A registered agent plays a critical role in the formation and management of a company. This is the person or entity in charge of ensuring a company and its officers are notified in case of any legal action or process pending for the company. Having a trustworthy registered agent in each state that your company does business in is a critical, but often overlooked, step in managing a company.
Who can be a registered agent?
Though exact requirements of who can be a registered agents vary from state to state, normally any person or legal entity that has a physical presence in the state where the business is registered can be a registered agent. In many cases, the officers or managers of a company can become its registered agents if they live in the state where the business is registered. For businesses where the officers and managers reside in other states or countries, it is important for the business to have a trustworthy registered agent. Many accountants, lawyers, and other consultants can provide this service for a fee.
What are a registered agents’ responsibilities?
A registered agent has one main responsibility that is to receive and forward to the company that they are representing or notify the company’s representatives of any process, notice, or demand that is received by the registered agent.
Not having a trustworthy registered agent can put the company in legal trouble if the company does not receive the legal action or requests in time.
Make sure your company has a registered agent that you trust will deliver these documents and notices in a timely fashion.