If you’re planning to form a new LLC in Washington DC, you’ll be happy to know that the process is a lot simpler than most people realize. However, there are several important steps involved—and one such step that’s worth discussing is appointing a Washington DC registered agent for your company.
In the District of Columbia, all LLCs and corporations are required to have a registered agent, and you won’t be able to finish forming your company without one. But what do registered agents do, why is it important to choose the right one, and how do you go about making the appointment? In this article, we’ll go over all of these questions and more to help you fully understand the process of appointing a registered agent for your Washington DC LLC.
A registered agent is someone who is designated to receive legal documents and other important documents sent through the mail on behalf of your company. When government agencies need to send a company documents or notices, they will send them directly to the registered agent on file rather than sending them to the business address. The registered agent is then responsible for processing those documents and then, if necessary, forwarding them to the business owner or other members of the company.
The type of documents that registered agents regularly receive and process include ones like:
LLCs in Washington DC are free to choose either an individual or another business entity to serve as their registered agent. However, there are a few requirements that both businesses and individuals have to meet before they are eligible.
You can choose any individual or business to serve as the registered agent for your Washington DC LLC as long as they meet these requirements:
You can choose anyone (or any business) that meets these requirements to serve as your registered agent, including friends, business associates, or even yourself. However, it’s a good idea to choose who you pick carefully and consider more than just the legal requirements. Registered agents play an important role in keeping businesses running smoothly, and you’ll want to choose one who will ensure that all your company’s important documents are processed correctly and in a timely manner.
Once you’ve decided who you want to appoint as the registered agent for your Washington DC LLC, there are several ways to do it. Before we dive into those methods, though, we need to mention that appointing a registered agent is part of the process of forming an LLC in Washington DC. In fact, you can’t appoint a registered agent without first forming your company, and vice versa.
What this means is that in order to appoint a registered agent, you will need to go ahead and begin the process of filing your LLC with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). We’ll cover the different ways you can do this, and we’ll also explain how you can change your registered agent later on if you wish to do so.
Before you appoint another individual or business entity as your LLC’s registered agent, you’ll need to first obtain their consent to the appointment. And in Washington DC, written consent is required. Whoever you choose as your registered agent will need to sign a Consent to Appointment form, which is submitted to the DCRA as part of the LLC registration process.
Along with being a requirement, obtaining the registered agent’s consent also provides the opportunity to make sure they understand the role and the responsibilities that are required of them.
The easiest way to register your Washington DC LLC and appoint a registered agent (aside from working with an LLC formation service such as Tailor Brands!) is to complete the process online. To register online, start by visiting the DCRA’s CorpOnline portal and creating an account. There, you’ll find the option to form a new LLC and step-by-step instructions on how to complete the process.
Along with submitting various documents and information about your company (including the documents/info necessary for appointing a registered agent), you will also have to pay a $99 filing fee. When filing online, this fee can be paid via credit card, debit card, or electronic check.
If you don’t want to file your LLC and appoint a registered agent online, you can complete the process via mail by downloading the Articles of Organization form from the DCRA website, printing it off, and completing it by hand. Keep in mind that completing the Articles of Organization will also require you to complete and submit supporting documents such as the Consent to Appointment form. Along with being available for download on the DCRA website, you can also request that these forms be sent to you by contacting the department.
Once you’ve completed all the necessary documents, you can mail them to this address:
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations Division
1100 4th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Be sure to also include the $99 filing fee as either a check or a money order.
Choosing a registered agent is a required part of forming a new LLC in Washington DC, but you are also free to change your registered agent at any point. Here’s how:
To change your registered agent online, you can visit the DCRA’s CorpOnline portal. From there, look for the form called RA-3 Statement of Change of Registered Agent. Complete the form by providing details about your new registered agent, submit it, and pay the $50 fee.
To change your registered agent by mail, you’ll need to either print or request the RA-3 Statement of Change of Registered Agent form, fill it out, and mail it to this address:
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations Division
PO Box 92300
Washington, DC 20090
You’ll also need to include the $50 filing fee as either a check or money order.
If you wish to change your registered agent in-person, complete the RA-3 Statement of Change of Registered Agent form and deliver it to the DCRA office at this address:
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations Division
1100 4th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Yes, the short answer is that business owners in Washington DC are allowed to appoint themselves as their company’s registered agent. However, there are a few reasons this isn’t always advisable. For one, acting as your own registered agent will require you to shoulder even more responsibilities as a business owner and may make it more likely that you miss important documents and notices. Acting as your own registered agent also creates privacy concerns, as it means that business mail will be delivered to your personal address and that your address will be available to the public.
If you want to appoint a registered agent the easy way and also ensure that you receive reliable, expert services, using a registered agent service such as the one offered by Tailor Brands is a great option to check out. At Tailor Brands, we offer comprehensive registered agent services that include document processing, an online portal for viewing your documents, document forwarding, document storage, and document destruction.
When you work with trusted registered agent service, you can look forward to benefits like:
Using a registered agent service ensures that all the important mail sent to your business is received and processed in a timely manner without any errors. Given the many issues that can result from missed or misplaced documents, this offers business owners a lot of peace of mind.
Registered agent services are highly experienced at what they do, and they are able to perform their responsibilities in a way that is completely compliant with all laws and regulations.
If you appoint yourself as your company’s registered agent, you’ll be required to be available to receive mail at a single location during normal business hours. Using a registered agent service frees you up to travel and work remotely, and it also allows you to view your business mail online from any location.
A registered agent service takes on all the responsibility of processing and managing mailed documents, reducing the amount of paperwork you have to handle as the business owner.
When forming a new company in Washington DC, appointing a registered agent is a key part of the process. Thankfully, we at Tailor Brands make the endite process of registering your Washington DC LLC quick and easy!
We’ll file your LLC on your behalf to ensure everything is done quickly and correctly, and our registered agent services are a great choice if you want to easily appoint a reliable registered agent for your company. Contact us to learn more about these services and how Tailor Brands can help position your new company for success!
In Washington DC, all LLCs and corporations are required to have an active registered agent. If your company doesn’t have one, you run the risk of incurring fines and other penalties.
No, having a registered agent is only required for formal business entities like LLCs and corporations. If you are acting as a sole proprietor, you are not required to appoint one.
The cost of a registered agent service in Washington DC typically ranges from $50 to $300 per year, depending on the provider and the specific package that you choose.
This portion of our website is for informational or educational purposes only. Tailor Brands is not a law firm, and the information on this website does not constitute legal advice. All statements, opinions, recommendations, and conclusions are solely the expression of the author and provided on an as-is basis. Accordingly, Tailor Brands is not responsible for the information and/or its accuracy or completeness. It also does not indicate any affiliation between Tailor Brands and any other brands, services or logos on this page.
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