Registered Agent Services for Texas

Registered Agent Services for Texas

Every Corporation or LLC in Texas is required to have a Texas Registered Agent. This Agent receives service of process and official state correspondence on behalf of the company, and has to meet specific qualification and follow certain processes. Failure to have an appropriate Registered Agent in Texas will lead to significant legal consequences and can also result in fines.

Understanding Texas Registered Agents

A Registered Agent in Texas has to meet all state and statutory requirements in order to qualify as a valid Registered Agent. If a valid Registered Agent is not on file, the state can revoke your LLC or Corporate standing and may also apply additional financial penalties.

Requirements

A Texas Registered Agent must be an individual or entity with a physical address in Texas. A company can name itself as its own Registered Agent. The following other qualifications also apply:

• A Registered Agent in Texas must be an entity to whom the state can serve any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the company, corporation, or LLC.
• The Agent's registered office must be a physical address in Texas where the Texas Registered Agent can be served with process during business hours. The office is also where the state will mail necessary correspondence. The registered office cannot be a P.O. Box, commercial mail service, or commercial message service.
• Registered Agents designated after January 1, 2010 must have consented to serve in that capacity using a written or electronic form developed by the Secretary of State.

Most companies don't spend very much time searching for a Registered Agent or choosing a Texas Registered Agent Service because they don't expect to be involved in any legal action that would require paperwork to be served. However, it's important to remember that lawsuits are not the only type of paperwork involved in a service of process. Also included are:

• Subpoenas for records
• Wage garnishments
• Official State correspondence and other business requests

Deciding on a Texas Registered Agent

It can be tempting to simply designate an executive in your company, or even the company itself, as a Registered Agent. However, there are pitfalls to consider when doing so.

The first concern would be privacy. The physical address of the Registered Agent must be listed with the state and would be a matter of public record. While you can solve this by simply using your business' physical address, there are reasons you may not want this physical address available to customers. Even if you do have a public listing of your company's address, consider how it would look to customers and those who walk past your physical address if a sheriff or other official arrived to serve papers. Even if no lawsuit is involved, observers will make negative assumptions.

Another thing to consider is reliability. You will need to make sure that someone is available at all times during business hours to receive any needed paperwork. If you choose an executive or other individual, you run the chance that if they are on vacation or ill, the delivery will be denied, risking repercussions from the state. If you designate the company itself, anyone receiving the paperwork will have to prove they represent your company before a delivery can be made, which can be a headache itself.

Due to these considerations, many companies choose to use a Texas Registered Agent Service, such as incorporate.com. incorporate.com is licensed to act as a Registered Agent in Texas and your paperwork will be received professionally and without interruption. Your LLC or Corporation can rely on us to forward your documents to you discreetly, promptly, and affordably.

Furthermore, companies who choose to use incorporate.com as a Texas Registered Agent Service will also receive complementary enrollment in our $50,000 Corporate Veil Guarantee and access to our Compliance Watch® online compliance management tool. With incorporate.com on your team, you can relax and know that all of your Texas Registered Agent needs will be met.