What is a registered agent? What address should be used for my business filing?

Last updated: March 29, 2024

What is a registered agent?

A registered agent is a person or company that gets listed on your business filing. This person or company will be the point of contact in the state you file. They are tasked with receiving legal and state documents, service of process, and any other important documents on behalf of the company.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Yes. While it’s not recommended, most states allow a business owner to be listed as their own registered agent.

Who else can be the registered agent should I wish to not be my own?

Someone a business owner knows who has a residence in that state can also be listed as the business owner’s registered agent. In order to be someone’s registered agent, they must be aware that they are being listed for this purpose and agree to it.

And last, a client can hire/pay for a registered agent service. These are companies that exist in every state and usually charge a monthly or yearly fee ($40-$60 a year or so).

What about the other address(s) on the filing like the principal place of business? How does the registered agent relate?

The entirety of the business application process requires a total of 3 addresses: a mailing address, the registered agent's address, and the principal place of business address. 

Some registered agent businesses who are paid monthly or yearly to act as such when documents are delivered/served, also offer a service allowing a business to use the same address for the principal place of business.

While the mailing address can be a PO Box or UPS store, most states, including Oregon, require the principal place of business to be a brick and mortar residential or commercial address. Recently, the Oregon Secretary of State has made this more clear: your LLC registration will get rejected if you try to use a UPS Store or other commercial mail receiving agent as your principal place of business.

Can’t I just use the firm address as my principal place of business?

Unfortunately, no.

For your principal business address, you should use an address where you are able to receive mail on a regular basis to monitor important business communications.

It is true that on the Secretary of State website per Oregon’s rules, an attorney or firm’s address can be listed as a principal place of business in addition to the other two addresses described above. https://sos.oregon.gov/business/Pages/business-privacy.aspx
However, our firm does not offer this as a paid service.

Oh - one more thing.

After you register, you will start to get some junk mail. Please read carefully about that mail here.

If you have more questions about the subject of this blog or would like to schedule a no cost 30 minute consult, please complete a submission here.