registered agentn.
The person or company an entity designates to receive legal papers and official state notices at a physical in-state address.
A registered agent is the individual or company an LLC, corporation, or other entity names to receive service of process (lawsuit papers) and official government correspondence on the entity's behalf. The agent must maintain a physical address in the state of formation and be available during business hours.
Every formal business entity must keep a registered agent on file; losing one can lead to administrative dissolution or default judgments the owners never see coming.
One common misconception, and attorneys get this wrong too, the registered agent is not necessarily the owner of the entity. Their only job is to accept service and make sure the responsible party receives the documents served.
Both Colorado (C.R.S. Title 7) and Wyoming (Wyo. Stat. Title 17) require every registered entity to maintain a registered agent with an in-state physical address. Many businesses use a commercial registered-agent service, which is common for Wyoming entities owned by out-of-state residents.
Related terms
- articles of organizationThe formation document filed with the state that legally creates an LLC. (Corporations and nonprofits file articles of incorporation instead.)
- articles of incorporationThe document filed with the state that legally creates a corporation or nonprofit corporation. (LLCs file articles of organization instead.)
- limited liability companyA business structure that shields its owners' personal assets from the company's debts and lawsuits, while staying simpler and more flexible to run than a corporation.