Every formal business in Kentucky is required by law to have a Kentucky registered agent. A registered agent receives any official documents from the State of Kentucky, as well as any service of process filed on a firm in a lawsuit.
In this Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
A Kentucky registered agent is a person or corporate organisation that serves as your company’s point of contact for:
All correspondence with the State of Kentucky, such as the Kentucky Annual Report and certificate of good standing, is received.
In Kentucky, any formal business, such as an LLC or corporation, is required by law to have a registered agent.
In Kentucky, may I act as my own registered agent?
Yes, any owner or employee of a company may serve as its registered agent in Kentucky if they are above the age of 18 and have a Kentucky 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 Hire a Kentucky Registered Agent?
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 publicly shown on the Kentucky Name Availability 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 Kentucky, How Do I Choose A Registered Agent?
When you finish your LLC’s Articles of Organization in Kentucky, you must choose a registered agent. In Kentucky, the primary LLC creation document is the Articles of Organization.
Online Registration of a Registered Agent
You may incorporate an LLC online by creating an account on the Kentucky Business One Stop Portal (a filing fee of $40 is needed). You’ll have online access to all of the tools you need to appoint a registered agent and incorporate your LLC.
Choosing a Registered Agent by Mail
Download the Articles of Organization ($40 filing fee necessary), fill out the appropriate information, and deliver a physical copy to the Secretary of State to create your LLC by mail. Article II will require the name and address of your registered agent.
How Do I Change My Kentucky Registered Agent?
Simply complete the Statement of Change of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office Address form and send it to the Kentucky Secretary of State along with the $10 filing fee paid by cheque or credit card (online).
This may be done in person, via mail, or online.
Online
Michael G. Adams, Secretary of State, P.O. Box 718, Frankfort, KY 40602-0718
Room 154, Capitol Building, 700 Capital Avenue, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Appointment Consent
Your new registered agent must also agree to their appointment. This may be accomplished by signing the Statement of Change form.