Home / Formation / Registered agent & US address
Registered agent
A registered agent and an official US address.
Every US company must keep a registered agent in its state of formation. It is the official address where the state and the courts send your company’s mail.
At a glance
What is included.
Registered agent in your state
A physical address in the state of formation, staffed during business hours.
Mail forwarded to you
Official mail received for your company is scanned and added to your member area.
Renewal tracking
We remind you before the yearly renewal so the service never lapses.
Change of agent
If your company already exists, we prepare the change-of-agent filing with you.
The basics
What a registered agent is
A registered agent is a person or company appointed to receive official and legal mail on behalf of your business. Every US state requires each LLC and corporation formed there to name one. The agent’s name and address are written into the formation document and appear on the state’s public record. The state will not accept a formation filing that leaves this field empty.
The agent must have a physical street address in the state where the company is formed and must be available there during normal business hours. A post office box is not accepted. The purpose is simple. If the state needs to send a notice, or if someone brings a legal claim against the company, there is a known place where the documents can be delivered.
The mail an agent receives falls into two groups. The first is correspondence from the state, such as annual report reminders and tax notices. The second is service of process, the formal delivery of court papers. In both cases the agent’s duty is to pass the document to the company promptly, because legal deadlines begin when the agent receives it.
For a founder who lives outside the United States, the registered agent is what makes remote ownership workable. You do not need an office or a residence in the state. A US address service is related and separate. It gives the company a mailing address for everyday business correspondence, which is scanned and forwarded to you. The two services answer different needs and are often used together.
Why it matters
What the service makes possible
Forming a company from abroad
With an agent in the state, you can form and keep a US company without a visa, a lease or a local representative of your own.
Staying in good standing
States require the agent to be in place at all times. Continuous service protects the company’s standing, which banks and payment providers may check at any point.
Receiving legal notices in time
Court documents carry response deadlines. An agent who scans and forwards them the day they arrive gives you and your lawyer the full time allowed to respond.
Keeping your home address off the record
The agent’s address appears on the public state record in place of a personal address. Many founders value that separation between their home and their business.
One point of contact for state mail
Annual report reminders and state tax notices arrive at a staffed address and reach you by email. Nothing depends on international post reaching you.
Before we start
What we need from you
For a new company, this information is already part of your formation file. For an existing company moving to our service, please provide the following.
The process
How the service is set up
You confirm the company and state
You tell us which company needs the service and where it is formed or registered. For a new company, this happens within the formation file and needs no separate step.
The agent is appointed
For a new company, the agent’s name and address are written into the Articles of Organization or Certificate of Incorporation. The appointment takes effect when the state accepts the filing.
Existing companies file a change of agent
If you are moving from another provider, we prepare the state’s change of agent form for your signature and file it. The state’s processing time varies, and the previous agent remains in place until the change is accepted.
Your mail handling is activated
Your notification email and forwarding preferences are recorded. If you have chosen the US address service, the mailing address is issued to you for use on business correspondence.
Documents are scanned and sent to you
When mail arrives for your company, it is logged, scanned and sent to you by email. Legal documents are flagged clearly so that they are not mistaken for routine correspondence.
The service is renewed each year
We remind you ahead of the renewal date and keep the appointment in place without a gap. State annual report dates are tracked alongside it.
Set by the government, not by Atiko
Government fees in the United States.
| Official fee | Paid to | When | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming LLC, Articles of Organization | $100 | Wyoming Secretary of State | At formation |
| Wyoming LLC, annual report license tax (minimum) | $60 | Wyoming Secretary of State | Every year, anniversary month |
| Delaware LLC, Certificate of Formation | $110 | Delaware Division of Corporations | At formation |
| Delaware LLC, annual tax | $400 | Delaware Division of Corporations | Every year, by June 1 |
| Delaware C Corp, Certificate of Incorporation (minimum) | $109 | Delaware Division of Corporations | At formation |
| Delaware C Corp, minimum franchise tax + annual report | $175 + $50 | Delaware Division of Corporations | Every year, by March 1 |
| New Mexico LLC, Articles of Organization | Confirmed before filing | New Mexico Secretary of State | At formation |
| EIN (Employer Identification Number) | Free | IRS | After formation |
Official fees were checked in October 2026 on the website of each authority. They are the same whoever files, they change from time to time, and they are shown separately from Atiko’s own fee on your written quote.
Comparison
Your own agent or a service
| Acting as your own agent | Using a registered agent service | |
|---|---|---|
| Address needed | Your own physical address in the state | Provided by the service |
| Availability | You, in person, during business hours | Staffed during business hours |
| Living outside the US | Not workable in practice | Designed for it |
| Public record | Shows your own address | Shows the agent’s address |
| Legal documents | Handed to you directly | Scanned and forwarded promptly |
| Additional states | A separate address in each state | Extended through the same provider |
Year after year
What continues after appointment
The registered agent is a permanent requirement. It lasts for as long as the company exists, and it is renewed every year. If the appointment lapses, the state can mark the company as not in good standing and, after a period, dissolve it administratively. Atiko renews the service ahead of time and tells you well before each renewal date.
State compliance runs alongside the agent service. Depending on the state, your company may owe an annual report, an annual tax or both. A Delaware LLC pays a flat annual tax of $400, a Wyoming LLC files an annual report with a minimum fee of $60, and a New Mexico LLC has no annual report requirement. Notices about these obligations usually arrive through the agent.
Avoidable problems
Common mistakes to avoid
Letting the service lapse
A missed renewal leaves the company without an agent on record. Restoring good standing involves extra filings and can delay a bank or payment provider review that happens in the meantime.
Treating the agent address as an office
The registered agent address is for official and legal mail. It is not evidence of a business location, and it should not be presented to a bank or provider as the place where you operate.
Using an unmonitored email address
A scanned legal notice sent to an inbox nobody reads has the same effect as a notice never forwarded. Use an address that you check regularly, and add a second recipient where you can.
Forgetting other states
If the company registers to do business in a second state, it needs a registered agent there as well. This is often overlooked when inventory is first placed in a new warehouse.
What the agent does not do
A registered agent receives and forwards documents. It does not respond to legal claims, represent your company in court or give legal advice, and Atiko is not a law firm. If you receive court papers, you will need an independent licensed attorney, and the deadline to respond is set by the court.
Questions founders ask about registered agents
Is a registered agent really mandatory?
Yes. Every state requires each LLC and corporation to name a registered agent with a physical address in that state, and to keep one in place for as long as the company exists. The formation filing cannot be accepted without it.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Only if you have a physical street address in the state and are available there during business hours. Founders who live outside the United States cannot meet that condition in practice, which is why they use a service.
Is the registered agent address my business address?
It is the company’s address for official and legal mail and appears on the state record. It is not necessarily a general business or mailing address. If you need an address for everyday correspondence, the US address service covers that.
Can I use the address to open a bank account?
Banks decide which addresses they accept, and their requirements vary and change. Many ask where the business actually operates and where its owner lives, in addition to the company’s US address. We tell you what is typically requested before you apply, and the bank makes the decision.
What happens if my company is sued?
The court papers are delivered to the registered agent, who scans and forwards them to you promptly. The agent’s role ends there. You should then contact an independent licensed attorney without delay, because the time to respond starts on delivery.
Can I switch to Atiko from another provider?
Yes. Changing agent is a standard state filing. We prepare the change of agent form for your signature and file it, and your previous agent stays on record until the state accepts the change. Processing time depends on the state.
Do I need an agent in every state where I sell?
No. Selling to customers in a state does not by itself require a registered agent there. An agent is needed in the state of formation and in any state where the company formally registers to do business. Whether registration is required is a question for a licensed professional.
How quickly will I receive my mail?
Documents are typically scanned and emailed the day they are received. Legal documents are flagged so that they stand out. We cannot control when a sender posts a document or how long delivery to the agent takes.
Related pages
This page is general information, last reviewed in October 2026. It is not legal or tax advice and may not reflect the latest rules in every state. Atiko is not a law firm or an accounting firm. Please consult a licensed attorney or tax adviser about your own situation.
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