Every state requires corporations and LLCs to have a registered agent. Hiring a service that offers multistate registered agents can help companies streamline processes and reduce costs.
A reputable registered agent can be an individual or a business. They should have a street address and be available during regular business hours.
Streamlined Processes
Using a multi state registered agent service can help you streamline your business processes. Having one company that handles your legal paperwork means you don’t have to juggle important documents coming from different vendors. This helps keep your home and work life separate, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
The best-registered agents will provide services that go beyond accepting service of process and official government notices (such as correspondence from the Secretary of State). They can also be a helpful resource for small businesses by offering compliance management, document storage, and other helpful tools.
For example, Northwest Registered Agent ($125/year) offers a full suite of services including a secure online portal for accessing your important legal documents, local Corporate Guides to assist you with compliance matters, and email notifications about filing deadlines and annual reports. They are known for their outstanding customer service and offer a full range of features to make running your business easier.
Consolidated Billing
In every state where you operate your business, you need a legal address to receive service of process notices, official government documents like correspondence from the Secretary of State, and tax forms. While you can use an attorney or other local business entity to act as your registered agent, they must be available during regular business hours and may not be convenient when you work remotely.
A reputable registered agent service provides consolidated billing that makes tracking your paperwork a simple process. Documents are stored in a single online account, notifications are streamlined, and annual report reminders arrive on time.
Choose a vendor, like Northwest Registered Agent, that offers centralized billing and online filing for all states where you operate. Their online forms allow you to fill out the information once, which then auto-populates in any form that requires the same data. This saves you valuable time and simplifies the billing process. They also offer discounted rates for businesses operating in multiple states.
Single Point of Contact
While it’s technically legal to be your own registered agent (instead of a service of process), many business owners prefer the peace of mind and ease of use offered by a professional registered agent. Using one national service provider for all states your business operates in streamlines the entire process, saving you time and money.
A good registered agent will offer a centralized account for all of your legal documents, service of process notifications, compliance filing reminders, and more. Any mail received on behalf of your business is scanned and uploaded to your online account, so you can access it anytime.
Beyond the basic services required by law, top registered agents will go above and beyond to provide their customers with high-end business maintenance solutions. This makes them especially valuable to larger organizations that need a trusted partner with experience and scale to help keep things running smoothly as they grow. For example, Northwest Registered Agent offers luxury services like privacy protection and business website hosting along with industry-leading customer service.
Discounts
Some national service providers offer discounts for businesses that use their services in multiple states. This can save small business owners a lot of money because it eliminates the need to pay for a separate office space and a virtual office address in each state they operate in, which add up quickly.
For example, CorpNet offers a price match guarantee and free nationwide registered agent service for the first year of membership, after which they charge a competitive $149 annually. They also offer a convenient online dashboard, automatic mail forwarding, and tailored notifications.
Another affordable option is LegalZoom, who offers a basic registered agent service for $199 per year. This package includes a New York address that will have someone on hand during regular business hours to accept delivery of important documents and service of process, and they even include a year of LLC formation services in their package. But the company has a mixed reputation with online customer reviews.
