Virtually all states require C corporations, S corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), limited partnerships (LPs) and nonprofit corporations to appoint a registered agent in the state where the company is incorporated. If a company has registered to transact business in another state (a process called foreign qualification), it typically must have a registered agent in the state(s) of qualification as well. The registered agent is responsible for receiving, on behalf of the company, important legal and tax documents including: Service of Process (Notice of Litigation), franchise tax forms and annual report forms.

The registered agent may be an individual or it may be a company approved by the state to serve as a registered agent. It must be located at a street address (not a post office box) in the state where the company is incorporated or qualified to transact business. The registered agent's name and address are included on the incorporation documents, making them a matter of public record.

Service of Process, also sometimes called Notice of Litigation, is the legal term for the physical delivery of legal documents such as lawsuits, summons, complaints, subpoenas, orders to show cause, writs, notices to quit the premises and certain other documents. Service of Process documents are typically delivered by law enforcement to the registered agent for the business named in the documents/lawsuit. In most jurisdictions, process must be served and accepted in person for “service” to be completed. This is one of the reasons states require businesses to have a registered agent who (1) has a physical address in the state and (2) is available at that location during standard business hours.

Every Service of Process we receive is handled promptly: when we receive a Service of Process, we scan the documents to make them available to you in your secure Online Status Center account. We also immediately notify you via email of the event. Electronic delivery of Service of Process is not only faster than mail forwarding, but it also enables easy distribution of the document to in-house or external legal counsel as needed.

Additionally, many states send taxation documents, annual reports and other important state mail to the registered agent. We will log this mail in your company record and forward it to you.

BizComply is our web-based compliance management tool that:

• Contains a convenient calendar of critical compliance events.
• Notifies you via email alert reminders before these events need to happen.
• Provides access to a free library of important forms.
• Houses your company's important information in one convenient location.

If you own multiple businesses, you can keep track of each through a single account. And if your business is qualified in other states, BizComply will help you manage requirements for each of those states. You can even add your own company or municipal compliance events to the calendar and schedule email alerts to remind you of these events as well.

View our BizComply demo for an overview of BizComply and its features.

Yes. In states where electronic filing of the annual report is available, BizFilings offers an electronic filing service for annual reports and franchise tax payments, making it easier and more convenient than ever for you to meet the state's annual reporting requirements. We pre-populate the electronic forms with the information we have on file for your company. You simply need to review and edit the information as necessary via our online system. We then submit the filing electronically on your behalf.

As your registered agent, BizFilings satisfies your state's legal requirement to have an individual or company receive important legal and tax documents on behalf of your company. BizFilings' service doesn't stop there, however. We provide a number of benefits at no additional charge to you, such as: our monthly Registered Agent Watch email, access to BizComply─our online compliance management tool, electronic Service of Process delivery, online access to your account and more.

Having BizFilings as your registered agent is imperative if you:

• Want to avoid the risk of non-compliance. Compliance matters are not likely to be your area of expertise, or interest. As your compliance partner, BizFilings will help you stay in compliance with state requirements for corporations and LLCs, avoid unnecessary state penalty fees and maintain your company's good standing in your state of incorporation and/or qualification.
• Value privacy. When a company is served with a Service of Process, it is often delivered by local law enforcement. Most business owners do not want police officers showing up in front of customers, employees or neighbors (in the case of a home-based business), to serve them notice that their company is being sued. Having BizFilings as your registered agent service provider ensures you receive any Service of Process promptly and privately.
• Don't maintain normal business hours. The registered agent for a business must be available during normal business hours to accept important documents as they are delivered. If you set your own hours, or you are often away from your office or home-office, having BizFilings as your registered agent ensures that you never miss these important communications.

BizFilings fulfills your state’s legal requirement and provides ongoing compliance assistance for your business through our Registered Agent Service. As a Registered Agent Service customer, you avoid interruption of this valuable service with our convenient auto-renewal program. You also have the option to select one of our convenient multi-year renewal options and save. You can select two years of Registered Agent Service for $269 (save $59) or three years for $378 (save $114). To learn more about our auto-renewal program, view our Terms of Use.

Please note: In order to best serve you, BizFilings requires your state charter number (filing number) and your registration date with the Secretary of State. Once this information is obtained from the state, please email or call so we have updated information on file. BizFilings also audits state records to ensure our accounts are on file with the state. If BizFilings finds your company is not on file within 6 months of your order date, your order will be cancelled and removed from the subscription renewal process. If filing with the state is not a requirement for your business and you need Registered Agent Service, please inform our team of this at the time of order.