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Basics
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A registered agent is a person or business entity designated to receive important legal documents, government correspondence, and service of process on behalf of your LLC or corporation. They serve as your business’s official point of contact with state agencies and legal entities, ensuring that you never miss critical notices such as lawsuits or official filings from the Secretary of State. By forwarding these documents promptly to the right people in your business, a registered agent helps maintain compliance, protects your reputation, and keeps your operations running smoothly. [Learn more on our registered agent definition page.]
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Nearly every state requires businesses to have a registered agent. They are necessary for receiving official documents, such as service of process, state public notices, and compliance requests. Having a registered agent helps ensure that your business can be legally served and maintain good standing with the state.
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A registered agent acts as your business’s official point of contact with the government and legal entities. They receive and forward important documents such as lawsuit notifications, service of process, state compliance notices, and annual report reminders to the business owner(s). By ensuring these communications are delivered in a timely manner, the registered agent helps keep your company in good standing. To fulfill this role, a registered agent must be available during normal business hours at a physical address in your state of formation.
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If you’re running an LLC or corporation, every state in the U.S. mandates that you maintain a registered agent. This stipulation provides an official channel of communication between the state and your business. It’s not just a formality — it’s a way to ensure transparency and responsibility in the corporate world.
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Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent if you meet your state’s requirements. This typically means having a physical address in the state where your business is formed and being available during normal business hours to receive legal and government documents.
But the bigger question is whether you should be your own registered agent. Acting as your own agent means taking full responsibility for receiving and handling important communications, such as lawsuit notices, compliance reminders, and state correspondence. While this is possible if you’re highly organized and consistently available, many business owners find it burdensome. Using a professional registered agent service can protect your privacy, ensure reliability, and free you to focus on running and growing your business.
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The primary duty of a registered agent is to be consistently available during normal business hours at a physical location (often called the registered office) to accept important paperwork. These documents typically include notices about service of process (being served with a lawsuit), and they can also include official mail notifications about renewals or annual reports. Some registered agent services also offer extra services like virtual document portals to make it easy to access your documents. Compare registered agent services.
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Yes, if your business operates in multiple states, you’ll need a registered agent with a physical address in each state where your business is registered or qualified to do business.
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Nearly every state requires LLCs and corporations to maintain a registered agent to ensure there’s a reliable way for the state and legal entities to communicate with your business. This requirement helps maintain transparency and ensures important documents reach your business in a timely manner.
