What Is A Registered Agent For Llc In Florida

Before filing your Articles of Organization with the Department of Land, yous need to select a Florida Registered Amanuensis for your LLC.

A Registered Amanuensis in Florida is a person or visitor who agrees to accept legal mail on behalf of your LLC in example your business gets sued.

In Florida, your Registered Agent also serves as a general point of contact for receiving business and tax notices, payment reminders, and other documents.

Your Registered Agent must have a street address in Florida (PO Boxes aren't immune).

Your Florida Registered Agent must also be available during normal concern hours (9am – 5pm) in case Service of Process arrives. Service of Process for an LLC includes delivery of legal documents such equally complaints, summons, or subpoenas.

In short, this is how the Florida court and legal systems works. By providing a Registered Amanuensis of tape with a reliable Florida street address, the delivery of legal mail and court documents can be tracked. Information technology's similar to how 'certified mail render receipt' works. Information technology creates a physical record that something was delivered.

Special offer: If you hire Northwest to grade your LLC ($39 + state fee), they'll include their Registered Agent service complimentary for the 1st twelvemonth.

Can I be my own Registered Amanuensis in Florida?

Yeah, you lot tin be your ain Florida Registered Agent, as long as you run across the requirements mentioned in the adjacent section.

However, you actually have 3 options when forming an LLC in Florida:

Option 1: Y'all tin exist your LLC's Registered Agent in Florida (are there risks?)if you're a Florida resident over age 18.

Option 2: A friend or family member can be your LLC'due south Registered Amanuensis if they're a Florida resident over age xviii.

Option 3: Yous tin can hire a Florida Registered Agent Service , technically known as a Commercial Registered Agent.

What'due south the all-time Registered Agent selection to choose?

If you lot take a street address located in Florida (such as a home or part accost), and are available during business hours, y'all can be your own Registered Agent.

If you don't have a street address in Florida, y'all tin apply a friend or family unit member'southward address. They need to have a street address in Florida and exist available during business hours.

If y'all don't have a street address in Florida, and you don't have a friend or family member's accost that you tin can use (or prefer not to), you can rent a Florida Registered Agent Service Visitor.

Using a Registered Agent Service Company in Florida also offers more privacy (tin can go along your address off public records) and can be a more reliable setup.

Florida Registered Agent Services

Notation: The terms "Florida Registered Agent Services" and "Florida Commercial Registered Agent" mean the aforementioned matter. We volition apply them both interchangeably.

Florida Registered Agent Service Companies specialize in receiving Service of Process (legal post) on behalf of your Florida LLC. Virtually Registered Agent Services in Florida cost between $100 and $300 per year.

Once hired, they will receive Service of Process on behalf of your Florida LLC then frontward it to you past mail service, or scan and upload it to your online business relationship.

Who's the best Florida Registered Agent?

The Florida Registered Agent Service that nosotros recommend (and that the LLC University team use for our ain LLCs) is Northwest Registered Agent ($125 per yr).

Northwest has been in the business for over xx years and they take great customer service.

Notwithstanding, one of the coolest things about using Northwest is the privacy feature.

How to keep your address off public records:

It's of import to realize that your Registered Amanuensis accost (and all addresses in your LLC'southward Articles of Arrangement) become a part of public record. If you want to go on your accost off of public tape, using a Registered Agent that will permit you to use their address as your LLC's address tin be very helpful.

Northwest Registered Amanuensis is the only company that offers a Registered Agent service where they'll permit you utilise their accost throughout your unabridged Articles of Organisation.

You can use their address in all sections of your Articles of Arrangement:

cover letter address
principal office address
mailing accost
registered agent address
member/manager accost

Any mail that is sent to your LLC will exist scanned by them and uploaded into your online account.

Special discounted pricing for LLC University® readers

Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to class an LLC. However, nosotros've negotiated a discounted rate (60% off) for LLC University® readers.

Risks of being your ain Registered Agent in Florida

As mentioned above, you can be your own Registered Agent in Florida. In fact, you, a friend, or a family unit fellow member can be your Florida Registered Agent.

Only are at that place any risks to being your own Registered Amanuensis?

In short, in that location are risks. They are not very likely to occur, only if they do, you could lose your liability protection and the Florida Department of State has the power to administratively dissolve (shut downward) your LLC.

This tin can happen if y'all don't maintain (always accept) a Registered Agent on file, or if the Department of Land is unsuccessful in reaching your Florida Registered Amanuensis.

Additionally, if a process server (a person who serves court documents and notices of lawsuits) is unsuccessful in reaching your Florida Registered Amanuensis, a court case tin can proceed in your absence and y'all might not even know virtually it. Worse, the courtroom could enter a default judgment against your LLC if you aren't there to defend yourself.

A few reasons a process server might not be able to reach your Florida LLC'due south Registered Amanuensis:

you lot, your friend, or family fellow member are not there during business concern hours (the state of Florida requires that your Registered Agent maintain normal concern hours)
yous/they are on vacation or out of town
you/they moved and you forgot to file a Change of Registered Amanuensis with the state

Using a Florida Registered Agent Service similar Northwest Registered Agent is a more than reliable setup and offers more privacy.

It also gives y'all the freedom to take vacations and not worry near changing your Registered Agent address if you motility.

Adjacent Stride

Once you determine who volition serve as your Florida LLC's Registered Amanuensis, you can then keep to the next Lesson: Florida LLC Articles of System.

If y'all need to rent a Florida Registered Agent Service (a Commercial Registered Agent), delight practise then before going to the next footstep.

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading adept on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to commencement an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He'south cited by Entrepreneur Mag, Yahoo Finance, and the Usa Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.

Matt holds a Available'due south Degree in business organization from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive inquiry and analysis to convert land laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for gratis! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.