Frequently asked

If you are forming an LLC, in nearly every state, yes. New York and West Virginia are the exceptions in our state data: there, naming one is optional. The requirement is how courts and the state reach your company.

If you live in the state you are forming in and are willing to put a street address on the public record, usually yes. Who may serve varies by state. Check your state’s page.

The state cannot serve your company. In practice that means missed official notices, possible loss of good standing, and (in the worst case) a lawsuit you never hear about ending in a default judgment.

Yes. The registered office is on the public record. That is the mechanism: it is the address others are legally entitled to rely on to reach you.

What each service publishes about its pricing is on its review page, with a source for every figure. What is universally true: the state filing fees are yours regardless, and most services renew annually.

No. The registered office must be in the formation state, which is the entire product for people forming where they do not live.

The agent is a legal role required by the state. Formation services prepare and file your paperwork and often bundle agent service for the first year. One you must have; the other is a convenience.

You have a gap the state does not know about. Replace and file the new agent immediately; an agent of record who does not forward is the failure mode.

Corporations and other filing entities generally do, under their own statutes. Our state data covers LLCs, so check the statute for your entity type. The role is the same; the forms differ.

Yes, and it is routine. The order is important: appoint and file the new one before cancelling the old. The change guide has the steps.