A registered agent is an individual or business designated to receive important legal documents on behalf of your company. The registered agent’s name and address are publicly available, so anyone can served papers to them. The main reason for this is so that the serving process does not interfere with the day-to-day operations of your business.
Commercial registered agents provide numerous benefits over serving as your own RA. These benefits include privacy, anonymity, and keeping your employees and family out of business affairs. In this blog post, we will discuss what a registered agent is, the legal obligations, and the benefits.
What Does a Registered Agent Do?
A registered agent’s primary responsibility is to accept service of process on behalf of your company. Service of process is when official documents are delivered to the party they are suing or charging with a crime. The delivery can be made in person, by mail, or by another means as allowed by law.
Essentially, the papers being served must be delivered to a real person during normal business hours. This person must be available at the company’s registered address to receive service of process during normal business hours. This is why it is important to have a commercial registered agent because. They have someone available during regular business hours to accept these types of deliveries.
Another responsibility is to file required annual reports with the state. These annual reports vary from state to state but usually involve updating the state on any changes to the company’s officers or directors. It also may entail changing the company’s address or contact information.
The last responsibility of the registered agent is to maintain certain records required by state law. These records could include maintaining copies of the articles of incorporation or organization, minutes from shareholder or board meetings, and tax returns.
So why would you use a commercial Registered Agent service instead of just being your own Registered Agent?
There are several reasons:
1) It frees up your time. Imagine if you had to constantly keep an eye out for official mailings and then take the time to forward them on to the appropriate person within your company. It would be a full-time job! By using a Registered Agent service, you can rest assured that someone else is taking care of this for you so that you can focus on running your business.
2) It provides peace of mind. Not everyone is cut out to be their own Registered Agent. It requires a certain level of responsibility and attention to detail. If you’re not sure that you can commit to this role, then it’s best to leave it to someone who can.
3) It’s more professional. Let’s face it, having a professional handle your company’s mailings makes your business look more credible and established. This can be helpful when trying to attract new customers or investors.
4) It’s more private and anonymous. If you’re concerned about keeping your personal life separate from your business affairs, then using a commercial Registered Agent service is the way to go. Your home address and contact information will not be made public record, which means there’s less chance of getting unsolicited sales calls or spam email.
Conclusion:
As you can see, there are many responsibilities that come along with being a registered agent. It is important to have someone you can trust to handle these responsibilities in a professional manner. That is why hiring a commercial registered agent is often the best option for entrepreneurs and small business owners. When you hire a commercial registered agent service, you can rest assured knowing that your company is in good hands and that all of your legal obligations will be taken care of in a timely and efficient manner.’
