What Is a Registered Agent and Do You Need One?

Every LLC and corporation in the United States is required by law to have a registered agent — a person or business with a physical address in your state who is authorized to receive legal documents on behalf of your business during normal business hours.

Can You Be Your Own Registered Agent?

Yes, in most states, if you have a physical address in the state. But there are real drawbacks: your address becomes part of the public record, you must be available at that address during all business hours every business day, and you could be served with a lawsuit in front of clients. A registered agent service solves all of this for $50 to $300 per year.

What to Look for in a Service

The most important qualities: a real physical address (not a shared mailbox), fast document forwarding, and good customer service. Some services also provide compliance alerts for annual report deadlines — genuinely valuable for business owners who do not want to track these manually.