What States Are We Required To Have A Registered Agent?

When your corporation transacts business in another country, information technology can exist confusing as to whether the corporation must register in that state and selection a registered amanuensis. Follow these guidelines to see if you need a registered amanuensis in the other state.

If your corporation'due south officers accept decided to do business in some other state, your corporation needs to register with that state. Additionally, if the corporation expands its business into other states, the corporation needs to have a registered agent in each land in which it is doing business.

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Definition of Registered Agent

A registered agent is someone the corporation appoints to stand for the corporation. The registered agent, during regular business hours, is responsible for accepting service of legal papers, receiving mail and other communication, and contacting the corporation to let the directors know if anything of import occurs, such as a lawsuit'south being filed against the company. Some states refer to a registered agent as an agent for service of process or every bit a statutory agent, and their function is the same as a registered amanuensis.

The registered amanuensis has to live in the state where the corporation is doing business and the agent has to have an actual physical address, not a postal service office box address.

A business entity such as a corporation, law firm, or other blazon of firm also can human action as a registered amanuensis. Even ane of your corporate directors tin human activity every bit the corporation's registered agent, and so long as the director is a responsible person and is available during regular business hours. The registered agent represents the corporation, so it's of import to cull someone who tin can do a good job as your agent.

Registered Agent for Service of Process

While every state has different business laws, each state requires that a corporation doing business in its state have a registered agent for the service of lawsuits and subpoenas.

Information technology's often difficult to find an agent to engage in each state if the corporation is doing business in multiple states. If that'southward the example, it's a good idea to have a company that'southward bachelor in all states be your registered agent.

In that location are unlike registered agent solutions available, merely having an online company or firm that has the authority to human action anywhere in the United States can exist very helpful. This allows your company to have a registered agent in place in every state where the company does business.

Expanding Your Business into Another State

Only some types of transactions in other states hateful that your company is doing business organization in those states. Nevertheless, your corporation'southward officers must keep runway of what business the visitor is doing in other states.

A corporation registered and doing business in the same state is known as a domestic corporation, while a corporation doing business outside the state where it's registered is known as a foreign corporation (in this usage, foreign does not refer to some other country).

There are many types of corporate actions that establish doing business in another state. Some of these actions include, but are not limited to:

Having a physical part in some other country
Conducting sales in another state
Administering services in another state, even without a physical office in that state
Being incorporated in Delaware simply having a physical office in Illinois, making the company qualify as doing business and qualifying equally a foreign corporation in Illinois
Having a potent connection to another country, other than doing advertising or telephone sales
Having a substantial portion of the corporation's income come from some other state
Often meeting clients in another state

These situations usually mean that the corporation is doing business in another state, although of class it depends on the foreign state's definition of doing business organisation. If your corporation is in fact doing business concern in another land, you lot need to file forms with the secretary of state or other government official to permit your company to practice business concern in that state. When yous're ready to file the required paperwork and pay the fee, make sure you lot institute a registered agent for that state.

Failure to Appoint a Registered Agent in Another State

If you fail to engage a registered agent in the boosted state where your corporation is doing business, the corporation usually incurs fines, fees, and ongoing penalties, and the corporation cannot litigate in courtroom. If you tin can't find a person who lives in the state to act as your registered amanuensis, consider hiring a reputable visitor to human activity as your registered agent as soon as possible.