An Arizona Agent or Arizona Registered Agent Service is required by law for every business entity in the state of Arizona. A registered agent is an individual or business entity that will accept legal papers (documents) on your behalf if it is sued. The registered agent or registered agent service must have a physical street address in Arizona and be available during regular business hours.
In my Arizona Registered Agent guide, I’ll walk you through the detailed process of when you should get a registered agent or registered agent service for your Arizona business, how to pick one, if they are required and how to change one if needed. Typically you’re getting a registered agent when you setup your Arizona LLC. Check out my guide on how to setup a Arizona LLC so you can make sure you’re following all the right steps in the process. If you are just looking for the professional service to help you – use Northwest Registered Agent or ZenBusiness.
Best Arizona Registered Agent Service
ZenBusiness will be the best option for setting up a registered agent service in Arizona. They can also help you with getting your LLC formed so if you’re looking for the best option, check them out today!
One of the best registered agent services you can work with is ZenBusiness. This is my #1 recommendation for your business and they are the top national provider who is going to help you form your business and give you the best value for the price and service.
If you work with them during your LLC formation process, you’re also going to get the first year of your registered agent service included.
If you’d prefer to look around you can find a local Arizona law firm who has these services or potentially do it on your own but that is not recommended.
ZenBusiness is going to have relationships with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office and will operate in Arizona as needed. I have been using a registered agent service in Oregon that I love and there are always going to be options for you that you’ll find but if you’re looking for the best price, value and support that is going to be ZenBusiness whether you’re creating a foreign LLC, domestic LLC or a traditional Limited Liability Company.
What is an Arizona Registered Agent?
An Arizona Registered Agent is no different than any other state that operates and needs registered agents. They are all required to do four primary things for business owners in their state:
- Maintain a physical address in the state of Arizona where legal papers can be served during regular business hours
- Be available to receive service of process during normal business hours in case your company is sued
- Receive and forward important documents and correspondence from the state
- Inform you, as the business owner, of any documents received on your behalf
You’re likely wondering how this process works and if you need a registered agent in the first place. The answer is yes – you will need a registered agent to help you with this because of the coverage you’ll need legally to accept paperwork on your behalf.
Why do I need an Arizona Registered Agent?
The main reason you’ll need an Arizona Registered Agent is for service of process in case your company is sued. If you don’t have a registered agent or someone to accept these papers on your behalf, the court will likely rule against you and garnish your wages or assets.
It’s important to have someone in place who can be your filter for legal documents like this. It’s also important to recognize that you need one because it’s legally required.
If you decide to do this on your own and act as your own registered agent because you’re of the mindset that you can do everything yourself. Typically as a business owner that may come up but remember that the registered agent’s name and registered agent’s address is all on public record through the Arizona Secretary of State’s business name search portal here.
If you think about the ramifications of that, they are pretty large. Your information is going to be searchable throughout the world for your name and home address. Is that something you really want everyone in the world to be able to easily search for?
I highly recommend rethinking this and finding an individual or business entity that can act as your registered agent. I highly recommend thinking about using an Arizona Registered Agent service that will help you with this. If you don’t, you’re going to have your physical mailing address on file at public record and having someone show up with legal documents at your doorstep.
When should I obtain an Arizona Registered Agent?
The best time to obtain a registered agent is at the beginning of your business formation process. If you’re going to be setting up a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a Corporation in Arizona, you’re going to need to have one anyways. I would recommend finding a reputable service like Northwest Registered Agent that can help you with this and get it done as soon as possible.
You’re also going to need to keep track of other items that the registered agent will help you with like annual compliance and reports. These will be critical to keeping your business in good standing with the state of Arizona. There are going to be deadlines you’ll need to follow and the best time to document all this is at the beginning of your LLC formation process.
You will have help from your Arizona registered agent service with this and realize that you are gong to be responsible for making sure this gets done.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent In Arizona?
Yes it is possible to be your own Arizona registered agent like we’ve been talking about but as I’ve been saying it’s not the recommended route. Being your own Arizona registered agent will require you to have your own Arizona registered agent’s name and registered agent’s address in the public record. If you play this out long term and think about the consequences there are some big ones to deal with:
- You’ll need to have a business address that is not a PO Box or your home address
- Accepting legal paperwork on behalf of your business
- Having a physical address in Arizona that is not a virtual mailbox
You’ll have to incur additional costs by having another physical location setup so it’s not your primary home address. The last thing you want to do is use your primary home address as the place of your registered agent’s address.
How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost?
The best news is there are options from a pricing perspective and it ranges from $0 to $300 per year depending on what you want to do. There are services that are ~$100 per year for the service but I always look for the balance here. Typically if you go with Northwest Registered agent you’re going to get the first year included with the business you’ve formed but it can go up to $300 per year depending on the service.
If you want to do this on your own there isn’t any monetary cost except for the filing fee that’s associated to the state but the other costs we’ve talked about are much greater in the long term.
How Do I Elect A Registered Agent In Arizona?
As you’re looking through the Arizona election process for your registered agent, it traditionally starts when you’re incorporating a business with the Arizona Secretary of State’s office.
The first thing you’ll need to do is go find the appropriate paperwork to get filled out and filed in person. You can do most of these things through the web portal on their site too.
I would start with downloading the Statutory Agent information by going through the right documents.
The Statutory Agent Acceptance doc is here (direct PDF link)
Start a new LLC – Statutory Agent details (direct link)
How Do I Change My Registered Agent In Arizona?
The best way to change your registered agent is using the LLC Statement of Change of Principal Address or Statutory Agent document.
Using this document you’ll be able to help the state understand the changes you need to make and it’s a pretty clean process.
Once you’ve done this, you can decide if you want to submit it in an expedited way or not.
The filing fee is $5 for regular processing
After you’ve filled this out, send it back by mail to:
Arizona Corporation Commission – Examination Section
1300 W. Washington St.
Phoenix,Arizona 85007
Arizona Registered Agent FAQ
Does Arizona require a registered agent?
Yes, every LLC in Arizona is required to have a registered agent on file with the state. The only exception is if your LLC’s sole member is also its sole manager.
Does registered agent mean owner?
No, the registered agent is not necessarily the same person as the LLC owner. The LLC owner is also known as a member.
What is a registered agent service?
A registered agent service is a business that agrees to act as the LLC’s registered agent. The service can be provided by another LLC, a corporation, or an individual.
Best Registered Agent
The best option for your registered agent service