LLC Agent Guide Registered agents for LLCs · 2026 edition

Part one · The role

What a registered agent is, in four parts.

Registered agents for LLCs: whether you need one, who can serve, how to appoint one, and how services like ZenBusiness, Northwest and LegalZoom compare.

  1. 1

    The requirement

    Every LLC must continuously maintain a registered agent in its state of formation, and in each state where it is registered to do business.

    1. 1.1

      The agent must have a physical street address in that state. A post office box does not satisfy the requirement.

    2. 1.2

      The agent must be available at that address during ordinary business hours.

  2. 2

    Who may serve

    The role may be filled by an individual resident of the state, or by a company authorised to act as agent there.

    1. 2.1

      A member or manager of the LLC may serve, subject to the address and availability conditions in Part 1.

    2. 2.2

      In most states an LLC may not act as its own agent, though the drafting varies.

  3. 3

    What the agent receives

    Service of process, state correspondence and annual-report notices are delivered to the agent of record.

    1. 3.1

      Delivery to the agent is delivery to the company, whether or not it is passed on.

  4. 4

    Consequences of failure

    An LLC without a valid agent may lose good standing, and in time may be administratively dissolved.

    1. 4.1

      A default judgment may be entered where process was validly served on a lapsed address.

Read the schedules

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Begin with these pages

Guide

LLC Registered Agent Obligations and What Lapsing Costs (2026)

What happens if my LLC doesn't have a registered agent?

Read the guide Explainer

Does Every LLC Need a Registered Agent?

What is a registered agent, and do I need one for my LLC?

Read the explainer Shortlist

Best Registered Agent for an LLC (2026)

What is a registered agent, and do I need one for my LLC?

Read it How-to

How to Appoint a Registered Agent for Your LLC (2026)

How do I change my registered agent to a new service?

Follow the steps Shortlist

Registered Agent for a Single-Member LLC (2026)

Can my LLC's registered agent be a family member, or is a professional service smarter?

Read it Head to head

ZenBusiness vs Northwest for an LLC (2026)

I work from home and don't want my address public. What registered agent service should I use?

Read it

Schedules

Sch. A

Whether an LLC needs a registered agent at all, and what the role obliges it to keep up.

Worked through in Does Every LLC Need a Registered Agent? and LLC Registered Agent Obligations and What Lapsing Costs (2026).

Sch. B

Who may serve: a commercial agent service, a member of the LLC, or a family member.

Worked through in Best Registered Agent for an LLC (2026) and Using a Family Member as Your LLC's Agent (2026).

Sch. C

Naming or changing the agent of record with the state.

Worked through in How to Appoint a Registered Agent for Your LLC (2026).

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