How to Find a Company's Registered Agent

A registered agent (also called a statutory agent, resident agent, or agent for service of process in some states) is a person or business entity designated to receive legal and official documents on behalf of a company. Every LLC, corporation, and limited partnership registered with a US state is required to maintain a registered agent in that state.

The registered agent serves as the company's official point of contact with the state and with anyone who needs to deliver legal papers. Their role is straightforward but critical: they must be available at a physical address during normal business hours to accept documents.

Documents a registered agent receives include:

• Service of process — Lawsuits, summonses, subpoenas, and other legal notices. If someone sues a company, they must "serve" the company by delivering papers to its registered agent.
• State correspondence — Notices from the Secretary of State about annual report deadlines, tax notices, compliance requirements, and administrative actions.
• Official filings — Notification of legal actions, tax liens, or other government correspondence directed at the entity.

The registered agent's name and address are part of the public record and can be found in the state's business entity database. This is by design — the whole point of a registered agent is to ensure there is always a known, reachable contact for the entity.

The registered agent requirement exists primarily to ensure that businesses can always be reached for legal purposes. Without it, a company could theoretically avoid lawsuits by simply not having a known address for service of process.

For legal professionals:

Finding a company's registered agent is often the first step in serving process on that company. Under the rules of civil procedure in most states, service on a registered agent constitutes valid service on the entity. If you are filing a lawsuit against a company, you need the registered agent's name and address to initiate service.

If a company's registered agent has resigned or the address is invalid, the state typically allows service on the Secretary of State as a fallback. However, this process is slower and more complicated, so identifying the current registered agent is always the preferred approach.

For business verification:

The registered agent is one of the data points that helps you evaluate a business. A company that maintains a valid registered agent is more likely to be actively managed and in compliance with state requirements. A company whose registered agent has resigned (and not been replaced) may be on the path to administrative dissolution.

For compliance:

If your company operates in multiple states (as a "foreign" entity), you must maintain a registered agent in each state where you are registered. Failing to do so can result in loss of good standing, inability to file lawsuits in that state, and eventually administrative dissolution of your foreign registration.

There are generally two categories of registered agents:

Individual Registered Agents

An individual — often the business owner, an employee, or an attorney — serves as the registered agent. This is common for small businesses and single-member LLCs. The individual must have a physical address (not a PO Box) in the state where the business is registered and must be available during normal business hours to accept documents.

• Requirements for individual registered agents:
• Must be a resident of the state (in most states) or at least have a physical address there.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be available at the registered address during business hours.
• Must promptly forward received documents to the appropriate people at the company.

Commercial Registered Agent Services

Professional companies that specialize in serving as registered agents for many businesses. These services are widely used — especially by companies registered in states where they do not have a physical office. Major commercial registered agent providers include:

• CT Corporation (Wolters Kluwer) — One of the oldest and largest, serving as agent for many Fortune 500 companies.
• CSC Global (Corporation Service Company) — Another major provider with nationwide coverage.
• Northwest Registered Agent — Popular with small businesses and startups.
• Registered Agents Inc. — Known for competitive pricing.
• LegalZoom — Offers registered agent service as part of their business formation packages.

Using a commercial registered agent is completely standard and does not indicate anything unusual about a business. In fact, it is considered best practice for companies that operate in multiple states or want to keep their personal address off public records.

Registered agent information is part of the public record for every registered business entity. Here is how to find it:

Method 1: State Secretary of State Website

1. Go to the Secretary of State business search for the state where the company is registered.
2. Search for the business by name or filing number.
3. Click into the entity detail page.
4. Look for the "Registered Agent" or "Agent for Service of Process" section.

The level of detail varies by state. Most states show the agent's name and address. Some also show the date the agent was appointed or whether they have resigned.

State-specific examples:

• Florida (Sunbiz): Registered agent name and address are displayed prominently on the entity detail page. Florida also indicates whether the agent has an active or inactive status.
• California: Shows "Agent for Service of Process" — which may be an individual or a corporation. California also notes the agent's address.
• Delaware: Basic registered agent information is available through the free search. Delaware is notable because many companies use Delaware-based registered agent services even if they operate elsewhere.
• Texas: Registered agent information is included in the entity detail on the SOS website.

Method 2: Using the Filed API

The Filed API includes registered agent data as part of every entity record:

curl "https://api.filed.dev/v1/search?q=Coastal+Properties&state=FL" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key"

{
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "fl-L20000234567",
      "name": "COASTAL PROPERTIES GROUP LLC",
      "state": "FL",
      "status": "Active",
      "registered_agent": {
        "name": "James Rivera",
        "address": "789 Palm Blvd, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301"
      }
    }
  ]
}

The API normalizes registered agent data across all supported states, so you get a consistent format regardless of which state the entity is registered in.

Once you find the registered agent information, here is how to interpret it:

Commercial agent service listed: The registered agent is a company like "CT Corporation System" or "Northwest Registered Agent LLC." This is normal and indicates the business is using a professional service. This is very common for companies registered in Delaware, Wyoming, or Nevada.

Individual name matching the business owner: For small businesses and single-member LLCs, it is common for the owner to serve as their own registered agent. The address listed is often a home address. This is not a red flag for small operations.

"Agent Resigned" or no agent listed: This is a concern. If the registered agent has resigned and no replacement has been named, the entity is likely not in compliance with state requirements. This often leads to administrative dissolution. A company without a valid registered agent may be difficult to serve with legal process.

Address is a PO Box: Most states require the registered agent address to be a physical street address, not a PO Box. If you see a PO Box, the registration may not be compliant. However, some states are more lenient than others on this requirement.

The registered agent is in a different state than the business address: This is normal for businesses that use commercial agent services. For example, a business operating in California might be incorporated in Delaware with a Delaware-based registered agent, and separately registered as a foreign entity in California with a California-based agent.

Multiple entities with the same registered agent: Commercial registered agent services are agent for thousands of entities. This is expected. However, if a single individual (not a commercial service) is the registered agent for many unrelated entities, that may indicate a formation agent, attorney, or potentially a pattern worth investigating.

One of the most common reasons to look up a registered agent is to serve legal process on a company. Here is what you need to know:

Valid service on the registered agent = valid service on the entity. In virtually every state, delivering legal papers to the registered agent at the registered address constitutes proper service on the business entity. This is established in each state's business entity statute and rules of civil procedure.

Steps to serve process through a registered agent:

1. Look up the entity's current registered agent and address through the state's business entity database or the Filed API.
2. Verify the agent is still active (not resigned) and the address is current.
3. Arrange service through a process server or sheriff's office, delivering papers to the registered agent at the registered address.
4. File proof of service with the court.

If the registered agent has resigned or cannot be found:

Most states provide an alternative: you can serve the Secretary of State, who will then forward the papers to the entity's last known address. This is sometimes called "service on the Secretary of State as agent" and is governed by each state's statute. However, this method is slower and should be a last resort.

For bulk legal research:

Law firms and legal service companies that need to identify registered agents for many entities can use the Filed API to programmatically retrieve this data instead of searching each state website manually:

# Look up registered agent for a specific entity
curl "https://api.filed.dev/v1/entity/fl-L20000234567" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key"

This returns the full entity record including the registered agent name and address in a structured format suitable for integration into case management systems or service of process workflows.

Businesses can change their registered agent at any time by filing the appropriate form with the Secretary of State. This is relevant context for anyone researching registered agent data:

Why businesses change registered agents:

• Switching to or from a commercial agent service.
• The current agent resigning (agents can resign voluntarily by filing a resignation with the state).
• Changing the agent's address.
• The business relocating to a different state and needing a local agent.

How changes affect public records:

When a registered agent is changed, the state record is updated to reflect the new agent. The previous agent's information may or may not be retained in the filing history, depending on the state. If you are looking up a registered agent for service of process, always use the most current record.

Timing considerations:

There can be a delay between when a change is filed and when it appears in the state's online database. Most states process changes within a few business days, but some may take longer. If you are relying on registered agent data for time-sensitive legal work, verify the information is current.

The Filed API reflects the data as published by each state. When the state updates a record, the API data updates accordingly. For the most time-sensitive use cases, you can also verify directly with the state as a secondary confirmation.