A Virginia Registered Agent plays a crucial role in handling legal notifications and official correspondence for your business—discover the significance of having a reliable Registered Agent to ensure your company's smooth operations.
Having a registered agent is required by law when forming a limited liability company (LLC) in Virginia. But what, exactly, is a registered agent? Below we’ll explain what the registered agent is, their duties, and the requirements to be one.
A registered agent is an individual or business that is designated by the owners (members) of an LLC to receive important legal documents on behalf of the company. This position is crucial to ensure that the correct people within an LLC are notified in person when there are time-sensitive events, such as service of process for lawsuits. The agent also receives important notices from the state, such as garnishment notices against employees, notices of the annual report due dates, and tax notifications.
According to Virginia law (Va. Code Ann. § 13.1-1015(A)), an LLC must continuously maintain a registered office (which may be the same as any of its places of business) and registered agent in Virginia. The registered agent may be:
An LLC may not be its own registered agent.
Although it may seem like the easiest and cheapest option is to be your own registered agent, there are some compelling reasons to use a registered agent service instead, such as:
You must name your registered agent when you complete the official paperwork with the state to form your LLC, so you need to decide who your registered agent or registered agent service will be before beginning that process. Of course, you need to inform whomever you’re appointing and get their permission before appointing them.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
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