GuideRegistered agentUpdated October 31, 2026
What is a registered agent, and why does every LLC need one?
A registered agent is the person or company named in your LLC’s state filing to accept legal papers and official state notices at a street address in that state during business hours. If you live outside the US, you cannot practically act as your own, so you appoint a commercial registered agent.
Sections on this page
- What does a registered agent do?
- Do I need a registered agent for my LLC?
- Can I be my own registered agent if I live outside the US?
- What happens if my LLC has no registered agent?
- Can I use the registered agent address as my business address?
- What does a registered agent cost each year?
- How does LaunchUS Registered Agent work?
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What does a registered agent do?
It accepts service of process, such as a summons or a court complaint, and official notices from the state on behalf of your LLC, and passes them on to you.
Wyoming says every business must continuously maintain a registered agent with a physical Wyoming address to accept service of process (Wyoming Secretary of State FAQ). Delaware requires every LLC to keep a registered office and a registered agent in the state (6 Del. C. § 18-104).
The agent’s name and address are part of the public state record. Typical deliveries are court papers, reminders about the Wyoming annual report or the Delaware LLC annual tax, and letters from other state agencies. Short definitions of these terms are in our glossary in 30 seconds.
Do I need a registered agent for my LLC?
Yes. Wyoming and Delaware both require every LLC to name a registered agent in its formation filing and to keep one for as long as the company exists.
| Rule | Wyoming | Delaware |
|---|---|---|
| Required for every LLC | Yes, continuously | Yes, a registered office and a registered agent |
| Address | A physical Wyoming address; post office boxes, drop boxes and virtual addresses are not accepted as the registered office | A street address and office in Delaware |
| Who can serve | An individual or a business; an agent serving more than ten entities registers as a commercial registered agent | An individual resident in Delaware, the LLC itself, or a business entity with an office in Delaware |
| Where it is recorded | Articles of Organization | Certificate of Formation |
The agent is named when the company is formed, so choosing one is part of the formation order. Our guides on the Wyoming LLC and the Delaware LLC show where it fits in each state.
Can I be my own registered agent if I live outside the US?
Not in practice. The agent needs a street address in the formation state where papers can be handed over during business hours, so founders abroad appoint a commercial agent.
Delaware lets an individual resident in Delaware act as the agent, and Wyoming requires a physical Wyoming address. A founder who lives elsewhere has neither, which is why the guide on forming a US LLC from abroad treats the registered agent as its own step.
What happens if my LLC has no registered agent?
The company can fall out of good standing with the state, and legal papers may be served without ever reaching you. Each state’s statute sets the exact consequence and the cure.
A gap usually happens when a renewal is missed or an agent resigns. Reporting a new agent to the state closes it; the state sets the filing fee. The yearly obligations checklist puts the agent renewal next to the state deadlines.
Can I use the registered agent address as my business address?
No. The registered agent address is for official service of process; it is not a general business address or a bank verification address.
If your company needs a street address with its own suite number for invoices, a website or payment applications, that is a separate product: see the US business address service. The difference is explained in detail in registered agent address vs business address.
What does a registered agent cost each year?
With LaunchUS, the first year is included in every formation plan; from the second year the LaunchUS Registered Agent renewal is $199 a year.
Commercial agents charge a yearly fee, and changing agents later is a state filing with its own fee. See the full pricing or the three-year cost of a Wyoming or Delaware LLC, which puts the agent renewal next to the state’s annual payments.
How does LaunchUS Registered Agent work?
You choose LaunchUS Registered Agent in your formation order; its address goes into the state filing, and official letters that arrive are scanned and added to your document vault.
- Step 1. You
You choose the service
In the formation order you choose LaunchUS Registered Agent as the registered agent.
- Step 2. LaunchUS Registered Agent
Provides the address
The registered agent address is entered in the formation filing.
- Step 3. State
Sends letters
The state and official bodies send service of process and notices to this address.
- Step 4. LaunchUS
Files it and notifies you
The letter is scanned, added to your vault and you are notified.
The party named in the registered agent record and the service terms are set out in the service agreement.
Read more on the LaunchUS Registered Agent service page, or see what happens after you order.
Frequently asked questions
Is a registered agent the same as a business address?
No. The registered agent address receives service of process and official state notices. A business address is the one you use with clients, banks and platforms; LaunchUS offers it as a separate yearly service.
Can my registered agent be in a different state from me?
Yes. The agent must be in the state where the LLC is formed, not where you live, so owners anywhere in the world use an agent in Wyoming or Delaware.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes. The new agent is reported to the state with a filing and the state’s fee. The company should not be left without an agent in between.
Does the registered agent see my company’s mail?
It handles what is delivered to the agent address: legal papers and official notices. With LaunchUS those letters are scanned into your document vault; everyday business mail belongs at a business address.
Is a registered agent required every year?
Yes, for as long as the LLC exists. With LaunchUS the first year is part of the formation plan and the service continues with a yearly renewal.
These answers are process transparency, not legal, financial or tax advice. Consult your own tax adviser about your obligations.