What a registered agent does, whether every LLC needs one, what happens when you are served, what it costs and why $30 is dangerous, whether you can be your own, what it cannot do, how to switch, and how the agent keeps you anonymous.
The short answer: A registered agent is a person or company with a physical address in your LLC's formation state that receives lawsuits and state notices for the LLC. Every state requires one, and in anonymous states the agent appears publicly instead of you.
Pick your path to the right section on cost, switching, or serving yourself.
A registered agent is a person or company with a physical address in the LLC's formation state that receives lawsuits, subpoenas, and state notices for the LLC. Every US state requires one, and its address goes on public record.
Serving the registered agent counts as serving the LLC for due-process purposes (Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank, 339 U.S. 306 (1950)). The agent needs a physical street address (not a PO box) in the formation state and must be available in business hours to accept process in person.
| State | RA required? | Statute | Owner can serve? | Address public? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | Yes | Wyo. Stat. § 17-28-101 | Yes | Agent only |
| New Mexico | Yes | NMSA § 53-19-5 | Yes | Agent only |
| Delaware | Yes | 6 Del. C. § 18-104 | Yes | Agent only |
| Nevada | Yes | NRS § 86.231 | Yes | Agent only |
| All other states | Yes | State LLC act | Yes | Owner listed |
Source: Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware, and Nevada LLC statutes, verified July 2026.
The agent receives service of process, state tax and compliance notices, and official correspondence. It should not receive ordinary business mail, personal mail, or packages - that belongs at a virtual office, so legal documents never get buried.
When someone sues your LLC, a process server delivers the summons to your registered agent, and your response clock starts that day - 20-30 days in state court, 21 in federal. A good agent forwards it the same day.
| Stage | What happens | Clock |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Plaintiff files suit; court issues the summons | - |
| Day 1-7 | Process server delivers to your RA | Response window starts |
| Same day | A good RA scans and forwards (email + WhatsApp) | 20-30 days state / 21 federal |
| Day 20-30 | Miss the answer, default judgment entered | Set aside via FRCP 60(b) |
| Day 60+ | Judgment enforced: levies, garnishment | - |
Source: FRCP 12(a)(1)(A) and state civil-procedure rules, verified July 2026.
A reliable registered agent costs about $100 a year; discount agents charge $30-$50. The cheap tier scans weekly and skips compliance reminders, so a missed summons or annual report can cost far more than the $70 saved.
| Tier | Price / year | What you get | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $0-$50 | Weekly scan, batch mail, no reminders | Default judgment / dissolution |
| Reliable | $100-$200 | Same-day forwarding, compliance calendar | Low |
| Enterprise | $300+ | Multi-state, relationship manager | Overkill for one entity |
Source: 2026 registered-agent market pricing, verified July 2026.
| Provider | Annual cost | Same-day forwarding | Compliance alerts | States covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anonymousllc.co | $100 | Yes (email + WhatsApp) | Yes | 50 (direct in 4) |
| Budget agents | $30-$50 | No (weekly / monthly) | No | Varies |
| CT / Cogency | $300+ | Yes | Yes | 50 |
Source: provider published terms, verified July 2026.
At $100 a year - about $0.27 a day - a reliable agent gives same-day process forwarding, a compliance calendar with 30/14/7-day reminders, free change-of-agent filing, and annual-report filing. Below $100, providers cut one of those and reliability drops.
Legally yes, in every state, if you have a physical in-state address and are available in business hours. For an anonymous LLC it defeats the purpose - your name and home address land on public record.
| Requirement / drawback | Detail |
|---|---|
| In-state physical address | Required - not a PO box |
| Business-hours availability | To accept service in person |
| Age 18+ | Required |
| Anonymity | Lost - your name goes on public record |
| Compliance tracking | You track every state deadline yourself |
| Service in person | A server can appear at your home or office |
Source: state registered-agent statutes, verified July 2026.
Being your own agent works only for a very-low-activity LLC whose single owner lives in the formation state with predictable in-office presence - and even then it saves $100 a year against real privacy, compliance, and availability costs.
A registered agent receives and forwards documents, files your annual reports, and keeps your name off public records. It cannot give legal advice, appear in court, answer IRS letters, or sign for the LLC.
| Task | Registered agent? | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| Receive and forward lawsuits | Yes | Registered agent |
| File annual reports | Yes | Registered agent |
| Keep your name off records | Yes | Registered agent |
| Give legal advice | No | Licensed attorney |
| Appear in court | No | Licensed attorney |
| Respond to IRS letters | No | CPA (Form 2848) |
| Sign contracts / open accounts | No | Manager or member |
Source: unauthorized-practice-of-law rules and IRS Form 2848, verified July 2026.
The agent delivering a summons cannot tell you whether the suit has merit or how to answer - that is the unauthorized practice of law. It alerts you that an IRS letter arrived, but your CPA responds. It forwards a creditor demand, but does not negotiate. Treat the agent as a notice service and budget separately for attorneys and accountants.
You switch agents by filing a Change of Registered Agent with the state - $0 in Wyoming, $50 in Delaware, $25 in New Mexico, $60 in Nevada. It takes 3-5 days and does not affect your EIN or bank accounts.
| State | Change fee | Processing | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $0 | 1-2 days | On state acceptance |
| Delaware | $50 | 1 day | On state acceptance |
| New Mexico | $25 | 1-3 days | On state acceptance |
| Nevada | $60 | 1-3 days | On state acceptance |
Source: state secretary-of-state fee schedules, verified July 2026.
The new agent files the change; the state notifies the old agent on acceptance. If your LLC foreign-qualifies into another state, that state needs its own agent - there is no national agent, because the in-state physical address is jurisdictional. A Wyoming LLC operating in California and Texas needs three agents at $100 each. Anonymousllc.co runs multi-state coverage through one portal and includes the switch filing at no service charge.
In Wyoming, New Mexico, Delaware, and Nevada, the state publishes the registered agent's name and address, not the owners'. Data brokers scrape the agent's address instead of your home, so your identity stays off people-search databases.
| On public record? | Anonymous states (WY, NM, DE, NV) |
|---|---|
| LLC name and status | Yes |
| Registered agent name + address | Yes |
| Members / managers | No |
| Owner home address | No |
Source: state filing schemas, verified July 2026.
| Registered agent | Virtual office | |
|---|---|---|
| Receives | Lawsuits, state notices | Ordinary business mail |
| Required by law? | Yes | No |
| Address | In-state physical | Any US address |
| Cost | $100/year | $25-$100/month |
Source: service definitions and state statutes, verified July 2026.
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