October 13, 2026
A registered agent is the person or company, with a physical address in your state of incorporation, that accepts lawsuits and official state notices on your company’s behalf. Every state requires corporations and LLCs to have one, both where they are formed and in each state where they register to do business. Most startups pay a commercial agent rather than serving themselves.
Key takeaways
A registered agent (also called a statutory agent) receives service of process, meaning the papers that start a lawsuit, plus subpoenas and official notices from the state, such as annual report and franchise tax reminders. The agent must keep a physical address in the state and be available during business hours, then forward what it receives to you promptly.
That reliability is the whole point. If papers are served and never reach you, a court can enter a default judgment against your company. A professional agent also keeps process servers from showing up at your home or office.
You need one in your state of incorporation. If your company is a Delaware corporation, that means a Delaware agent. You also need one in each other state where you qualify to do business, typically the state where your team works. Each state wants a local point of contact if your company is sued there.
A fully remote company usually needs three things: a Delaware registered agent, a registered agent in each state where it is foreign qualified, and a principal office address for the IRS, the bank and the state. The principal address can be a founder’s home or a virtual office. Don’t list the registered agent’s address as your business address; agents accept legal papers and state mail, not your general mail, and many won’t allow it. If you want to keep a home address off public filings, use a virtual office. For the IRS side, see How Do I Get an EIN for My Startup?
Any reputable commercial agent will do the job. Compare price, how quickly they scan and forward documents, and whether they offer an online dashboard. Long-standing commercial agents include CSC, CT Corporation, InCorp and Harvard Business Services, and many incorporation platforms bundle the first year.
Appointing an agent is quick. You sign up with the agent, then name it in the certificate of incorporation or the foreign qualification application, which the state processes with the filing.
Commercial agents usually charge $50 to $300 a year per state, with many around $100. Some add fees for mail forwarding or compliance reminders. Budget for one agent per state.
Sometimes, but it’s rarely worth it. You can serve as agent only in a state where you have a physical address. A New York resident can’t serve as agent for a Delaware corporation. Serving as your own agent (or asking a friend or relative) also puts that person’s address on the public record and requires someone to be available during business hours, every business day, to accept papers. A missed service can lead to a default judgment, so most founders hire a professional.
New York is a special case. When a corporation qualifies to do business there, the New York Secretary of State is its agent for service of process by law. Naming a separate registered agent in New York is optional.
Sign up with the new agent, then file a change of registered agent form with the state, which the new agent often prepares and files for you for a small state fee. Your old agent remains responsible until the state processes the change. Then cancel the old service.
Agents resign when invoices go unpaid. In Delaware, if an agent resigns and the company doesn’t designate a new one within 30 days, the charter can be declared void, and fixing it means appointing a new agent and possibly filing for revival. Keep your agent paid along with your Delaware franchise tax, and update your contact details with the agent whenever they change.
For more on formation, see Where Should I Incorporate My Startup? and Delaware C Corp Incorporation Documents. If you’d like help incorporating, see our Corporation Startup Package or contact us.
