A registered agent is the person or company that accepts lawsuits and state notices for your LLC, at a street address inside the state.
It is not there to give you an address: it is there so that a court can always find you.
The short answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | A named person or company, in the state, that receives legal papers for the company |
| Is it mandatory? | Yes, for every LLC in Delaware and in Wyoming, at all times |
| Can a founder abroad be their own agent? | Not in practice. The role needs a presence in the state |
| Is it your business address? | No. It is the address for service of process |
| Does it hide the owner? | No. The formation document does, by not asking |
| What does it cost? | $50 to $300 a year in Delaware, at 2026 market prices |
Three things to hold on to:
- The job is to receive and forward.
- Losing the agent can end the company.
- Outside the United States, the same need has other names.
What a registered agent does
US states require a company to keep an agent on their territory. The Delaware LLC Act, section 18-104, spells the role out most clearly. Every LLC must have and maintain two things in Delaware:
- a registered office, "which may but need not be a place of its business in the State of Delaware"
- a registered agent "for service of process", whose office is that registered office
Service of process is the formal delivery of a lawsuit. The statute then lists what any agent owes its companies.
| Duty | What the Delaware statute says | What it means from abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Be reachable | An entity keeps a Delaware office that is "generally open". An individual is present "at sufficiently frequent times" | A process server finds someone |
| Receive and forward | "Accept service of process and other communications [...] and forward same" | Your only channel for court papers |
| Pass on the tax notice | Forward the annual tax notice, or an electronic notification of it | The state's reminder reaches you through the agent |
| Check identities | Follow the Secretary of State's rules on verifying the entity's contacts | The agent will ask who you are |
A registered agent is a service address with a person behind it. It receives and forwards. It does not run, represent or shelter the company.
Some providers sell the agent as a mere address. Delaware rules that out: an agent "may not perform its duties or functions solely through the use of a virtual office, the retention by the agent of a mail forwarding service, or both."
What a registered agent does not do
Nothing in those duties gives the agent a say in the company. For a founder abroad, the confusion usually sits elsewhere.
- It is not your business address. The registered office "need not be a place of its business".
- It is not your bank address. The agent's address usually cannot be used for banking.
- It does not handle your taxes. It forwards the annual tax notice. Paying and filing stay with the company.
- It is not your everyday mailbox. The statutory duty covers legal and state communications.
- It does not keep the owner off the record. The formation document does that.
Receive and forward, for an LLC owned from abroad.
- Accepts service of process
- Receives state communications
- Forwards the annual tax notice
- Verifies the identity of the entity's contacts
Bought separately, from the agent or from someone else.
- Business address
- Bank address
- Paying and filing taxes
- Everyday mailbox
- Keeping the owner off the record
Each item in that list is a separate service, bought from the agent or from someone else.
3 questions
Which jurisdiction fits you?Answer three questions and get the three jurisdictions that match your situation.
Can you be your own registered agent?
The top search results say a company cannot act as its own agent. Delaware law says otherwise. Section 18-104 allows four kinds of agent:
- the LLC itself
- an individual resident in Delaware
- a Delaware company, partnership or statutory trust
- a foreign entity authorized to do business in Delaware
So the LLC may name itself. The duties still apply: an entity acting as agent must keep a Delaware office that is generally open. A founder abroad has none.
Wyoming draws the same line with different words.
- The agent is an individual of at least 18 who resides in Wyoming, or an entity authorized to transact business there.
- The address is a physical Wyoming street address.
- The state rules out a PO box, a drop box, a mail forwarding service and a UPS store.
For an owner outside the United States, the agent is therefore a contract, not a choice.
What the agent knows about you
Wyoming providers often claim that only the agent appears publicly, so the owner cannot be found. The result is real, the cause is wrong. Privacy comes from what the formation document leaves out.
| Information | On the public filing? | Held by the agent? |
|---|---|---|
| Agent's name and address | Yes, in both states | n/a |
| Delaware members and managers | No, the Certificate of Formation does not ask | n/a |
| Delaware "communications contact" | No, it "shall not be deemed public" | Yes, the LLC must supply it |
| Identity of the Delaware entity's contacts | No | Verified under state rules |
| Wyoming managers' names and addresses | Not among the items on the Articles | Yes, under W.S. 17-28-107 |
| One natural person the Wyoming agent can reach | No | Yes, same statute |
Two details matter from abroad:
- Delaware states the purpose. The identity rules exist "for the reduction of risk of unlawful business purposes".
- Wyoming sets a clock. The agent keeps its records current within 60 days of a change until the first annual report is accepted, then at each annual report.
The agent therefore holds more about you than the register shows. Not public does not mean unknown.
Registered agent, registered office, business address, mailing address
Banks and payment processors mix these up, and so do founders.
| Term | What it is | Who provides it |
|---|---|---|
| Registered agent | The person or company that accepts service of process | A resident or a commercial provider |
| Registered office | The agent's street address in the state, printed on the formation document | The agent |
| Principal office address | Where the company is actually run. Wyoming's form asks for one | You |
| Mailing address | Where everyday mail goes. Banks and processors expect a US one | You, or a mail service |
A US mailing address is not required to form the LLC. Our Delaware cost guide puts it at roughly $10 to $40 a month, as an estimate. The "process agent" named in some finance contracts is a different appointment, outside this article.
Delaware and Wyoming, side by side
| Point | Delaware | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs an agent | Every LLC | Every entity |
| On the formation document | Name and address of the agent | Name of the agent, street address of the registered office |
| Written consent | Not covered here | Consent to Appointment, W.S. 17-29-201(c) |
| Address rule | No agent run solely through a virtual office or mail forwarding | No PO box, drop box, mail forwarding service or UPS store |
| What the agent holds | A non-public communications contact | Managers' details and one natural person |
| If the agent is lost | Certificate of formation canceled | A ground for dissolution |
| Market price per year | $50 to $300 | $25 to $300 |
| State fee to appoint a new agent | Not quoted here | $5 |
Three Wyoming points deserve a second look.
- The consent stays with you. Filing online, you certify that you hold the agent's written consent. Ask for the signed copy.
- Your email is a fallback. Under W.S. 17-28-104(e), the company consents to electronic service at the email on its Articles if the agent cannot be served.
- Coming back costs more. Reinstating an LLC dissolved after a lost agent costs $350.
Delaware adds one category. An agent serving more than 50 entities is a "commercial registered agent", with further conditions.
What happens when the agent resigns
An agent can resign, for instance after a missed invoice. In Delaware, section 18-104 gives a precise sequence when no successor is named.
- The agent gives the LLC written notice, at least 30 days before filing.
- It files a certificate of resignation with the state.
- The resignation takes effect 30 days after that filing.
- If no new agent is appointed by then, "the certificate of formation of such limited liability company shall be canceled".
- After that, process is served on the Secretary of State.
- Day 0Written notice of resignation reaches the LLC
- 30 days later, at the earliestCertificate of resignation filed with the state
- 30 days after filingResignation takes effect. With no new agent, the certificate of formation is canceled
- After thatProcess is served on the Secretary of State
An agent can also resign by naming a successor, with the approval of each LLC concerned. In Wyoming, losing the agent is a ground for dissolution.
From abroad, the weak point is the notice itself.
- Keep the contact details held by the agent current.
- Read what the agent sends, including renewal invoices.
- Know the renewal date, not only the formation price.
Appointing the agent is one step of forming a Delaware LLC from abroad, and it comes before the filing.
The equivalent outside the United States
Other jurisdictions solve the same problem with other tools. Most pair a registered office with a company secretary. Estonia uses a contact person.
| Jurisdiction | Closest role | Who can hold it | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware, Wyoming | Registered agent | A resident or an authorized entity | Always |
| Estonia | Local contact person | Notary, attorney, sworn auditor, licensed company service provider | When no board member resides in Estonia |
| Hong Kong | Company secretary | A local individual or body corporate, not a sole director | Always |
| Singapore | Company secretary | A person ordinarily resident in Singapore | Within 6 months of incorporation |
| Ireland | Company secretary | A director, unless there is only one, or a body corporate | Always |
| United Kingdom | None for private companies | Optional since the Companies Act 2006 | No |
These roles are not interchangeable.
- A registered agent receives legal process and forwards it.
- A contact person is a regulated point of contact, recorded in the Business Register.
- A company secretary is an officer with duties over the company's registers and filings.
The closest cousin is Estonia's local contact person: documents served on that person count as delivered to the company. Provider guides describe a wider role for registered agents in offshore centers such as the BVI. We have not checked that against the statutes.
The summary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is a registered agent for? | Receiving service of process and state notices |
| Can the LLC be its own agent in Delaware? | Yes by statute, with a Delaware office |
| Can a founder abroad do it? | Not in practice |
| Who protects the owner's name? | The formation document, not the agent |
| What does the agent hold? | A non-public contact, and manager details in Wyoming |
| What if it resigns in Delaware? | 30 days, then the certificate is canceled |
| Market price | $50 to $300 a year in Delaware, $25 to $300 in Wyoming |
| Closest role elsewhere | Company secretary, or Estonia's contact person |
Frequently asked questions
What is a registered agent?
It is the person or company named to receive lawsuits and official state notices for a business, at a physical address in the state. Delaware calls it an agent "for service of process".
What does a registered agent do?
It accepts service of process and other communications for the company and forwards them. In Delaware it also passes on the annual tax notice and verifies the identity of the entity's contacts.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Delaware lets the LLC itself act as agent, but an agent must keep a Delaware office that is generally open. Wyoming requires a resident individual or an authorized entity. From abroad, you hire one.
Do I need a registered agent if I live outside the United States?
Yes. Every Delaware LLC and every Wyoming entity must keep one in the state. The owner's residence changes nothing, except that it rules out doing the job yourself.
Is a registered agent the same as a registered office?
No. The agent is the person, the registered office is the address. In Delaware the agent's business office is identical to the LLC's registered office.
Can I use my registered agent's address as my business address?
Not by default. The registered office "need not be a place of its business", and the agent's address usually cannot be used for banking. Some agents include the use of their address, so check the contract.
Does a registered agent keep my name off the public record?
No. In Delaware the Certificate of Formation names the agent and asks for no member or manager. The privacy comes from that form. The agent itself holds your contact details.
What happens if my registered agent resigns?
In Delaware, a resignation without a successor takes effect 30 days after it is filed. If no new agent is appointed by then, the certificate of formation is canceled.
How much does a registered agent cost?
Market prices run from about $50 to $300 a year in Delaware and $25 to $300 in Wyoming. These are provider prices observed in 2026, not state fees.
Is a registered agent the same as a company secretary?
No. A registered agent receives service of process. A company secretary, required in Hong Kong, Singapore and Ireland, is an officer with duties over the company's registers and filings.
Sources
- Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, 6 Del. C. 18-104: registered office and registered agent
- Delaware Limited Liability Company Act, 6 Del. C. 18-201: certificate of formation
The Delaware rules on who may be an agent, its duties, resignation and the contact it holds are taken from 6 Del. C. 18-104 and 18-201, read on 7 October 2026. The Wyoming points repeat our own Wyoming guides and their statute references. Agent prices are 2026 market observations, not state fees. The roles described for Estonia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ireland and the United Kingdom repeat our own articles and are not quoted from statute here. This is informational, not legal advice.