraska Secretary of State”). Along with your payment, you must submit the original plus two exact copies to the Secretary of State. Mail your documents to:

Nebraska Secretary of State
Business Services Division
P.O. Box 94608
Lincoln, NE 68509-4608

Handing Off Your Responsibilities

When you put down your registered agent responsibilities, someone else has to pick them up, or your business will lose its good standing with the state. Help your business keep its momentum by carefully planning your transition.

This starts with finding a successor who’s ready to take over right away. Even a small gap in registered agent coverage can result in severe penalties. Any Nebraska business entity that goes more than 60 days without a valid registered agent risks administrative dissolution from the state. So, if your business doesn’t find your replacement in time, they could lose their ability to conduct business in the state.

However, they can’t choose just anyone. Your successor must meet Nebraska’s registered agent requirements. The state requires that they:

• Are an individual resident of Nebraska or a corporation authorized to do business in the state
• Have a physical Nebraska address (P.O. boxes aren’t allowed)
• Have a mailing address in Nebraska
• Are available at the registered office address during all regular business hours
• Are authorized to do business in the state (if a foreign entity)

A business is allowed to appoint one of its individual owners or members as the registered agent, but there are times when it’s easier and more productive to use a professional service instead. We recommend using a registered agent service, which can take over registered agent duties, freeing up more time for the business’s managers to focus on running the business.