Several clients have questions about the scope and role of a registered agent. Thus, this post summarizes the purpose and scope of a registered agent.
Purpose of a Registered Agent
A registered agent serves the limited purpose of accepting service of process of a summons and complaint. In short, it is a privilege for a company to do business in a state, and one price of that privilege is to make the company available to be sued in a state’s courts (i.e., states have personal jurisdiction over companies doing business in their state).
To ensure that companies registered in the state are available to be sued, every state requires every company to have a registered agent. The registered agent must accept service when presented with a summons and complaint.
Duties of the Registered Agent
The duties of a registered agent are limited in scope. In large measure, a registered agent has two duties: first, as discussed above, a registered agent must accept service when presented with a summons and complaint. Second, a registered agent must forward official correspondence (e.g., from the local, state, or federal government).
Limitations of a Registered Agent
A registered agent is NOT a mail forwarding service. Often times a commercial registered agent will offer mail forwarding services, however, that is a separate service from that of the registered agent (and usually at an additional cost).
Also, a registered agent cannot have/use a PO Box. Rather, a registered agent must have a physical address.
Who Can Serve as a Registered Agent
A registered agent may be an individual, including an individual connected to the company, or a commercial entity.
If an individual, including one connected to the company, serves as the registered agent, he or she must avail themselves when served with a summons and complaint (whenever and wherever served, limited only by state laws). For this reason, most companies rely on a commercial registered agent.
Use Grant Law Corporation as Your Registered Agent
The Grant Law Corporation serves as a registered agent for companies in the state in which it is licensed and/or located. Its affiliates serve as a registered agent in all 50 states. Our registered agent fees our competitive with most other national providers. Contact us to serve as your registered agent.