What Is A Commercial Registered Office Provider

Earlier filing an LLC Document of System with the Pennsylvania Agency of Corporations, you demand to select a Registered Office Accost for your LLC.

A Registered Office Address is a street address located within the state of Pennsylvania where Service of Procedure (legal documents) can be delivered in the outcome of a lawsuit.

In Pennsylvania, the Registered Part Address also serves as a general bespeak of contact for receiving business organization and tax notices, payment reminders, and other documents from the Land.

The Registered Office Address yous use must be a street address located in Pennsylvania. You cannot utilise a PO Box accost.

Different most states that require your LLC to list the proper noun of a Registered Agent, Pennsylvania is unique in that it only requires y'all to list the address of the Registered Amanuensis (known as the Registered Role). For simplicity, throughout this lesson, we will employ the terms "Registered Agent" and "Registered Role" interchangeably.

Someone at the Registered Office Accost (technically the LLC's Registered Amanuensis) needs to be bachelor during normal business concern hours of nine:00am to 5:00pm, in case Service of Procedure for your LLC arrives.

Service of Process can include the delivery of legal documents such as complaints, summons, and/or subpoenas.

It's important to note, that the Registered Office Address on file becomes a part of the public tape. Many people who prefer privacy and don't desire their habitation or office address listed publicly, choose to hire a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP). In most states, this is known every bit a Commercial Registered Agent.

Special offer: If you hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), they'll include their Registered Agent service free for the 1st twelvemonth.

Who Can Be Your Registered Agent/Registered Office in Pennsylvania?

When forming an LLC in Pennsylvania, y'all have iii options for the address you lot can use every bit your Registered Office Address:

Option 1: Yous can utilise your dwelling house or part address.

Option ii: You tin use the address of a friend or family fellow member.

Option 3: Yous tin rent a Commercial Registered Office Provider, also known as a Commercial Registered Agent.

How Do I Know Which I to Choose?

• If you accept a street address located in Pennsylvania (such every bit a habitation or office), and are available during business hours, you tin can use your accost every bit the LLC'due south Registered Function Address.

• If yous don't take a street address in Pennsylvania, you lot can apply a friend or family unit member'south accost. They need to accept a street accost in Pennsylvania and exist available during business hours.

• If you lot don't take a street accost in Pennsylvania, and you don't have a friend or family member's address that you can use (or prefer not to), you tin rent a Commercial Registered Function Provider (Crop).

Using a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP) offers more privacy (keeps your address off public records) and is a more reliable setup for almost people.

Reminder: Most states refer to a Commercial Registered Office Provider as a Commercial Registered Agent, but they are basically i and the same.

Commercial Registered Role Providers (CROPs) in Pennsylvania

A Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP) is a company that specializes in receiving Service of Process on behalf of your Pennsylvania LLC. Companies charge anywhere from $100-$300 per year.

Once hired, they will receive Service of Procedure on behalf of your Pennsylvania LLC and then forrard it to y'all past mail at any address you'd like. About will also scan and email your documents.

If y'all need to rent a Commercial Registered Office Provider in Pennsylvania, nosotros recommend Northwest Registered Agent ($125 per year).

Why we recommend Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Amanuensis is our personal recommendation (and the service we apply ourselves) because they've been in business for over 20 years, have great customer service, and they let you use their accost in your entire LLC filing in order to proceed your address off public record.

How to keep your address off public records:

Many filers in Pennsylvania start businesses from their dwelling house. For this reason, it's of import to know that all addresses that are on your LLC'due south Certificate of Organization get listed on public record and may announced in google searches.

If y'all were thinking of using your habitation address, just would rather keep it off public records, you can hire a Commercial Registered Office Provider (aka Ingather or Commercial Registered Agent) that volition allow you to use their accost throughout your Certificate of Arrangement. Northwest Registered Agent offers this unique service at no additional price. They offering Registered Agent services for $125 per year and they'll let you use their accost throughout your Certificate of Organization.

Any mail that is sent to your LLC will exist scanned by them and uploaded into your online account.

Special discounted pricing for LLC Academy® readers

Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to form an LLC. Nonetheless, we've negotiated a discounted charge per unit (sixty% off) for LLC University® readers.

Are there risks if you, a friend, or family member are your Pennsylvania LLC's Registered Agent?

In short, there are some risks. They are not likely to occur, simply if they exercise, y'all could lose your liability protection. For example, if the land is unsuccessful in reaching your LLC's Registered Amanuensis, you may lose your expert standing status, and the state has the authority to close down your Pennsylvania LLC.

Additionally, if a procedure server is unsuccessful in reaching your LLC's Registered Amanuensis most a lawsuit (they'll try a few times), a court case can proceed in your absence and you might non even know about it. Worse, the court could enter a default judgment confronting your LLC if you aren't there to defend yourself.

A few reasons a procedure server might not be able to reach your LLC'south Registered Agent:

you, your friend, or family member are not in that location during business hours
you/they are on vacation
y'all/they moved and you lot forgot to file a Alter of Registered Agent/Office Address with the state

Hiring a Commercial Registered Part Provider (CROP) is a more than reliable setup and gives you the freedom to have vacations and non worry most changing your Registered Office Address with the country if yous move.

Our recommendation: Northwest Registered Agent ($125 per year).

Here is a video on how to sign upwards for their services:

LLC Registered Amanuensis - Northwest Registered Agent

Next Step

Once you decide the accost you volition use for your Pennsylvania LLC's Registered Office, you can then proceed to the next Lesson: Pennsylvania LLC Document of Arrangement.

If you need to hire a Commercial Registered Office Provider in Pennsylvania, please do so before going to the next step.

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading good on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed unproblematic and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited past Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.

Matt holds a Available's Caste in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business police. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.