Why Having A Registered Agent Is Important
- DOSS Media
- Apr 7, 2020
- 2 min read
When someone decides to register a new corporation or a limited liability company, most of the time they don't realize they also need to select a registered agent, a statutory agent or an agent of process to register the company with.
What is a registered agent, a statutory agent or agent of process you ask?
To simply put it, a registered agent is a responsible third-party in the same state the business was established. A registered agent can receive service of process notices, correspondence from the Secretary of State, and other official government notifications like tax forms and notice of lawsuits; on behalf of the corporation or the LLC.
Another reason a registered agent is important is because the agent is giving you a physical address for remote or virtual business. Legal documents that end up getting sent to a post office box or non physical location does not ensure that the receiving party will get it because there is no one there to sign for it. Plus, servers don't really like that. They want a place to show up during business hours.
The types of business filings required to have a registered agent are, LLCs and corporations. It is required by US business law to have one in order to create a business but it seems like the requirement has gotten more relaxed over the recent years. For legal purposes though, you might not want to be caught without one.
Some company owners may think they don't need to get a registered agent because they can just do it themselves. Well, if you find yourself in a situation with a pending legal suit or summons, you may end up wishing you would've gotten one after all.
One more reason it is wise to have an appointed registered agent is because they also can accept mail on your behalf and scan those documents and upload them to your account. This is a really useful tool if you live outside of the state your business was originated and cannot physically access the mail.
The process to get a registered agent is pretty simple. The price is usually only $49.00 a year, unless you need additional services.
To find a registered agent for your state, just Google "registered agent" with your state after it.
Comments