What is a registered agent?

Explained

The registered agent’s address is where service of process and official notices are delivered; in Delaware the annual LLC tax statement is also sent there. In Wyoming, PO boxes, virtual addresses and mail-forwarding locations do not qualify as a registered agent address.

An owner with no physical address in the state cannot act as their own company’s registered agent: in Wyoming an individual agent must be at least 18, live in Wyoming and have a physical Wyoming address, and in Delaware a company can be its own agent only if it is physically located in Delaware. The agent’s consent to the appointment is also required when the company is formed.

Good to know

• In Wyoming, failing to keep a registered agent leads to the dissolution or revocation of the business.
• The registered agent address is not your business address or a virtual office; it is for official mail.
• The registered agent receives legal papers and official mail; the annual report and taxes remain the company’s responsibility.
• Lists of agents published by states are not endorsements.