What is a Registered Agent?

When you form a business, you must decide which entity is the right setup for your business. It might be a limited liability company or LLC. A limited liability company is a cross between a partnership and a corporation where the owner has limited liability to only the assets they invest in the company. A manager (or managers) need to be appointed, and there procedures and documents associated with an LLC, such as an operating agreement.

When researching forming an LLC, you might be asking ‘What is a registered agent, LLC’. But what does this term refer to, and do you need one?

What is a Registered Agent, LLC?

A registered agent is a business or individual that receives documents on behalf of other registered businesses, such as LLCs. They are required to notify the business of any correspondence received.

When do you Need a Registered Agent?

You will need to enter the details of a registered agent when you file documents to become a limited liability company or LLC. You register for your LLC on the Secretary of State website for the state in which you wish to form your LLC.

How do you Assign a Registered Agent for your LLC?

You can be the registered agent yourself or arrange for a registered agent to provide this service for you. There are fees for this service. You can select a registered agent for your LLC from recommendations and look at their reviews online.

The registered agent for your LLC is the name and address where legal documents are sent. These can be of any nature, so this is one of the reasons why businesses choose to hire a registered agent rather than do the task themselves.

For example if a customer or client decided to sue you, it might be embarrassing for these papers to be served at your business premises or even at your home address with family and friends potentially present. A registered agent will receive these documents for you.

Final Word: What is a Registered Agent?

When you form a new business and decide to become a limited liability company, you must register your business with the Secretary of State on their website. When you register, supply the name and address for a registered agent. This may be a registered agent you engage the services of, or it may be yourself or another individual. You will need to decide the best choice of the registered agent for your business.

The Legal Stepz course takes you through the process of forming a limited liability corporation, which includes the steps for a registered agent. If you would like to know more about an easy and affordable way to form your limited liability company or corporation, then you can find out more here.