Registered Agent Requirements: What Every Multi-State Business Needs to Know
Registered agents are legally required in every state where you do business. Here is what they do, what they cost, and what happens if you get it wrong.
What a registered agent actually does
A registered agent is your company's official point of contact for legal and government correspondence in a given state. Every state requires one. The agent must have a physical address in the state (not a PO box), and must be available during normal business hours to accept service of process, tax notices, and compliance correspondence.
If your company is sued, the registered agent is the one who receives the summons. If the state sends a notice about a missing filing, it goes to your registered agent. If you do not have one, or your agent's address is invalid, you may never find out about a lawsuit until a default judgement is entered against you.
The cost
Registered agent services typically cost between $50 and $300 per year per state. The major providers charge roughly:
| Provider | Annual cost per state |
|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 |
| CSC Global | $200-350 |
| CT Corporation | $250-400 |
| Incfile / ZenBusiness | $119-199 |
| Using yourself or an employee | $0 (but risky) |
At ten entities across five states, you could be spending $5,000-15,000 per year on registered agents alone. This is a real line item for multi-entity businesses.
Common mistakes
Letting a registered agent lapse. If your registered agent resigns and you do not appoint a replacement within the state-mandated window (typically 30-60 days), the state may revoke your good standing or begin dissolution proceedings.
Using a home address. This is technically legal in most states if you are an individual resident, but it means your home address becomes part of the public record and you must be available during business hours. For most business owners, this is impractical.
Forgetting foreign qualifications. You need a registered agent in every state where your company is registered, not just your state of incorporation. If you are incorporated in Delaware but qualified in California, New York, and Texas, that is four registered agents.
Not updating after a move. If your registered agent changes their address and you do not update your state records, you risk missing critical legal notices.
State-specific quirks
- New York requires LLCs to publish formation notices in two newspapers for six consecutive weeks. Your registered agent cannot do this for you, but missing it can result in suspension of your authority to do business.
- Ohio calls them "statutory agents" rather than registered agents.
- Pennsylvania requires a "commercial registered office provider" to be licensed.
- California allows the company itself to serve as its own agent using its principal office address.
The compliance connection
Registered agent management is inseparable from broader compliance. When your agent receives a notice, someone needs to act on it. When an agent change triggers a filing requirement, someone needs to file. When a foreign qualification is added, someone needs to appoint an agent in the new state.
CompCal tracks all of this. Your entities, their jurisdictions, their filing deadlines, and alerts when action is needed.