Registered agents
A registered agent is your company's official inbox for legal mail.
A registered agent is the person or business your LLC or corporation designates to accept service of process and official government notices at a physical address in your formation state.
it is not a forwarding addressWhat the agent actually does.
A registered agent receives the documents that carry legal consequences: a lawsuit, a subpoena, a summons, or an official notice from a state or federal agency. The state requires the agent to maintain a physical street address in the formation state and to be available there during normal business hours to accept those documents on the company's behalf.
The SBA puts the job plainly in its business registration guide: a registered agent receives official papers and legal documents on behalf of your company, and must be located in the state where you register.
The agent is a delivery point, not an adviser. It accepts and forwards what arrives; it does not file your reports, answer for the company, or decide what is legally important for you. State rules control the exact qualifications. For example, Delaware publishes its current physical-office and availability requirements in the Division of Corporations' registered-agent FAQ.
Why the state requires one.
The requirement exists so that a company cannot make itself impossible to serve. Anyone who needs to reach the company through formal legal channels — a plaintiff, a regulator, or the state itself — needs one dependable in-state address where a person can accept documents.
That is why the agent's address is part of the public record, and why a PO box or a forwarding service generally does not satisfy it. The point is that a human being is physically present to receive legal papers.
How it fits into forming and staying compliant.
- 01
Designate the agent when you file
State formation forms ask for the agent's name and in-state physical address. The appointment happens as part of creating the entity, not afterward. The SBA's registration guide walks through where this fits in the filing.
- 02
Keep the agent's information current
If the agent or its address changes, the state registry must be updated. A state annual report is often the place the agent is re-confirmed, and it belongs on the calendar we describe in keeping your LLC in good standing.
- 03
Treat the agent as a delivery point, not a service
The agent accepts and forwards. It does not decide which notices matter, file state reports, or manage your tax obligations. Those remain the company's responsibilities.
- 04
Separate it from your other addresses
The agent address is one of several the company lists. Our guide to the US business address explains how it differs from a principal office and a mailing address.
What it is not.
A registered agent is not a mailing address for customer or vendor correspondence, not a virtual mailbox, and not a substitute for a physical location where the business actually operates. The distinction matters because founders sometimes try to use one service for all of them. Our virtual address vs. registered agent guide spells out where each one ends.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Your state's current filing instructions control.
Form clean, with the agent handled from day one.
Corppy includes the registered-agent appointment in one straightforward formation flow.
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