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LLC UnpackedEvery filing, unpacked: the fee, the form, the catch.

Term

What is inside a registered agent

The named recipient on file with the state. When a court paper or government notice is addressed to the company, this party, at the listed in-state address, is who receives it.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

The essentials

Also labeled
Statutory agent, resident agent, agent for service of process
Sits next to
Service of process packed alongside Registered office packed alongside Statutory agent, resident agent and other names

Why it matters

Inside the role is one hard requirement: somebody must be at the listed address during business hours, since that is where lawsuits and state letters get delivered and signed for. A service keeps a person there every weekday and keeps your home address out of the public record, which is the reason many owners pay for one.

Where states differ

A named agent is required in 46 states. Inside the remaining 4, the wording is:

  • Minnesota: A Minnesota LLC must keep a registered office in Minnesota; naming an agent there is optional.
  • New York: The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.
  • Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.
  • West Virginia: The statute says an LLC "may" keep an agent; the Articles ask for one "if any".

Pages that use it

It turns up here: What is inside LLC formation in each state, Registered agent rules, unpacked by state, What is inside foreign registration in each state.

What the page rests on

  1. Unpacking Alabama registered agent statute led us to alisondb.legislature.state.al.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  2. Unpacking Alaska registered agent statute led us to akleg.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  3. Unpacking Arizona registered agent statute led us to azleg.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  4. Unpacking Arkansas registered agent statute led us to arkleg.state.ar.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  5. Unpacking California registered agent statute led us to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  6. Unpacking Connecticut registered agent statute led us to cga.ct.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  7. Unpacking Delaware registered agent statute led us to delcode.delaware.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  8. Unpacking Florida registered agent statute led us to flsenate.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  9. Unpacking Georgia registered agent statute led us to sos.ga.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  10. Unpacking Hawaii registered agent statute led us to capitol.hawaii.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  11. Unpacking Idaho registered agent statute led us to legislature.idaho.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  12. Unpacking Illinois registered agent statute led us to ilga.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  13. Unpacking Indiana registered agent statute led us to faqs.in.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  14. Unpacking Iowa registered agent statute led us to legis.iowa.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  15. Unpacking Kansas registered agent statute led us to ksrevisor.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  16. Unpacking Kentucky registered agent statute led us to apps.legislature.ky.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  17. Unpacking Louisiana registered agent statute led us to legis.la.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  18. Unpacking Maine registered agent statute led us to legislature.maine.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  19. Unpacking Maryland registered agent statute led us to mgaleg.maryland.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  20. Unpacking Massachusetts registered agent statute led us to sec.state.ma.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  21. Unpacking Michigan registered agent statute led us to legislature.mi.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  22. Unpacking Minnesota registered agent statute led us to revisor.mn.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  23. Unpacking Mississippi registered agent statute led us to sos.ms.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  24. Unpacking Missouri registered agent statute led us to revisor.mo.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  25. Unpacking Montana registered agent statute led us to mca.legmt.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  26. Unpacking Nebraska registered agent statute led us to nebraskalegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  27. Unpacking Nevada registered agent statute led us to leg.state.nv.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  28. Unpacking New Hampshire registered agent statute led us to gc.nh.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  29. Unpacking New Jersey registered agent statute led us to pub.njleg.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  30. Unpacking New Mexico registered agent statute led us to nmonesource.com, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  31. Unpacking New York registered agent statute led us to nysenate.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  32. Unpacking North Carolina registered agent statute led us to sosnc.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  33. Unpacking North Dakota registered agent statute led us to ndlegis.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  34. Unpacking Ohio registered agent statute led us to codes.ohio.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  35. Unpacking Oklahoma registered agent statute led us to sos.ok.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  36. Unpacking Oregon registered agent statute led us to oregonlegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  37. Unpacking Pennsylvania registered agent statute led us to legis.state.pa.us, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  38. Unpacking Rhode Island registered agent statute led us to webserver.rilegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  39. Unpacking South Carolina registered agent statute led us to scstatehouse.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  40. Unpacking South Dakota registered agent statute led us to sdlegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  41. Unpacking Tennessee registered agent statute led us to sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  42. Unpacking Texas registered agent statute led us to sos.texas.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  43. Unpacking Utah registered agent statute led us to le.utah.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  44. Unpacking Vermont registered agent statute led us to legislature.vermont.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  45. Unpacking Virginia registered agent statute led us to law.lis.virginia.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  46. Unpacking Washington registered agent statute led us to app.leg.wa.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  47. Unpacking West Virginia registered agent statute led us to code.wvlegislature.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  48. Unpacking Wisconsin registered agent statute led us to docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself
  49. Unpacking Wyoming registered agent statute led us to wyoleg.gov, confirmed October 2026, which you can open yourself