Registered Agent Service for US LLCs
A registered agent is the person or company legally designated to receive official mail for your LLC: lawsuits, state notices, franchise tax bills and annual report reminders. Every US state requires one, and the agent must have a physical street address inside the state where your LLC is formed, staffed during business hours.
If you live outside the United States you cannot be your own registered agent. A PO box, a virtual mailbox or your address in another country will all be rejected by the state, so a commercial registered agent is mandatory rather than optional. We provide the address, receive everything the state and the courts send, scan it the day it arrives, and warn you before each compliance deadline instead of after it.
What is included
- A physical street address in your formation state, listed on the public record instead of your home address
- Same-day scanning of every item received, emailed to you as PDF
- Service of process handled and escalated immediately, so a lawsuit is never a default judgment you find out about later
- Annual report and franchise tax deadline reminders for your specific state
- Forwarding of physical documents on request
- Free for the first year with every LLC formation package
Why a non-resident cannot skip this
Service of process is legally effective once it is delivered to your registered address, whether or not it reaches you. Three things follow from that:
- A lawsuit served on an address you no longer monitor can become a default judgment against your company.
- Missed annual report notices lead to loss of good standing, then administrative dissolution, which removes your liability shield retroactively in some states.
- Banks and payment processors check state standing. A delinquent LLC gets accounts frozen or closed.
Process and timeline
- Same day: we assign your agent address and you receive the consent document for your state filing.
- With formation: the agent is named on the Articles of Organization, so there is nothing further to file.
- Switching an existing LLC: a change-of-agent filing with the state, typically processed in 1 to 10 business days depending on the state, costing $0 to $50 in state fees.
- Ongoing: mail is scanned the day it arrives; renewal is annual.
Frequently asked questions
What does a registered agent actually do?
A registered agent is the official recipient of legal and state correspondence for your LLC: service of process if the company is sued, annual report reminders, franchise tax notices and state compliance letters. The agent must have a physical street address in the formation state and be available during business hours.
Can I be my own registered agent if I live abroad?
No. Every state requires a physical street address inside the state of formation. A PO box, a mail-forwarding address, or any address in another country is not accepted, so a non-resident always needs a commercial registered agent.
What happens if my LLC has no registered agent?
The state moves the LLC out of good standing and eventually dissolves it administratively. You also lose the ability to defend a lawsuit you were never told about, because service of process is legally valid once it is delivered to the registered address.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes. Changing agent is a short state filing, usually costing between $0 and $50 depending on the state. Your LLC keeps its original formation date and its EIN.