How to Find & Appoint a Registered Agent

Your registered agent is a way for the state in which you incorporate to get information to you.

If you are thinking about converting your business to a corporation, certain legal steps must be taken. Typically, you must file an articles of incorporation document with your state's corporations division. On this form, you must list a registered agent. The registered agent is the person appointed by you to receive legal information about your business and to forward it to you. If you intend to incorporate your business in a state that you do not live in, you must find a registered agent who does live in the state where you intend to incorporate.

Instructions

1. Ask a friend or a family member who lives in the state where you plan on incorporating to act as your registered agent. Most state laws only require that the registered agent live and maintain a business or an address in that particular state. Therefore, anyone can act as a registered agent. Continue with the following steps if you do not have friends or family in the state where you plan to incorporate.

2. Use a service company. Service companies provide registered agents to companies for a fee. Check with the secretary of state's office in the state where you intend to incorporate and ask if it keeps a list of registered agents. Some states offer this service (such as Delaware), while others do not (such as Texas). If your state does not, look up service companies in a phone book.

3. Use an Internet search engine (such as Bing or Google) and run a search such as "registered agent [State]." List the state where you intend to incorporate in the brackets.

4. Meet with a business law attorney in the state where you intend to incorporate and ask the attorney to act as your registered agent. As mentioned in the overview, the registered agent is simply a medium for the state to pass on crucial information (such as tax information or notices). The registered agent then passes this information to you. Most lawyers offer this service.

Tips & Warnings

• Appointing a registered agent is a simple matter: You simply must have that person's consent. Once you find a suitable person, ask if he will be the registered agent. If he accepts, you can list his name on your legal documents.

References

• Texas Secretary of State: Registered Agents FAQs
• Delaware Corporations: Delaware Registered Agents
• Virigina State Corporation Commission: Registered Agent FAQs