If you are thinking about starting your own business and registering your company with your state’s Corporation Commission you will need to have a registered agent for your business.

A registered agent can either be a person who is a member or owner of the company or a company in the state where you intend to start your business. The duties of the registered agent is to accept official paperwork, lawsuits, service of process, and annual registration notices. An individual or a company can serve as a registered agent.

There are certain requirements that either the person or a company must qualify before they can serve as a registered agent. Generally, to serve as a registered agent the person must be a resident of the state with a physical address, and be available during normal business hours. The person must be a member of the company such as owner, officer, or a partner.

There are companies that are in the business of offering registered agent services. A third-party company can also serve as a registered agent along with an attorney’s office.

When the registered agent is served with documents for the company, they are not served in their personal capacity but only as caretakers with duty to notify the company and forward copies of documents.

Having an attorney’s office as your access to additional resources in case you need to respond to court complaints or other complex matters.

For more information, please be sure to contact a local law firm.