Every formal business in the state of Florida is required by law to have a Florida registered agent. A registered agent receives any official documents from the State of Florida, as well as any service of process filed on a firm in a lawsuit.
In this Florida Registered Agent tutorial, we’ll go over what a registered agent is, what they perform, and how to choose one.
What Is A Registered Agent In Florida?
A Florida registered agent is a person or corporate organisation that serves as your company’s point of contact for:
All communications with the State of Florida, such as the Florida Annual Report and certificate of good standing
In Florida, any formal business, such as an LLC or corporation, is required by law to have a registered agent.
In Florida, may I act as my own registered agent?
Yes, any owner or employee of a company may serve as its registered agent in Florida if they are above the age of 18 and have a Florida street address.
You might also designate a member of your LLC or a friend you trust, as long as they match these standards as well.
Why Do Companies Use Florida Registered Agent Services?
Many firms opt to employ a registered agent service when forming an LLC for the following reasons:
Compliance
A registered agent service keeps a compliance calendar and will notify you when yearly reports or other files are due, as well as assist you in submitting them.
This helps you avoid penalties and maintains your firm in good standing, both of which are necessary to preserve your limited liability protection.
If you do not reply immediately to serving of process, legal complexities, costs, or other concerns may develop. A registered agent will scan your papers, upload them to the internet, and tell you when they are ready.
Privacy
If you operate from home or a private office as your own registered agent, your address will be made public on the Florida Record Search.
If your privacy is important to you, a registered agent service will use their own address instead of yours.
Discretion
Receiving service of process for a lawsuit at your place of business may be a delicate circumstance to have in front of your staff and customers.
To circumvent this problem, a registered agent will accept service of process and other papers at their office and deliver them to you discreetly online.
Flexibility
If you are your own registered agent, you must be accessible every working day of the year during regular business hours.
Registered agent services have real offices and people to cover certain hours, allowing them to be accessible during those times.
Hiring a registered agent service enables you to be more flexible with your working hours and locations. So go ahead and take a vacation, work from home or the office, or travel the globe knowing they’ll be there to collect your documents.
Online Data Storage
A competent registered agent service will scan your papers as soon as they arrive, maintaining a digital record of all your company documents and any service of process on a user-friendly dashboard.
If you employed an LLC creation service, you would most likely also use them as a registered agent. This implies a copy of your formation paperwork will be accessible online as well.
Having all of this information, which is accessible as PDFs, is really useful when you need to do things for your company, such as create a business bank account, apply for a business credit card, apply for small business loans, and many other things that need a copy of your paperwork.
National Reach
If you want to grow your company into other states, such as by employing an out-of-state employee or establishing a new sales office, you must have a registered agent for your foreign LLC or other corporation.
The majority of registered agent services are available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Simply pay a little fee for the new state in which you operate, and they will transmit all of your paperwork to the same web dashboard.
What Is the Cost of a Registered Agent?
A registered agent service normally costs between $50 and $300 each year. When you consider how much time it will save you, this is a little amount to pay.
In Florida, How Do I Choose A Registered Agent?
When you finish your LLC’s Articles of Organization in Florida, you must choose a registered agent. In Florida, the primary LLC creation document is the Articles of Organization.
Online Registration of a Registered Agent
The Florida Department of State’s SunBiz website allows you to create your LLC online ($125 filing fee needed). When you submit your LLC’s Articles of Organization, you will be asked for your registered agent’s name and contact information in the fourth area on page 1:
Your registered agent must assent to their appointment by either filling out the “Registered Agent Signature” part themselves or authorising the filer to do so on their behalf.
Choosing a Registered Agent by Mail
Download the Articles of Organization form ($125 filing fee needed), fill out the appropriate information, and send a physical copy to the Florida Department of State to create your LLC by mail. Article III will require you to disclose information about your registered agent.
Prior to submission, your registered agent must sign the form to confirm their appointment.
How Do I Change My Florida Registered Agent?
Simply fill out a Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent or Both form and submit it to the Florida Division of Corporations to change your registered agent in Florida. The filing fee for LLCs is $25 and $35 for other forms of companies, and it is payable by check.
Florida has many forms for various business structures:
Nonprofit Limited Partnership (LP) and Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) (LLP)
You may send your Statement of Change form to one of the addresses listed below.
LLP, LLC, and LP:
Division of Corporations Registration Section P.O. Box 6327 Tallahassee, FL 32314
Corporations and non-profit organisations:
Tallahassee, FL 32314 Amendment Section Division of Corporations P.O. Box 6327