Registered Agent
A registered agent is a person or commercial service authorized to receive legal documents on behalf of a business entity. Sometimes called a statutory agent, resident agent, or agent for service of process, the agent accepts lawsuits, subpoenas, official state correspondence, tax notices, and similar service of process during normal business hours. A registered agent is required by every US state for every formed corporation and LLC. Without one, the state can administratively dissolve the entity for non-compliance.
The requirements: the agent must be physically located in the state of incorporation (a Delaware corporation needs a Delaware-resident registered agent; a California LLC needs a California-resident agent; if the company qualifies to do business in additional states, a registered agent is needed in each), available during normal business hours to accept service of process, and provide a physical street address (not a PO box). Options: be your own registered agent (works only if you're physically present at a business address in the state of incorporation during business hours, which is rarely practical and exposes personal address publicly), use a commercial registered agent service (the standard practice; services like Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom, Capitol Services, CT Corporation, CSC, Harbor Compliance, and Bizee/Incfile charge roughly $50 to $300 annually per state for basic registered agent service), or use formation-package providers (Stripe Atlas, Clerky, Carta Launch include registered agent service as part of their formation packages, typically the first year free with renewal fees thereafter). The 2020s reality: most startups use commercial registered agent services because the privacy advantages (personal addresses don't end up on public records), the always-available service (the company doesn't need someone physically at the address all day), and the document-handling sophistication (electronic forwarding of received documents, often with same-day notification) outweigh the modest annual fee.
Ryan's Take
Registered agent is one of the most boring requirements in incorporation and the one most founders try to skip by listing themselves to save the $100/year fee. The savings are not worth it: your home address ends up on public records, you're personally responsible for being available during business hours to accept service, and you'll forget to update the agent address when you move and get the entity administratively dissolved. Pay the $100 to $300 annually for a commercial service. It's the cheapest piece of infrastructure in your business.
What founders get wrong: Listing themselves as registered agent to save the annual fee, then forgetting to update the address when they move, then losing the corporation to administrative dissolution when the state can't reach them. The fee is rounding error compared to the cost of losing the entity and having to re-form it. Use a commercial service.
Related: Incorporation · Delaware C-Corp · Articles of Incorporation
FAQ
What is a registered agent?
A person or commercial service authorized to receive legal documents (lawsuits, subpoenas, official state correspondence, tax notices) on behalf of a business entity during normal business hours. Required by every US state for every formed corporation and LLC. Sometimes called a statutory agent, resident agent, or agent for service of process.
What does a registered agent cost?
Commercial services charge roughly $50 to $300 annually per state. Major providers: Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom, Capitol Services, CT Corporation, CSC, Harbor Compliance, Bizee/Incfile. Formation packages from Stripe Atlas, Clerky, and Carta Launch typically include registered agent service for the first year with renewal fees thereafter.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Technically yes, but rarely practical. You must be physically located in the state of incorporation, available during normal business hours, and provide a public street address (not a PO box). Most founders end up using a commercial service for privacy, reliability, and to avoid losing the entity to administrative dissolution if they move.
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