It’s time to start thinking about who will be acting as your registered agent in the event that you can’t make it happen yourself. You’ll need to do some paperwork to change the current registered agent in Florida.
Well, paperwork is not always scary. This article will help you correctly change your registered agent without any trouble.
A registered agent is a person or entity designated by your business to receive service of process, state correspondence, and receiving or sending important business mails. Depending on the state, a registered agent may also be known as:
For an LLC in Florida, regardless of whether you choose the DIY method or hire a company, you need to file the certificate of change of registered agent. To change your registered agent mentioned in your Article of Organization, you file a change of registered agent or registered office form with the secretary of state.
However, before you file your application to change your registered agent in Florida, you must be sure that your registered agent is:
Among hundreds of companies providing registered agent services for your LLC in Florida across all states, we bring the top 2 registered agent services for you here i.e. ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent, which are far better alternatives of LegalZoom.
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You can change your registered agent or the address of the registered office by filing the Statement of Change with the Florida Department of State through the mail.
Download the relevant form to change the registered agent or registered office by your entity type:
After downloading the relevant form, complete the form by following the steps given below:
For Corporation and Nonprofit:
Amendment Section
Division of Corporations
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
For LLC, LP, and LLP:
Registration Section
Division of Corporations
P.O. Box 6327
Tallahassee, FL 32314
Important Note: If you are close to the filing deadline for the Florida Annual Report of your business, you can change your registered agent or the address of the registered office without extra filing. To know more about Florida annual report, read this article.
For tracking the processing times, check the Florida Department of State website.
If filing a change of registered agent via articles of amendment is more convenient, you first need to download the relevant form from the Florida Department of State website. Fill it out with your correct information on your computer and ask your new registered agent to sign the document.
Important Note: Though you can choose to change your registered agent through articles of amendment, we do not recommend this route because it is more complicated than filing via Statement of Change.
File the Florida Articles of Amendment for your business to change your registered agent using the following forms:
The state of Florida charges you $25 for LLCs, $35 for corporations, LPs, and LLPs to process your Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent. You can pay this fee by check. Read the payment page of the change form for complete instructions.
To change your Florida registered agent, you will need to type in the following information on the change of registered agent or registered office by entity type form:
In business, nothing is permanent, nor does everything hold for forever. With changing situations and circumstances, you update and revise your decisions. The same goes with the registered agent.
For instance, you may have appointed your attorney or CPA as your registered agent. Now you wish to change your attorney or CPA, so you would also want to change the registered agent. Some of the common reasons to change your registered agent could be:
All business owners in Florida can be their own registered agents. So, whether you are running an LLC or operating your business as a corporation, you can designate yourself to accept service of process and official notices for your business.
You can switch registered agents at any time. When you are ready to make a change, cancel the previous registered agent service and hire a new one. Then file the appropriate paperwork (change of registered agent form) with your state. However, most states require a fee to process your change of registered agent document.
Yes, many reputable LLC services such as ZenBusiness, IncFile, etc provide 1-year free registered agent services after incorporating your business with them. For example, ZenBusiness in its basic package of $39 files your article of organization and provides a free registered agent for one year. Whereas as a standalone service, registered agent service cost you $99.
File a Change of Registered Agent form with the Florida Secretary of State, and you’ll be able to change your registered agent for $25 to $35. You just need to fill in the correct information, including the name of the previous registered agent, the name and address of the new registered agent, your business name and I.D. number, etc.
Registered agents are a must for any formal business in Florida. So whether you have an LLC, LLP, or corporation, you need to designate a registered agent for state correspondence. If you’re not sure what a registered agent’s role is and do you need one, read our article on What is a Registered Agent? Be Your Own or Hire a Service to help your company operate smoothly.
Registered agents ensure that critical legal and other documents, such as subpoenas or regulatory notices, are delivered to you without any delay. They help your business remain compliant and up-to-date by delivering all necessary paperwork. They are responsible for accepting official correspondence on behalf of the company, such as tax forms, legal notices, and business mails.
Aisha Noreen is an owner of a small business with more than 9 years of experience in the marketing industry. With the wisdom of an old soul, she always seeks innovation and mind-blowing ROI techniques. Her unique approach helped many small businesses thrive and she can surprise you in many ways as well. Believe it or not, her energy, passion, and creativity are contagious enough to transform your business and take it to another level.