How to Choose a Registered Agent for Your Nonprofit

Most nonprofits will need to appoint and retain a registered agent.

This in-depth guide provides information well-nigh a nonprofit registered agent's role and responsibilities, the benefits of hiring a professional registered agent service, and what it means to act equally your own registered amanuensis.

SKIP Alee:

  • What Is a Registered Agent?
  • Tin I Be My Own Registered Agent?
  • Should My Nonprofit Apply a Registered Agent Service?
  • How Practice I Choose a Registered Amanuensis?
  • How Do I Change My Nonprofit'due south Registered Agent?
  • Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Registered Agent?

A registered agent is a professional who will serve as your organisation's representative to the land while you operate your business. Some states refer to registered agents as resident agents, statutory agents, or service of process agents.

Your registered amanuensis typically will receive correspondence, such as compliance information and revenue enhancement notifications, on behalf of your arrangement. Registered agents also are in charge of accepting service of process documents. This simply ways your registered amanuensis will accept the legal summons and documents on your nonprofit'southward behalf in the issue someone sues your nonprofit.

For nearly states, the requirements for registered agents include:

  1. They may exist domestic or foreign individuals or concern entities.
    1. Individuals must exist residents that are at least 18 years of age.
    2. Business entities must be registered to operate in the state of formation.
  2. They must have a physical address (i.east., not but a P.O. box) in the state of formation.
  3. They must always be available at said concrete address during regular business hours.

Tin can I Be My Own Registered Agent?

Any individual can serve every bit your nonprofit's registered amanuensis equally long as they meet the requirements listed above. You may choose to human activity every bit your nonprofit's registered agent; you lot may also select a member of your board of directors or a reliable friend.

If you choose to human activity as your organization's registered agent, you must understand the importance of this position. If you miss a filing deadline or lose a certificate, you could put your nonprofit's compliance status at risk and the state could revoke your nonprofit'south corporation status.

Many nonprofits and other businesses choose to hire a professional person registered agent service to ensure their arrangement remains in compliance at all times.

Should My Nonprofit Use a Registered Amanuensis Service?

Earlier you decide to hire a registered agent service, be sure to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

Advantages

You might consider hiring a registered amanuensis service for your nonprofit organisation for several reasons. Specifically, this arroyo can:

  • Save You Fourth dimension: When you first start your nonprofit, you demand to focus on doing everything you tin can to make it successful. Hiring a professional person registered agent service volition let you to focus on what's important while the registered agent takes care of all incoming mail and official notices. In addition, they'll often remind yous of upcoming important filings or deadlines.
  • Protect Your Personal Privacy and Your Business's Reputation: Unfortunately, at some point in fourth dimension, your arrangement may face a lawsuit. When you rent a professional registered agent service, all service of process notices will be delivered to a business concern address. If yous deed every bit your ain registered agent, law enforcement agents could evangelize these notices to your domicile or your place of piece of work, depending on the address on file.
    In improver to protecting your privacy and your business'south reputation, registered agent services are accepted to receiving and properly treatment this legal paperwork. This will assistance ensure your arrangement doesn't lose a lawsuit on a technicality considering you lot forgot to file something on fourth dimension or you mishandled something due to non knowing how the legal organisation works.
  • Ensure Prompt Handling of Your Business organisation Postal service: Because a registered amanuensis service'south primary job is to serve as a registered agent for a number of organizations, you can exist sure they'll address any postal service they receive promptly. In addition, they'll be available during their normal business organisation hours to answer any questions you might have about these documents.
  • Keep Your Nonprofit Compliant: You must ensure your nonprofit remains compliant with the requirements set forth past the state and the federal government (if you successfully utilize for 501(c)(three) status). Hiring a registered agent service will assistance ensure you don't miss a unmarried filing.
  • Offer Convenience: Registered agents are required to be present at their listed address during business hours. That means hiring a registered agent service will allow you lot to take off piece of work as needed and choose a flexible working schedule if desired.
  • Provide National Support: If you think you lot may want to grow your organization nationally, choose a national registered agent service so it can continue to support you as your business grows.

Disadvantages

The only disadvantage of hiring a registered agent service is that it costs money, whereas y'all could act as your own registered agent for free.

Practise I Need to Hire a Professional Registered Agent Service?

While hiring a professional registered amanuensis service can be a great idea for several reasons, it becomes essential in some situations. If you lot answer "yeah" to any of the following questions, you should hire a registered agent service for your nonprofit.

  • Does your nonprofit continue irregular business organisation hours? Equally previously noted, your nonprofit's registered agent must be available at their listed accost during standard concern hours. If your nonprofit'south operating hours fall outside the standard nine-to-5, you'll need to hire a registered agent service.
  • Do you live out of country? Your nonprofit's registered agent must be a resident of the state in which your nonprofit is incorporated. If you're not a resident of the state you're forming your nonprofit in, you'll demand to rent a registered agent in that country to represent your nonprofit.
  • Is your nonprofit located in multiple states — or will it be in the future? If your nonprofit currently operates in multiple states — or has plans to do so — you must appoint a registered agent in every state in which it volition operate. Because you lot manifestly can't be in two places at once, it'due south essential that y'all hire a registered agent service.
  • Volition y'all operate without a physical address? If you lot plan to solely operate your nonprofit online, or without a physical address, yous won't have a business address to listing on your formation documents and other important legal documents. By hiring a professional registered agent service, you lot can list their agency's concrete address on all documents.

Go Professional person Assist to Form Your Nonprofit

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Best Services

How Do I Cull a Registered Amanuensis?

You must select a registered agent for your nonprofit when you file your nonprofit's formation documents. These are typically referred to equally the Manufactures of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation, or Certificate of Incorporation.

Nominating a Registered Agent

Most states offer online filing for nonprofits, and many also offer difficult copy formation documents for filing by mail or in person. Yous will need to list your nonprofit'south registered agent name, concrete address, and mailing accost (if applicable). Some states as well require that your initial registered amanuensis consent to their date by either signing the germination documents or by submitting a separate consent document.

How Practise I Change My Nonprofit's Registered Agent

Similar to nominating your initial registered agent, you can typically modify your registered agent online, by postal service, or in person. Well-nigh states offer a argument of alter form for businesses to make full out.

Your new registered agent may likewise need to consent to their date by signing the statement of modify document.

Decision

When working in a nonprofit surroundings, you have more important things to focus on than checking the mail, filing legal documents, and worrying near remembering compliance deadlines. That's what a registered agent can practice for y'all. When you hire a professional registered agent service, you lot can leave these tasks in their capable hands and truly focus on what matters most to your organisation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can serve as a nonprofit'south registered agent?

Most states state that anyone historic period 18 or older may serve as your nonprofit'south registered agent every bit long equally they're a state resident and available at their listed address during standard business hours during the week. We do, however, recommend all nonprofits use a registered agent service.

How much does a nonprofit registered amanuensis cost?

Although using a registered agent service tin can price your nonprofit between $fifty and $300 per yr, it will relieve you time, coin, and stress in the long run.

How much does it cost to change my nonprofit's registered agent?

Irresolute your nonprofit's registered agent can toll anywhere from $0 to $100, depending on the land.

What is a statutory agent?

A statutory amanuensis is another name for a registered amanuensis.

What is a resident agent?

A resident agent is another proper name for a registered agent.

What is a service of process amanuensis?

A service of process agent is some other proper name for a registered agent.

What does service of process hateful?

Service of process simply means receiving legal documents, such as a court summons. A court summons is a certificate that requires a representative of your organization to appear earlier a estimate considering of a pending lawsuit.

What is the divergence between a commercial registered agent and a noncommercial registered amanuensis?

Most states require nonprofit owners to provide their nonprofit'southward registered agent's proper name and address when forming your nonprofit. In some states, you will be asked whether you lot are electing a commercial or noncommercial registered agent. Some states refer to professional person registered agents every bit commercial agents and individual agents as noncommercial.