Nonprofit organisations in Florida will almost certainly need to appoint and have a 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.
A registered agent is a professional who will represent your company to the Florida Division of Corporations while you run your firm. Registered agents are sometimes known as resident agents, statutory agents, or service of process agents in certain jurisdictions.
Typically, your registered agent will receive communications such as compliance information and tax notices on your behalf. Registered agents are responsible for accepting what is known as service of process. Simply put, if your organisation is ever sued, your registered agent will receive the court summons and paperwork on your behalf.
The following are the criteria for registered agents in Florida:
As long as they complete the qualifications outlined above, anybody may act as your nonprofit’s registered agent. You may choose to be your nonprofit’s registered agent, or you can designate a member of your board of directors or a trustworthy friend.
If you decide to serve as your organization’s registered agent, you must grasp the significance of the role. If you miss a filing date or lose a document, your nonprofit’s compliance status may be jeopardised, and the Division of Corporations may revoke your nonprofit’s company registration.
Many organisations and other companies prefer to use a professional registered agent service to guarantee that their organisation is always in compliance.
Before you choose a Florida registered agent service, think about the benefits and drawbacks of this technique.
There are various reasons why you should consider employing a registered agent service for your nonprofit organisation. This strategy, in particular, can:
The sole downside of using a registered agent service is that it is expensive, while you may serve as your own registered agent for free.
While employing a professional registered agent service is a good idea for many reasons, in other cases it is required. If you answered “yes” to any of the following questions, your organisation should use a registered agent service.
When you submit your Florida nonprofit’s Articles of Incorporation, you must choose a registered agent. In Florida, the fundamental nonprofit creation document is the Articles of Incorporation.
The Florida Sunbiz website allows you to submit your nonprofit’s Articles of Incorporation and the $70 filing fee online. You may choose your nonprofit’s registered agent when filling out the Articles of Incorporation online.
Your registered agent must electronically sign the Articles of Incorporation to confirm their appointment.
To create your Florida nonprofit by mail, download the Articles of Incorporation form, fill it out completely, and return it to the Florida Division of Corporations along with the $70 filing fee. Section 6 will provide the name and contact information for the registered agent.
Your registered agent must sign the physical copy Articles of Incorporation to confirm their appointment.
To legally change your Florida nonprofit’s registered agent, just fill out a Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent form and send it to the Florida Division of Corporations along with the $35 filing fee.
When you work at a charity, you have more essential things to worry about than monitoring the mail, submitting legal paperwork, and remembering compliance deadlines. A registered agent can help you with that. When you engage a professional registered agent service, you can put these responsibilities in their skilled hands and completely concentrate on what is most important to your firm.
