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Arizona Registered Agent: If you wish to start an Arizona LLC, you have to appoint a registered agent. According to Arizona State Law, it is mandatory to have an Arizona Registered Agent if you are conducting business in the state. A registered agent receives all the official and legal documents from the State. They also receive the service of process if there’s any lawsuit in concern.
In the following guide, we have shared all the required information regarding hiring a registered agent, why you need a registered agent in Arizona, and who can be a registered agent for your LLC. Read this guide carefully before you hire an Arizona Registered Agent.
On this page, you’ll learn about the following:
What is an Arizona Registered Agent
A registered agent (or a statutory agent or a resident agent) in Arizona is an individual or a business that represents your business in receiving official documents. These official papers include formation documents, business renewal documents, tax filing, and any legal document if the LLC gets sued by other companies. All these documents go straight to the registered agent’s official address in the state. While forming an LLC, it is mandatory to appoint a registered agent.
When you file the Arizona LLC formation papers with the Secretary of State, LLCs have to mention their registered agent’s name and address. When you choose a registered agent in Arizona, you can go for two options, hiring an in-house registered agent or outsourcing the service.
Note: In Arizona, a registered agent is called a Statutory Agent. The Statutory Agent is an individual or a business that receives all the legal and state-related documents for your Arizona LLC. An LLC must maintain a Statutory Agent till the LLC shuts down or gets dissolved. In Arizona, the requirements and duties of a Statutory Agent can be found in the Arizona Statutes Section 29-604.
Hiring a Registered Agent in Arizona
You may have several options for hiring a registered agent in Arizona. To become a registered agent, one has to meet the basic eligibility criteria. If the minimum requirements are fulfilled, anyone residing in Arizona can represent your LLC as your registered agent.
Who Can Be a Registered Agent
- The person must be above 18 years old.
- The person must have a legal and physical address in the state where the LLC will operate.
- The person must be physically present during normal working hours.
- Anyone who fulfills the above requirements can act as a registered agent.
- Recommended – You should use a professional registered agent in Arizona always.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent
Yes, you can be your own registered agent. In fact, any member of the LLC, managers, and the owner can be a registered agent. Besides, someone from the owners’ family, such as a spouse, relatives, or other family members, can also act as a registered agent. As mentioned above, anyone who is representing the business as an agent should fulfill the basic criteria.
Why You Shouldn’t Be Your Own Registered Agent
Many small businesses do not hire a registered agent to save a chunk of money. However, it is not recommended to be your own registered agent. There are a bunch of problems one has to face while being a registered agent of his own LLC. Following are some of the issues you face,
- If you are operating your business from home or you are into web business, then your home address will be shared on the public portal. This address will be used for mailing and other official purposes. This will hamper your privacy.
- A registered agent has to be physically available at the official address during working hours on working days for 52 weeks. Being your own registered agent might restrict your other work due to this.
- The registered agent’s address must be up to date in the Secretary of State portal.
It is recommended to outsource the registered agent service to ease your work as it protects your privacy, especially if you conduct your business from home. It is always wise to outsource the RA service than be your own registered agent.
Recommended: You can get the best registered agent service at a reasonable price with online LLC service providers. We recommend using –
LegalZoom – $299 Per Year
How to Choose a Registered Agent in Arizona
You can choose an Arizona Registered Agent in two ways, either you can employ an in-house RA or outsource the service. Another option is to be your own registered agent. However, it is recommended to outsource the service as it is less worrisome and hassle-free.
In-house Registered Agent
As far as the in-house registered agent is concerned, it can be anyone from the LLC, including you, or you can employ an individual for this position. In that case, your office or home address will be the Registered Agent’s office address. Every LLC has to share its principal office address, mailing address, and registered agent’s office address to the state public portal. Hiring a registered agent service will make it easier as you can use the RA’s address as a mailing address.
Outsourcing Registered Agent Service
You may also avail yourself of professional registered agent services. Doing so ensures that you will have the best service provider to represent your business. Following are the best Registered Agent services on our list that will provide you with registered agents to ease your worries.
LLC Service | Our Rating & Pricing | Top Features | Learn More |
#1 TOP PICK  | $99 Per Year |
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 | $125 Per Year |
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Note that availing of the services of professional registered agents would be your best option since you are guaranteed that whoever is handling your legal affairs knows their stuff well. If you are forming your LLC from scratch, then with LegalZoom Registered Agent, you will get the full formation package.
What to Consider While Choosing an Arizona Registered Agent
Here are some factors to consider when choosing a registered agent.
- Service Fee: Since most states require formal businesses to have registered agents, selecting the best-registered agent is critical. Hiring a registered agent typically costs between $99 and $300 annually. When you consider how much time it will save you, this is a small price to pay.
- Tenure in Business of Registered Agent: You want the registered agent to have established and time-tested procedures for handling documents. We recommend Registered Agent Services that have been in business for a long time. They are experienced and well capable of handling all your documentation.
- State Jurisdiction Limitation: If your company expands to another state, you should use the same registered agent in all states to reduce the administrative burden of dealing with multiple registered agent service providers. Check out the best Registered Agent Services to consider for this job.
- Offer Monitoring and Follow-up Services: You want to receive up-to-date information and alerts from your registered agent as soon as possible so that you are aware of the various statutes, rules, and regulations that apply to your company. Some of the service providers offer this service. Make sure to choose an RA service that includes this service.
How to Appoint a Registered Agent in Arizona
At the time of submitting the Arizona Articles of Organization, the registered agent can be appointed by the LLC. It can be done online or by mail. No additional fee is charged for appointing a Registered Agent. Only the state filing fee should be paid.
Appoint Registered Agent Online
To appoint a registered agent online, you have to go to the Arizona LLC Online Filing page and provide the information of your Registered Agent accordingly.
Appoint Registered Agent By Mail
To appoint a registered agent in Arizona by mail, you need to download the Arizona LLC filing form (PDF). Fill up the “Registered Agent” section with appropriate details of the agent and submit it to the SOS office, along with the Registered Agent Acceptance Letter. For more information, read on Arizona Articles of Organization.
Cost of an Arizona Registered Agent
The cost of having a registered agent can be variable. It depends on whether you are employing an in-house registered agent, being your own agent, or outsourcing the service. The cost of having a registered agent can start from $99 and go up to $300 per year. It will be cost-effective if you outsource the registered agent service in Arizona.
Registered Agent services that also provide LLC formation packages can provide the same service at a lower price. For example, LegalZoom offers standalone registered agent service at $299 per year, but if you buy their LLC formation package at $0 + state fees, you might get a registered agent at a low cost.
How to Change a Registered Agent in Arizona
To change the Arizona registered agent, you must file a Change of registered agent or office by entity form. This form can be submitted to the Arizona Secretary of State via mail or in person. Read more on how to change a registered agent in Arizona.
File By Mail
You can also choose to file the form through the mail. You need to download the Change of registered agent or office by entity form from the Arizona Secretary of State’s portal. Fill in all the details on your computer. The completed form is to be signed by the newly appointed registered agent. The duly signed form must be sent to the following address, along with a Cover Sheet and registered agent acceptance letter,
Mail to: Arizona Corporation Commission
Corporations Division – Examination Section
1300 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Fee: $5
How to Pay: The filing amount is payable to the Arizona secretary of state through a credit card when filing online/by email. For paper filing, you can choose to pay through money order or check.
Registered Agent Consent Application
In Arizona, the registered agent (Statutory agent) has to sign a consent letter confirming consent to being Appointeded in writing. This consent must include the following details,
- LLC name
- Name of the registered agent
- Signature of the registered agent
- Whether the registered agent is an individual or a business
This consent letter assures that the Registered Agent has given his nod to serve as an Agent. This letter is required to avoid any future discrepancy between the Registered Agent and LLC. The Acceptance of Consent can be filed and sent to the address, Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division – Examination Section, 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. It does not cost anything. One can file it for free.
Why Do LLCs in Arizona Need a Registered Agent Service
There are several reasons why a business should appoint a registered agent in Arizona. Some of the most important reasons are listed below,
- Confidentiality: Having a registered agent service in Arizona ensures the complete privacy of your business and related documentation. Appointing a registered agent company instead of an individual gets you privacy and confidentiality contracts beforehand.
- Up-to-date Compliance: LLCs and corporates have plenty of paperwork and compliances that are to be updated on time. With a registered agent service, you don’t have to worry about those compliances, as your registered agent will maintain a compliance calendar.
- Privacy: It is mandatory for businesses in Arizona to publicly upload their address to the Arizona Secretary of State. If you are using the home address for your business, then it would not be safe to make your private address public. On the other side, appointing a registered agent service will cover you up here as they have to provide their address to the Arizona SOS and not yours.
- Availability: Every registered agent has to be available during office hours of work on business days. If you hire a registered agent service, then they can be available at the required time without harming other tasks at the company.
- Online Safe Backup: Every registered agent in Arizona or any other state usually takes online backup of all the documents and paperwork. This ensures the LLC papers are securely saved in a central system.
- Lawsuits or Summons: Getting summoned or involved in a lawsuit does not leave a good impression on the employees. With a registered agent, all the related papers will be delivered to the Registered Agent’s official address. Hence, owners do not have to receive any such papers in their office in front of their employees.
Arizona Business Laws for Registered Agents to Note
Registered agents are responsible for handling all the business laws and other legal issues related to Arizona LLC. Every state has its own business laws. Arizona is no exception. It has its own set of different business laws to follow. Here are some of the important business laws every business should follow.
Arizona Antitrust Laws
The Antitrust law detects the occurrence of any anti-competitive practices in any open market. When competitors come together and influence the market price and supply in illegal ways, they form a cartel. Cartels are illegal in any market. Antitrust laws enforce strict punishment and penalties against such cartel formation and barrier creation for new entrants in the market. In Arizona, like any other state, there is an Antitrust Law to prevent this.
The State Antitrust laws are significantly in line with the principles of federal laws established under the Sherman Act and Clayton Act. The time span to bring the claim under this law is 4 years in Arizona. A successful plaintiff can recover attorney’s fees as well. The legislations impose a heavy fine and imprisonment in case of an illegal trust or conspiracy in relation to trade or commerce.
Arizona Deceptive Trade Practices Laws
The Arizona State laws aim to protect their residents from unfair business practices. Such practices mislead the consumers into investing in invaluable market products by selling them with twisted statements and lies such as false advertising. Remedies in such cases include civil penalties, damages, Consumer redressal remedies, punitive damages, injunction, and attorney’s fees.
The State of Arizona does not abide by the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, but the state laws prevent any similar false advertising and odometer tampering. Such activities constitute a misdemeanor charge. The remedies are available to a claimant range from subpoena, injunctions, civil damages, and penalties from $10,000 to $25,000.
Arizona Fair Debt Collection Laws
The State of Arizona also extends protection to its consumers by regulating debt collection. It regulates the activities of debt collectors and prohibits them from engaging in any intrusive tactics while collecting money. Arizona also mandates the collection agencies to get duly licensed for conducting such practices.
The registered agents are the ones who take care of these cases and laws for you. They act as a point of contact/communication between your LLC and the State. Hiring a registered agent in the State of Arizona will help you to handle and cope with all these business laws.
FAQ
You can change the registered agent in Arizona. To do so, you need to submit an application form and a fee of $5. Submit the RA change application form to the Secretary of State. It can be done online, by mail to the address Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division – Examination Section 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007, or by fax, whichever provision is available for you.
Anyone who is above 18 years of age and a permanent resident of Arizona can become a registered agent. The person must have a right to conduct business in the state. If these requirements are fulfilled, anyone can become a registered agent.
Anyone who is above the age of 18 and a resident of Arizona can be a registered agent. Any person related to you or non-related to you meeting the requirements can be appointed as a registered agent for your LLC in Arizona.
If you want to change the registered agent’s address, you have to update the new address to the Arizona SOS. To do so, you need to submit the RA Change Form to the Arizona Secretary of State. In the form, update the address section with the new one. You can submit it online, by mail to the address Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division – Examination Section 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007, or by fax, whichever provision is available for you. You may pay a fee for the process.
By visiting the Arizona Secretary of State’s website, you can find a company’s details. Go to the business search option to look for the company. Once you find it, check the registered agent details on the portal.
A registered agent in Arizona is appointed to serve any process or notices on behalf of your company. The registered agent’s office address is used as an official address for such paperwork. Anyone who meets the requirements can be a registered agent in Arizona.
In Arizona, when you file your business with the Arizona Secretary of State, then you must provide the details of the registered agent you hired. You need to enter the name, address, phone number, and date of appointing the registered agent. Once the formation is complete, your registered agent will be registered with the Arizona SOS.
If you want to search for a registered agent’s address in Arizona, you must search through the Arizona SOS. Go to the website, search by the company name, and finally, look for the registered agent details. In the registered agent section, you will find the address and contact information of the registered agent in Arizona.
To find the business name with the help of a registered agent’s name, you must visit the Arizona SOS website. In the search option, you can enter the registered agent’s name to get the business details. You can search for the business there under the search results.
The requirement for a registered agent is the person appointed as a registered agent must be 18 years of age or older and must be a resident of the state. If both criteria are fulfilled, that person can serve as a registered agent in Arizona.
Looking up a registered agent for a corporation in Arizona is easy. You must go to the Arizona Secretary of State’s portal. You can find a business by its name, tax ID, and registered agent’s name. Search a business by its name to get the registered agent information of the corporation.
The resignation process is easy for a registered agent in Arizona. The person has to send a written notice (resignation letter) to the company first. Once the notice is accepted by the company, it has to be sent along with the resignation notice to the Arizona SOS by mail or fax, or online to proceed further.
If you want to update the registered agent in Arizona online, you must visit the official website of the Arizona Secretary of State. You have to submit the RA Change Form online (if available) or by mail to update the registered agent in Arizona.
To get a free registered agent in Arizona, you can do a couple of things. The first thing is you become your own registered agent for your company. The second way is to make someone from your family a registered agent. Finally, if you are hiring a professional Registered Agent, you can look for free service providers.
In Arizona, if you want to research the registered agent, you must visit the Arizona SOS. You can search your business by its name to get the information. Once you get the information about the company, you can research the registered agent, his address, and contact information.
The registered agent form (business formation document) needs to be mailed to the address Arizona Corporation Commission, Corporations Division – Examination Section 1300 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. There is no separate form to appoint the registered agent. A registered agent should be appointed through the formation documents in Arizona.
If you have a business in Arizona, you must have a registered agent. However, if you don’t have one or your registered agent has resigned, then you need to hire/replace another one asap, or you can serve as a registered agent for your company in Arizona.
If your registered agent representing your company dies, then the power given to him gets inactive. Companies in Arizona need to appoint/replace another registered agent through the RA change process. You can change a registered agent by mail, online, or by fax.
It is not 100% confirmed that you can hide a registered agent’s name. Because in Arizona, it is mandatory to have a registered agent’s name and address to be uploaded on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website. If you run an Anonymous LLC, then you can hide owners’ and members’ names from being seen.
You need to call on this number 602-542-6187 in Arizona to get the information about the registered agent. This is the Secretary of State’s office number in Arizona. You might have to wait and follow the caller’s instructions to reach the department you are searching for.
Every registered agent in Arizona has to give their consent before they start representing a business. In some cases, the registered agent has to submit the consent letter separately to the Arizona SOS. Whereas, in some cases, they can only sign the RA change form or the formation documents to send their consent.
In Arizona, a registered agent and a resident agent are the same designations. It is just the name that is different in different states. The process of appointing the registered agent and the resident agent is the same in Arizona.
In Arizona, If consent is not given by the designated person, then the company might have to face legal liabilities. It might be considered a false representation. On the other hand, the un-consented agent can deny any duty assigned to the person.
In Arizona, a company can be sued even when there is no registered agent. The company will receive the legal notice in a different way than usual because there is no registered agent’s office to receive the documents.
An appointed registered agent can reject the designation if they want. In Arizona, you need to sign and submit a statement of rejection to the Arizona SOS. Once the rejection statement is accepted, you can leave the job immediately.
How to Remove a Registered Agent for LLC in Arizona
A registered agent for LLC in Arizona can be removed by submitting a Statement of Change form with Arizona Corporation Commission along with a filing fee of $5.
The process of removing a registered agent in Arizona is relatively straightforward, but it requires attention to detail to ensure that it is done correctly. First and foremost, it is important to review your LLC’s operating agreement to determine if it includes specific instructions on how to remove a registered agent. If there are no specific provisions in the operating agreement, the Arizona Limited Liability Company Act sets out the steps that must be followed.
To remove a registered agent in Arizona, you must file a Statement of Change of Known Place of Business Address or Statutory Agent/Statement of Change (Form M002) with the Arizona Corporation Commission. This form can be submitted online through the Arizona Corporation Commission’s eCorp system or by mail. In the form, you will need to provide details about your LLC, the name and address of the current registered agent, and the name and address of the new registered agent.
It is important to note that you cannot leave your LLC without a registered agent. Therefore, when removing a registered agent, you should simultaneously appoint a new registered agent. This ensures that your LLC remains compliant with Arizona state laws and regulations.
Once you have submitted the required paperwork to the Arizona Corporation Commission, you should notify your current registered agent of the change. The registered agent must sign a Statement of Resignation (Form MA) confirming their resignation and submit it to the Arizona Corporation Commission within 30 days of receiving notice of the change.
Removing a registered agent for an LLC in Arizona may seem like a simple administrative task, but it is important to take the necessary steps to ensure that the process is completed accurately and in compliance with state regulations. Failing to comply with the necessary procedures can result in penalties or legal implications for your LLC.
In conclusion, understanding how to properly remove a registered agent for an LLC in Arizona is essential for maintaining the compliance and operations of your business. By following the necessary steps outlined by the Arizona Limited Liability Company Act and the Arizona Corporation Commission, you can ensure a smooth and efficient transition between registered agents for your LLC.
In Conclusion
Before you choose a registered agent for your Arizona LLC, compare their price and services from the table. They will be responsible for all your documentation, filings, and other LLC-related tasks. Hence, choose the best one for your business that provides 100% accurate service at a reasonable price.