Registered Agent

There are several ways that CorpCo may be appointed as a company’s registered agent:

• Incorporate a new business with CorpCo’s assistance.
• Incorporate a new business yourself and appoint CorpCo as the registered agent
• Make changes to an existing business by filing a change of registered agent document with the state of incorporation or registration.

If an email address has been provided, CorpCo will always email the legal contact person of the company being served to inform them of the item received and inform them of the method of shipment. If CorpCo has not been provided with an email address, we will call or fax the contact provided on the account. The SOP will then be sent via certified mail or by courier (FedEx, UPS, or DHL).

** It is very important to notify CorpCo of any change of the legal notices contact person, contact address, email, or phone number immediately when it changes.

Yes. State laws require all corporations to maintain a registered address with the Secretary of State in every state in which they do business. The person or company located at that address, known as the Registered Agent, must remain available during all business hours. A Registered Agent receives and forwards important legal documents and state correspondence on behalf of the business. In some states the registered agent must also sign the incorporation papers before they can be filed with the Secretary of State.

CorpCo’s email, fax, and certified mail/courier delivered SOP notices will always include an acknowledgement cover letter. You should acknowledge receipt of the service by signing the cover letter and returning to our office by email, fax, or regular mail. Alternatively, you may also acknowledge receipt by logging into your CorpCo account and clicking on “Acknowledge” in the “My SOP” box on your Home screen.

In addition to letting CorpCo know you’ve received the SOP, you may be required to provide an answer or other information by a specific due date. If the date has been clearly indicated in the service document, CorpCo will provide the date on our acknowledgement cover letter. If you have any questions about how to respond to the service, you should contact your attorney immediately. CorpCo provides as much information as possible regarding the nature of the SOP on the acknowledgement cover letter. If you have any questions regarding the information contained in the cover letter, please contact our office.

• You require an address that meets all legal requirements. The registered agent for a business must be physically located in the state of incorporation and be available during normal business hours to accept important documents as they are delivered. If you are incorporating in a state where you do not have a physical address, and/or you are often out of the office, or work irregular business hours, you will be unable to act as your own registered agent.
• Peace of mind. States impose ongoing requirements for registered businesses such as annual report filings and franchise tax payments. As your registered agent CorpCo will help you stay in compliance with state requirements for your corporation/LLC, avoid unnecessary state penalties, and maintain your company’s good standing in your state of incorporation and/or registration/qualification.
• Privacy is important to you. The registered agent is part of the public record and easily found when searching business records. Many business owners do not want their names easily accessible. In addition, in the event that a corporation receives Service of Process, it may be delivered by local law enforcement. You may want to avoid having police officers/the sheriff present at your place of business (potentially visible to customers) and using CorpCo as your registered agent avoids this possible embarrassment.

Before receiving SOP, CorpCo will search the company name within our records and with the State in which the company is registered to determine if the information regarding the entity being served is accurate. The main reasons why CorpCo would not receive SOP are:

• If the name is not accurately presented on the SOP and does not appear in our records (and/or the Secretary of State data base)
• CorpCo is not currently acting as the company’s registered agent.
• The company has been dissolved and we have no current point of contact for the company.

Each Secretary of State’s office requires that a Registered Agent be named when incorporation documents or foreign corporation registration documents are filed.

The Registered Agent must be someone located at a physical address in the state of incorporation or registration (P.O. Boxes and/or Mail Boxes, etc. addresses are NOT acceptable).

The registered agent acts as the official point of contact for the Secretary of State’s office and accepts all official mail (Service of Process, Annual State reports, other State Mail, Certified Mail, etc.)

CorpCo can act as your registered agent in any state. It is extremely important to keep your registered agent informed of any changes to your mailing address or telephone number, to ensure that you can be reached when CorpCo receives official mail or service on your behalf. Appoint CorpCo as your registered agent.