A whole lot goes into starting a business, especially when you go to register with the secretary of state. You have to decide on an official name and which type of business you want to register as. Business owners can easily overlook one detail that can often come back to bite them later. What is that one mistake? In Georgia, we’ve seen far too many businesses fail to list a physical address for their registered agent. In this article, we’ll explain what a registered agent is and what you need to know.
What is a Registered Agent of a Business?
A registered agent for LLC in Georgia is a person who can accept government correspondence and other official mail. This includes lawsuit notices, legal documents, and tax forms on behalf of your LLC. The agent can be either a person who resides in the state or a corporation that is registered to do business in the state of Georgia. Georgia doesn’t limit the type of business that can act as a registered agent. Therefore, the agent can be a corporation, another LLC, a partnership, etc. In Georgia, you can be your registered agent as long as you live at an address where you can physically receive mail.
Why Does a Registered Agent Need a Physical Address?
In Georgia, a person or entity must serve as a registered agent. P.O. boxes are not considered appropriate because they are not physical addresses where a person or entity resides on behalf of the business. If a business is served legal documents or government correspondences where a physical person must receive them and the state finds the registered agent is a PO box, the business could face heavy fines or risk being shut down. This law ensures businesses are receiving notifications properly and helps facilitate due process across businesses in Georgia.
How to Change Your Registered Agent Address
If your registered agent is currently a PO or drop box, we recommend you change it asap. You can change your registered agent by filing an annual registration with the Georgia Secretary of State or you can print a paper form and mail it to the Georgia Corporations Division. It takes time for the change to occur if you mail in your forms, whereas an online submission will be immediate.
Need Support With Your Business’ Register Agent?
If you are a Georgia-based business and want to ensure your business registration passes the legal check, book a strategy session with us here and we’ll support you through the process.
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