Registered agent mail forwarding and scanning

What mail does a registered agent handle?

Service of process (court papers in a lawsuit) is the mail the law sends to a registered agent. Commercial agents also pass on official notices from the state that arrive at their address. Everything else depends on the provider.

Service of process is the reason the role exists. Texas, for example, requires the registered office to be at a street address where papers can be handed to the agent in person, and says it "may not be solely a mailbox service or a telephone answering service" (Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.201). Wisconsin writes a similar rule, requiring an actual physical location and "not solely a post office box, mailbox service, or telephone answering service" (Wis. Stat. § 183.0115). Those statutes describe a place where a person accepts papers, which is why the agent's first job is receiving and passing on legal documents rather than sorting post. Our explainer on service of process covers what happens after papers arrive.^{1, 2}

The second category is state correspondence. Notices about your annual report, a change on your record, or a problem with your standing may go to the agent's address, depending on the state. Providers describe how they handle this mail in different words. Swyft Filings lists "timely notifications of state correspondence" as part of its agent service, and Rocket Lawyer says "We'll forward all state legal documents directly to you".^{3, 4}

A third category, everything else that happens to arrive at the agent's address, is where published terms differ most. The guide to what a registered agent is defines the role itself; this page is about the mail.

Which state notices can reach the agent's address?

The states below send some official mail to the agent's address and some to the principal office or an email on file, so the right address depends on the state and the kind of notice.

The statutes and forms below show the range.

New York sets up its own route for lawsuit papers. Under New York's rule, "The LLC must designate the Secretary of State as its agent for service of process", and the biennial statement asks for "the address to which the New York Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process accepted on its behalf". Process served on the Secretary of State is copied to that address, so it needs to reach you. A New York LLC also "may designate a registered agent". If it does appoint one and it later resigns, the agent "must send a copy to the LLC by registered mail". More detail sits on the New York registered agent page.^{5, 6, 7}

Resignation notices follow different paths by state, which affects where you would first hear that your agent is leaving.

• In Alaska, "The department shall immediately mail a copy of the notice to the company at its principal office."⁸
• In Kentucky, the SOS mails copies to the registered office and the LLC's principal office⁹
• In Illinois, the agent mails notice to the LLC at least 10 days before filing¹⁰
• In Florida, the agent must promptly mail a copy to the LLC¹¹

Kentucky's rule shows why a forwarding gap can hurt. One copy of the notice goes to the registered office, which is the agent's own address, so the copy that reaches you directly is the one sent to your principal office. If that office address is out of date, you may learn about the resignation late. In Arizona, an LLC that loses its statutory agent has 60 days after notice to cure, and that time only helps if the notice reaches someone. The guide to what happens without a registered agent covers the state penalties.¹²

Some states collect email addresses as well as street addresses. Vermont's statute asks only for the agent's "name, email, and address information" (11 V.S.A. § 1655), and it also requires "a designated office for notification purposes, which may but need not be a place of its business". Wisconsin's annual report asks for the "Registered agent name/email and office address", and its fee schedule covers a change to the "registered agent's name, e-mail address, or street address". Minnesota's annual renewal asks for an "email for official notices", while its statute says "Every limited liability company shall have a registered office and may have a registered agent". California's Statement of Information has a section for email notifications. Where a form asks for an email for notices, the email you give decides where those notices are sent. The pages for Wisconsin, Vermont, Minnesota and California compliance explain each form.^{13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19}

When no agent is in place, papers can bypass the company entirely. In Michigan, if an LLC fails to appoint or maintain an agent, "service may be made by delivering or registered-mailing the summons and complaint to the administrator" (MCL 450.4207). Papers sent to a state office instead of to you are the outcome an agent is there to prevent.^{20, 21}

Does a registered agent forward ordinary business mail?

Sometimes, within limits. Some providers scan a small amount of general mail or upload it to your account, some limit their service to legal documents, and others sell a separate mail or address product for that purpose.

Published terms fall into a few patterns, starting with providers that stick to legal mail. Incorp's scanning covers legal documents, and its record notes "Legal documents only, not general mail". ZenBusiness's terms limit the service to "the receipt and forwarding of Service of Process". Doola states that "Physical mail forwarding is not included in your base registered agent subscription unless otherwise stated in your plan".^{22, 23, 24}

At the other end, LegalZoom says "For all other mail, we will upload the documents to your account and email you", and Northwest scans normal business mail up to 5 docs per year free. Rocket Lawyer's terms say its agent "may also forward physical mail received on your behalf to the business address we have on record".^{4, 25, 26}

If you expect a steady flow of letters from banks, tax agencies or customers, the agent service is the wrong tool. Give those senders a mailing address you control, or buy a mail product built for it. The difference between the agent's address and a business or mailing address is the subject of our registered agent vs business address guide.

How do providers scan and forward what they receive?

The providers in the table below describe scanning legal documents and uploading them to an online account. Fewer describe physical forwarding of originals, and some tie it to special cases or extra fees.

The table below shows each provider's published mail scanning, forwarding and business address terms, with sources. It lists providers in our score order.

Speed is published by only some providers. Incorp says "Legal documents scanned and delivered to you the same day they arrive", and Swyft Filings says legal service of process is typically uploaded within 2-3 hours. Harbor Compliance's New Jersey page says "All mail received at our Branchburg office is scanned and uploaded to your portal the same business day". ZenBusiness says it will scan, upload and send email notifications immediately.^{3, 22, 27, 28}

Providers handle originals in one of four ways.

1. Some providers mail papers on as a rule. Bizee says "All Service of Process (SOP) are mailed via FedEx with tracking".²⁹
2. Some send originals only by exception. ZenBusiness says "Originals will not be forwarded unless the material being sent cannot be copied", and its record also mentions mail and overnight delivery for urgent notices.²³
3. Some forward originals for a fee in limited cases. Northwest's originals can be forwarded for a fee within 30 days of receipt if there is a scanning issue.³⁰
4. Some don't say. Tailor Brands' terms say "We will scan and upload copies of all Legal Mail received at the Registered Address", and its record notes "Forwarding method (physical vs scanned) not specified".³¹

Ask about retention, too. Northwest's record notes "Mail destroyed 30 days after scanning", so if you need a paper original for court, ask for it early.²⁶

What does mail handling cost beyond the agent fee?

The agent fee usually covers scanning legal documents. General mail, physical forwarding, extra volume and a usable business address are where extra charges appear.

Volume caps can apply even to legal mail. Northwest's terms say "a fee may be applied to your account for Legal Documents received above the current 15 per year limit". Doola's terms say forwarding is available for an additional fee.^{24, 26}

Separate address and mail products carry their own prices, listed here as each provider publishes them.

• Northwest sells Mail Forwarding $20/month (24 select states), and its page adds "With Mail Forwarding and Virtual Office, you get unlimited mail scanning."³²
• Bizee lists a virtual address at $29/month; 1 month free with Bizee LLC formation³³
• Swyft Filings lists a business address and virtual mailbox at $29/mo³⁴
• Harbor Compliance lists a virtual address at $350/year per company, per location (limited time offer)³⁵
• Doola's entry reads "US business address included in Starter"³⁶
• Tailor Brands' entry reads "Virtual Address product offered; price not published"³¹

Agent prices and renewals themselves are compared in the registered agent cost guide and the list of cheapest registered agent services.

What happens to junk mail and solicitations?

None of the providers in our data publishes a specific policy for junk mail or sales solicitations sent to the agent address. What you can read from the terms is how general mail is counted, scanned and kept.

That has practical effects. Where a provider scans a capped number of general documents, as Northwest does, each piece it scans may count toward the cap whether you wanted it or not. Where a provider scans legal documents only, as Incorp does, other mail may not reach you at all. Ask a provider before signing up how it decides what counts as legal mail and what it does with the rest.

Letters that look official deserve a second look. Some offer to file a report, sell a certificate or "update" your record for a fee. Before paying, check that the sender is the state agency named on your state's page in our state directory, and file through that agency's own site. Our glossary explains the filing names states use.

How are compliance alerts different from forwarded mail?

A forwarded notice is a copy of something the state or a court sent; a compliance alert is the provider's own reminder, built from a deadline calendar. Several providers in our data publish both, and they are easy to confuse.

LegalZoom describes the two side by side, saying "you'll get alerts when you receive notices" plus reminders as deadlines approach. Incorp lists email reminders before deadlines, and Bizee lists free lifetime compliance notifications. Swyft Filings' record notes "Dedicated deadline alerts are part of ComplianceGuard ($199/year), not stated as included with RA".^{3, 22, 25, 29}

An alert tells you a report is due; it does not file it. The annual reports guide explains what is due and when, and the best registered agents for compliance compares the filing services providers sell.

Can you use the agent's address as your business mailing address?

It depends on the provider's terms. The agent address goes in the agent field of your filings; some providers bar using it for anything more, while others sell or include a business address.

Tailor Brands' registered agent terms say "You must not designate or otherwise refer to the Registered Address as your business location in any public materials". LegalZoom's terms say "You may not list the Registered Address in your company's public media". Northwest's record notes "A free business address (RA address, 5 mail pieces/yr) comes with RA service", with paid mail products beyond that. Every agent lists its own address in the agent field, so that substitution is the same with every provider. The other addresses on your filings are covered in our guide to keeping a home address off the public record, and the street-address rules for the registered office are in the address rules guide.^{25, 32, 37}

Related guides and lists

• Best registered agents for privacy compares business address products.
• Best registered agents for non-residents covers owners who need mail scanned because they live abroad.
• How to change your registered agent applies if your current agent's mail handling falls short.
• Provider reviews with full mail terms are available for Northwest, ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, Incorp, Doola and Tailor Brands.
• Our FAQ answers general questions about registered agents.