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LLC Straight Talk What it costs, what you have to file, who's worth paying.

Jargon

What's a registered agent?

The person or company your LLC names to take lawsuits and official state mail on its behalf, using a street address in the state where the LLC is registered.
Straight from the LLC Straight Talk editorial team

The gist

The short of it
Also known as
Statutory agent, resident agent, agent for service of process
Related
Service of process and, after that, Registered office and, after that, Statutory agent, resident agent and other names

What you should do

Court papers that nobody signs for don't make the lawsuit disappear. If nobody receives them, the case can move forward without your LLC ever hearing about it, which is why this cheap role matters so much.

Where states differ

46 states make every LLC name an agent. Here's how the other 4 handle it:

  • 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".

Where you'll see it

You'll run into it here: What it takes to form an LLC, state by state, Registered agents: every state, What a second state wants, state by state.

Keep going

Sources, so you can check

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