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  3. Registered agent

Meaning

Registered agent

Your LLC's official contact for court papers and government notices. It needs a real in-state street address.
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Key facts

Another name
Statutory agent, resident agent, agent for service of process

In practice

Some states allow you to be your own agent. Your address then becomes public, and you must be available on weekdays.

State by state

An agent is required in 46 states. The remaining 4 read as follows:

  • Minnesota: A Minnesota LLC must keep a registered office in Minnesota; naming an agent there is optional.
  • New York: The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.
  • Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.
  • West Virginia: The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent; the Articles ask for one "if any".

Related pages

See: Forming an LLC, by state, Registered agent rules by state, Foreign registration by state.

Sources

  1. Entry for Alabama registered agent statute: read at alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  2. Entry for Alaska registered agent statute: read at akleg.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  3. Entry for Arizona registered agent statute: read at azleg.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  4. Entry for Arkansas registered agent statute: read at arkleg.state.ar.us, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  5. Entry for California registered agent statute: read at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  6. Entry for Connecticut registered agent statute: read at cga.ct.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  7. Entry for Delaware registered agent statute: read at delcode.delaware.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  8. Entry for Florida registered agent statute: read at flsenate.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  9. Entry for Georgia registered agent statute: read at sos.ga.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  10. Entry for Hawaii registered agent statute: read at capitol.hawaii.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  11. Entry for Idaho registered agent statute: read at legislature.idaho.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  12. Entry for Illinois registered agent statute: read at ilga.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  13. Entry for Indiana registered agent statute: read at faqs.in.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  14. Entry for Iowa registered agent statute: read at legis.iowa.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  15. Entry for Kansas registered agent statute: read at ksrevisor.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  16. Entry for Kentucky registered agent statute: read at apps.legislature.ky.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  17. Entry for Louisiana registered agent statute: read at legis.la.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  18. Entry for Maine registered agent statute: read at legislature.maine.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  19. Entry for Maryland registered agent statute: read at mgaleg.maryland.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  20. Entry for Massachusetts registered agent statute: read at sec.state.ma.us, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  21. Entry for Michigan registered agent statute: read at legislature.mi.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  22. Entry for Minnesota registered agent statute: read at revisor.mn.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  23. Entry for Mississippi registered agent statute: read at sos.ms.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  24. Entry for Missouri registered agent statute: read at revisor.mo.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  25. Entry for Montana registered agent statute: read at mca.legmt.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  26. Entry for Nebraska registered agent statute: read at nebraskalegislature.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  27. Entry for Nevada registered agent statute: read at leg.state.nv.us, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  28. Entry for New Hampshire registered agent statute: read at gc.nh.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  29. Entry for New Jersey registered agent statute: read at pub.njleg.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  30. Entry for New Mexico registered agent statute: read at nmonesource.com, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  31. Entry for New York registered agent statute: read at nysenate.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  32. Entry for North Carolina registered agent statute: read at sosnc.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  33. Entry for North Dakota registered agent statute: read at ndlegis.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  34. Entry for Ohio registered agent statute: read at codes.ohio.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  35. Entry for Oklahoma registered agent statute: read at sos.ok.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  36. Entry for Oregon registered agent statute: read at oregonlegislature.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  37. Entry for Pennsylvania registered agent statute: read at legis.state.pa.us, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  38. Entry for Rhode Island registered agent statute: read at webserver.rilegislature.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  39. Entry for South Carolina registered agent statute: read at scstatehouse.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  40. Entry for South Dakota registered agent statute: read at sdlegislature.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  41. Entry for Tennessee registered agent statute: read at sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  42. Entry for Texas registered agent statute: read at sos.texas.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  43. Entry for Utah registered agent statute: read at le.utah.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  44. Entry for Vermont registered agent statute: read at legislature.vermont.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  45. Entry for Virginia registered agent statute: read at law.lis.virginia.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  46. Entry for Washington registered agent statute: read at app.leg.wa.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  47. Entry for West Virginia registered agent statute: read at code.wvlegislature.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  48. Entry for Wisconsin registered agent statute: read at docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose
  49. Entry for Wyoming registered agent statute: read at wyoleg.gov, dated October 2026, kept short on purpose