Tool

Registered agent checker

Every LLC needs a registered agent with an address in the state. This checker shows the rule for your state and helps you decide whether listing yourself works or a commercial agent is the safer call.

Check your state rule

State

Company type

Do you have a physical street address in this state where you can accept papers in business hours

Are you content for that address to be public and for someone to be there in business hours

What a registered agent actually does

A registered agent accepts legal papers and official state mail for the company at a listed address during business hours. That address goes on the public record. If papers arrive and nobody is there to accept them, the company can miss a lawsuit or a state deadline without knowing either one existed. The job is simple, but it has to be covered every business day, all year.

Being your own agent costs nothing and works for many home based founders who work at the listed address and are content with that address being public. A commercial agent costs a yearly fee and buys privacy, a stable address if you move, and a service whose whole job is to be there. Neither choice changes the state formation fee.

A worked example

Suppose you form in Wyoming and work from a home address in Wyoming. The checker will show that Wyoming requires an agent with a physical Wyoming address at all times. With a yes to both questions, the verdict is that self service can work. Answer no to the address question, for instance because you live outside Wyoming, and the verdict changes to a commercial agent, because the address rule cannot be met from another state. The cost line then shows what the commercial route costs in our checked data.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be my own registered agent?

In every state in our data, an individual who lives in the state with a physical street address can usually serve. The trade off is that the address is public and someone must be there in business hours.

Why do people pay for a commercial agent?

Privacy and reliability. A commercial agent keeps a home address off the public record and is staffed to accept papers every business day, including when you travel or move.

What happens if my agent misses a filing deadline notice?

The company can fall out of good standing and, in a lawsuit, can lose by default without knowing papers were served. The agent role is simple, but it has to be covered without gaps.