Nebraska is a Midwestern state that's located within the Great Plains. While the population isn't large compared to other states, metropolitan areas like Lincoln are growing rapidly. This makes Nebraska a unique place to start an LLC.
Establishing an LLC in Nebraska presents an opportunity because you can be one of the first LLCs in your market. That said, there are some rules you need to follow when starting your LLC. One of the most important rules is that you need a registered agent. Registered agents are people or entities who serve as the point of contact between your LLC and the state.
If you're looking to start an LLC in Nebraska or if you already have one, you're in the right place. We're going to take you through everything you need to know about registered agents in Nebraska. We'll explain who and what they are, how registered agents help your LLC, and which registered agents are the best.
Read on to learn everything you need for your registered agent needs.
What Is a Nebraska Registered Agent?
Registered agents have many duties for LLCs, but the most important task is serving as the point of communication between the state and your business. The registered agent needs to be available to receive documents, handle the legal process, or respond to correspondence. This makes the registered agent an important part of an LLC, but many LLC owners fail to delegate the role. We always recommend working with a professional registered agent service, and we'll have more on that for you down below.
Here are some of the most common things that registered agents in Nebraska need to do:
- Filing reports on time with the state of Nebraska
- Keep LLCs in good standing based on Nebraska laws
- Manage the legal process and recovering lawsuit paperwork on behalf of the LLC
- Getting paperwork for liens and other financial documents
- Data management (storage, sending, receiving)
These are the basic tasks that any registered agent must handle. While these are the basic tasks, some third-party registered agent services can do more.
Can the Owner Be the Registered Agent in Nebraska?
In Nebraska, LLC owners may appoint themselves to act as their own registered agent to their company. People who work within the LLC or other acquaintances may also be appointed registered agent. All someone or another company needs is a primary physical address located within Nebraska (not a post office box).
However, while it's tempting for LLC owners to act as their own registered agent, it's typically best to work with a third party.
Why Do Businesses Need a Registered Agent in Nebraska?
In Nebraska, an LLC is required to have a registered agent by law. An LLC is subject to legal fees, fines, and even penalties without a registered agent. That said, an LLC also needs a registered agent to serve as the point of contact between the state of Nebraska and the LLC. While the state requires you to have a registered agent, LLCs can benefit from registered agents in other ways, especially if you work with a third-party service.
Privacy
One of the most important things to consider about choosing a registered agent is privacy. While you can choose to be your LLC's registered agent, it's almost always better to work with a professional. Working with a professional service provides you with privacy and security because you don't have to list your personal information publically, which means you can keep your work and business address separate.
That said, privacy is important for other reasons. Another reason is that the legal process isn't always private. It's best to have a registered agent service handle legal paperwork instead of your friends, yourself, or even your family; that's paperwork they don't need to see. Moreover, privacy is important for keeping people who serve court papers out of your office or storefront.
Legal Process
Working with a registered agent service as opposed to being the registered agent yourself helps with the legal process. The legal process covers everything like legal documents, lawsuits, handling financial documents, and managing liens and other important documents. Working with a registered agent service makes it easier to handle the legal process and keeps it away from taking place inside your LLC.
Registered agent services can also help you avoid fees that can happen within the legal process. This is because not filing documents on time can lead to penalties that cost you or your company money. It's also best to use a registered agent for advice on how to oversee legal issues.
Flexibility
Flexibility is a precious commodity when you're the owner of an LLC. While you have to focus on your company, taking on additional registered agent duties can make it hard to have free time, take vacations, or take time off in general. This is because registered agents need to be available during normal business hours on all days, excluding holidays.
When you employ a registered agent service, you get flexibility. You won't have to worry about deadlines or being available at all times because the service will handle that for you. Professional services give you flexibility by removing potential responsibilities that come with being a registered agent.
Compliance
Remaining compliant in Nebraska is important. The state has several deadlines for things like annual reports, tax filing, and general reporting. When companies fail to remain compliant, it leads to issues and penalties that can cost a lot of money. Some fees in Nebraska are over $100, and you can have more than one fee if you're out of compliance or missing a license.
Working with a registered agent service is beneficial because they make compliance easy. You don't have to worry about filing dates or penalties because registered agent services take care of those things for you.
Data Storage
Storing data is hard enough as an LLC. Staying organized and keeping your data separate from state documents makes it easier to have the information handy when it's needed. If you're the owner of an LLC and also the registered agent, this is challenging because your data and correspondence will be going to the same place.
Data storage from registered agent services is better than most traditional forms of data storage. This is because all reputable registered agent services use cloud-based storage options. Cloud-based storage solutions make it easier to store more data, send data faster, and hold documents for extended periods.
It's tempting to become the registered agent of your LLC. However, working with a registered agent service makes the process easier and takes responsibilities away from the LLC owner. This ultimately gives you more time to focus on your company.
What To Look for When Choosing a Nebraska Registered Agent
Knowing why a registered agent can help your company is the first step in choosing a registered agent. Now that you know what to look for, it's time to learn about how some registered agent choices are better than others. While several factors play into the strength of a registered agent, it comes down to three things:
- Professional service
- Value
- Data management
While there are more things to consider if a registered agent checks the boxes for these three areas you can rest easy knowing you made the right choice.
Professional Service
First and foremost, we want to focus on professional services. There are several registered agent options you can choose from. You can choose yourself, a friend, or even a family member. That said, it's typically always best to choose a professional service. These registered agent services can help you start your LLC and help you with additional LLC services.
Still, you can't settle on any professional service you come across. There are several things you need to consider. These include customer service, website interface, data storage options, national coverage, and professional reviews. Only when a registered agent service checks all of those boxes should you consider them professional.
Value
Another thing to consider is the value that a registered agent service offers. Registered agent services offer value in many ways, but one of the most common methods is providing multiple packages to choose from. Registered agent services have several pricing levels that include unique services alongside registered agent services.
While these packages vary in cost, some companies let you customize your experience. You should look for a registered agent company that has several package options within your budget. This will help you upgrade packages and services based on your needs as your company grows. Value also consists of customer service, overall cost, and how well the company serves you.
Data Management
The last factor to consider is data management. Data management is important for several reasons. First and foremost, storing data keeps it safe and organized. This makes it easier to reach deadlines and provides the state of Nebraska with information if they need it. Another thing that's important about data management is how much info can be stored and how fast it can be sent.
You want to work with a registered agent service that uses cloud storage for these reasons. Cloud-based storage is the fastest type of data storage (as of now), and it has the highest level of storage. With cloud-based storage, you don't have to worry about missing deadlines, needing to make room for more files, or slow speeds.
When a registered agent service can do these three things well, they're a good choice.
How Much Do Nebraska Registered Agents Cost?
Registered agents vary in price based on your state, needs, and choices. Therefore, calculating the cost of a Nebraska registered agent is tricky. In order to do this, you need to include who the registered agent is, if it's a third-party service, and what that third-party service offers.
That said, the basic cost for a registered agent in Nebraska is about $50 per year. This includes base package options from registered agent services. While this is the base rate, some registered agent services offer packages that come with more support for your LLC. For example, some companies use cloud-based storage, which makes sending and receiving data hassle-free. Keep in mind, these services cost extra and can cost up to $1,000 per year. Some registered agent services can also help you with tax filing and accounting.
On the other hand, you can always choose to be your own registered agent or choose someone within the company. Going this route is the cheapest and doesn't cost any money. The downside is that friends and business don't mix well, and being the owner of an LLC and the registered agent is overwhelming. Plus, if you miss important deadlines, you'll have to pay money in fines anyway.
While the cost of registered agent services in Nebraska varies, it's almost always worth it to work with a professional company.
What's the Best Registered Agent Service in Nebraska?
If you're shopping for a registered agent in Nebraska, there are a few options. That said, the best option is ZenBusiness. Like the name of the company implies, ZenBusiness makes owning an LLC hassle-free but helps out with small things like registered agent services. ZenBusiness has locations in all 50 states and can be used as your registered agent in Nebraska.
What sets ZenBusiness apart from other companies is the packages ZenBusiness offers. ZenBusiness provides you with many customization options. For example, you can choose to expand your basic registered agent package to include tax filing, accounting, and other important LLC tasks. ZenBusiness also uses cloud-based storage at every level, and their customer service is second-to-none.
ZenBusiness is also successful because of its national reputation and affordable pricing. The organization offers a discount for the first year and uses competitive pricing for each upgradeable package. Overall, ZenBusiness is the best when it comes to service, reach, and value.
That's why we wouldn't recommend going with anyone else for your registered agent in Nebraska.
To learn more about other registered agent services and ZenBusiness, read our in-depth guide
here.
