Connecticut Registered Agent
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What Is a Connecticut Registered Agent?
A registered agent is a point of contact for a business; they are sometimes called resident agents or statutory agents. This person will receive all communication and notices from the state of Connecticut on the business’s behalf. They will also receive all services of process for the business in the case of a lawsuit. The state of Connecticut requires all formal businesses, whether it be an LLC, corporation, partnership, etc., to have a registered agent. When we say require, we mean it; it is illegal for a business in Connecticut not to have a registered agent. This system ensures that businesses cannot dodge any responsibilities, such as annual reports. Because there is a specified point of contact receiving and notifying businesses of communication, a business cannot pretend it lost or never received such communication. The requirements for registered agents are not strict. In fact, you can be your own registered agent for your business if you want to. You can also have an employee, partner, or trusted friend be your registered agent. Anyone who is over the age of 18 and has a street address can be a registered agent. Of course, some businesses prefer to hire registered agent services, and we’ll talk more in detail about that later.Why Businesses Need a Connecticut Registered Agent
We already mentioned that registered agents are required by law in Connecticut. Beyond that, businesses can benefit from having a registered agent in many ways. We’ll explain the many reasons businesses need registered agents as well as why hiring a registered agent may be more worthwhile than being your own registered agent.Compliance
In order for a company to remain in good standing, it must complete annual reports and other filings. A registered agent will maintain a compliance calendar and remind you when such filings are due. They may also help you file them. It’s important that a company meets these responsibilities by their due dates. If it does not, it may lose certain protections it has, such as limited liability. Similarly, there may be legal consequences, such as fees, that occur if a business does not respond quickly enough to notices of court summons or other service of process. A registered agent will ensure that a business receives these important notifications. They will also send reminders to ensure the business responds in a timely manner and doesn’t miss any deadlines.Privacy
The address of a registered agent becomes public record and can easily be found on the Connecticut Business Registry Search. Because of this, many business owners prefer to hire a registered agent rather than act as their own registered agent. It’s a matter of privacy. Many business owners do not want their personal addresses easily accessible. Not only will business mail be mixed in with personal mail, but their addresses now become easier for junk mailing lists to find. Furthermore, the internet has become intertwined with all aspects of life; most businesses are on social media as a way to market themselves and allow customers to connect with them. This also means that businesses, both big and small, may be subject to cancel culture. Should something go wrong, you definitely wouldn’t want random people having easy access to your home address.Online-Only Businesses
Thanks to the world wide web, businesses no longer need to have a physical building. Many different types of work can be done completely online, and online-only merchandise sellers are part of the norm. We’ve all seen articles about how brick and mortar stores may be facing trouble due to the convenience and lower prices of online marketplaces. If your business is taking advantage of this and is online-only, then it likely does not have a physical address. If you don’t want to use your personal address, then hiring a registered agent solves this problem. All communication from the state will be sent to your registered agent (who will notify you), but your personal address is kept off of public records.Irregular Business Hours
A registered agent needs to be available during regular business hours in order to accept service of process and official notices from the state. For some business owners, this is not realistic. If you work irregular hours and either cannot or do not want to change them to regular business hours, then being your own registered agent likely isn’t going to work out. This is another situation in which hiring a registered agent can be beneficial.Organized Paperwork
A good registered agent does more than just receive important documents and notify you of them. They also organize these documents for you so that they are easy for you to access and peruse. Most registered agents immediately scan and upload official documents to a server where you can access them. If you act as your own registered agent, you could, of course, do this as well. However, organizing different documents can be somewhat time-consuming because you also need to keep track of important due dates. This is why many businesses opt to hire a registered agent. They feel that the cost is well worth the time saved and the peace of mind gained knowing that due dates will not be missed.Locations in Different States
If you have a large business that operates in more than one state, then you need a registered agent in each state. Even if you’re happy to serve as the registered agent for your company, you can’t be in two (or ten) places at once. You will still need to hire registered agents for the other states in which your business operates.What To Look for When Choosing a Connecticut Registered Agent
There are a number of different registered agent services to choose from. Often, you’ll find a registered agent through a company that hires them and connects them with businesses in need.
So how do you choose the right registered agent for your business? We recommend taking into account three main considerations: price, provided services, and time saved.