A Oklahoma Registered Agent or Oklahoma Registered Agent Service is required by law for every business entity in the state of Oklahoma. 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 Oklahoma and be available during regular business hours.
In my Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma LLC. Check out my guide on how to setup a Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma Registered Agent Service
ZenBusiness will be the best option for setting up a registered agent service in Oklahoma. They can also help you with getting your LLC formed so if you’re looking for the best option, check them out today!
The best option to setup an Oklahoma Registered Agent service is ZenBusiness. Their team is by far the best out there and has been helping 1000s of business owners every month make sure they get their business setup the right way.
They are the top national provider in terms of customer service and experience that I’ve seen and finding the right Oklahoma registered agent is not the easiest thing to do with all the options out there.
They will typically include the first year of their registered agent service when you form your LLC with them. If you’re looking for a new registered agent to change your services to from something else or are in the middle of working on setting up your domestic LLC, foreign LLC or Limited Liability Company now – they are the best option.
I have used registered agent services in the state I reside but also have worked with a number of other options and they make things really easy to follow so use them.
What is an Oklahoma Registered Agent?
An Oklahoma Registered Agent or Registered Agent Service is no different than any other state that operates in our union. Most if not all of the states require a registered agent and they provide business owners with three main things:
- A physical address in the state of Oklahoma to receive legal documents and other official correspondence on behalf of your business. This is important because you want to be able to timely receive any documents that come through so you can take appropriate action.
- The ability to be available during regular business hours to sign for and accept service of process (SOP) if your business is sued.
- To forward any documents and/or correspondence received on behalf of your business to the appropriate party in a timely manner.
You can learn more about what a Registered Agent is in my detailed guide but that’s the gist of it. Every LLC or Corporation needs to have one when they are formed and and if you don’t do it then the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office is most likely going to dissolve your business entity whether it’s a new one or you’ve had one for quite some time so make sure you’re following the rules setup by the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office.
This is not a virtual mailbox service where you have a legal entity being used to help you filter legal documents from other mail. You should get a service whether it’s a virtual mailbox or some type of UPS Store box for your business if you don’t want to get an actual office or physical location but this is not that. Even if you get a mailbox location, it doesn’t count as a solution or fulfill the legal requirement of having a Oklahoma registered agent.
Why do I need an Oklahoma Registered Agent?
You need to have an Oklahoma registered agent because it’s legally required. That’s the short answer to this question but the more important question is to think about the details of what we’ve talked about in what a registered agent is.
The Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office is going to have a search portal for anybody to come to that will allow them to find through public record the registered agent’s name and registered agent’s address. That is important to think through the implications if you want to act as your own registered agent in Oklahoma.
If you put your personal information down as the registered agent, it’s going to be searchable through the public information portal and on top of that you’re going to need to be available during normal and regular business hours. You can save some money up front by doing this but as you think about what that means – it’s not something you want to mess with.
This means if you did this that companies and individuals needing to serve you paperwork legally can come to your house our whatever the physical address is that you put on file.
I would highly recommend thinking about using an Oklahoma registered agent service to help you really resolve this. If you don’t do that, you’re going to have your physical mailing address or whatever you use on file with the state for anyone to search through globally.
When should I obtain an Oklahoma Registered Agent?
It’s important to recognize that the best time to setup an Oklahoma registered agent is when you’re forming your LLC. Whether that’s a domestic LLC, foreign LLC or a Limited Liability Company that’s setup with the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office. You are going to need to set this up from the beginning or your business may be dissolved and you don’t want that.
If you have an existing business, you’re going to want to set this up as soon as possible because if you don’t and something were to happen where somebody needed to serve you papers – they could go after your personal assets because they couldn’t find a registered agent on file or the registered agent information was not accurate in Oklahoma.
Another major thing that a registered agent service will help you with is the annual compliance you’re going to be responsible for related to your business entity. There are annual compliance deadlines in Oklahoma that you’re going to need to be following and you need to make sure that’s done at the beginning of your LLC formation process.
You will have help from your Oklahoma registered agent service if you use one and that is another reason to consider getting some help outside of trying to just do this on your own.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent In Oklahoma?
Technically yes you can be your own registered agent in Oklahoma but like I’ve been saying – it’s not recommended. You’re going to need some help for all the reasons I’ve outlined above in this guide to make sure you’re covered legally and not exposing your personal information on public record.
If you play out the details of this and think about what it means long term to setup a Oklahoma registered agent as your own name and address – what kind of impact will that have on your life?
You are going to need to have someone available during normal business hours and have a physical address in Oklahoma for anyone to serve you papers if required. You will also need to make sure this is NOT a virtual mailbox or some type of UPS Store someone shows up to. If that happens you’re going to end up in a heap of trouble and fined / potentially have your business dissolved.
How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost?
The cost of a registered agent is going to vary from $0 up to $300 annually depending on the type of service you use. If you go the route I’m not recommending and being your own registered agent in Oklahoma then it won’t cost you anything up front but we’ve talked about all the hidden costs you’ll need to deal with which aren’t really on the surface.
The traditional method of using a registered agent service like Northwest Registered Agent will include the first year of service as you’re forming your LLC. That is something that is incredibly valuable and you should take advantage of. From there, it’s typically around $125/year so I would highly recommend getting started and if you don’t go with them, make sure you’re doing the due diligence needed to choose the right service for your Oklahoma LLC.
How Do I Elect A Registered Agent In Oklahoma?
As you’re going through and forming your Oklahoma LLC, you’re going to be asked for the registered agent information. You’ll be able to go to the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s website and find the LLC Article’s of Organization file online which also has a $100 filing fee.
Here’s a direct link to the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s business forms section you can review.
How Do I Elect A Registered Agent by Mail in Oklahoma?
You will need to download and mail back the Oklahoma Articles of Organization document form and there is a section of that that you can provide the registered agent’s name and registered agent’s address. This is a four page document and has all the details you’re going to need.
The filing instructions you’ll need to follow are:
- Prepare and file with the Secretary of State one (1) signed copy of the articles of organization.
- 2. Pay to the Secretary of State a filing fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00). (Title 18, Section 2055)
- 3. Make checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders payable to the Oklahoma Secretary of State. Instruments may be mailed, delivered in person, or filed on-line at www.sos.ok.gov.
The address of the Oklahoma Secretary of State is:
421 N.W. 13th, Suite 210
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73103
If you deliver this in person they will charge you an additional $25.00 fee for each document filed on that day so make sure if you want to do this by mail or in person that you are prepared for the additional cost here.
How Do I Change My Registered Agent In Oklahoma?
If you want to change your Oklahoma registered agent because you’ve been setup as your own registered agent or there is something else that’s come up requiring you to do so, there are a few ways to do this.
The first step is downloading the Change or Designation of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office form where you can get the needed info filled out that’s required by the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office.
Once you’ve done that there is a $25 filing fee to get it back to the Secretary of State’s office at:
Oklahoma Secretary of State
421 N.W. 13th Street, Suite 210
Oklahoma City, OK 73103
I recommend doing all you can to start off on the right foot with using Northwest Registered Agent to make sure you don’t have to change your Oklahoma registered agent in the future.
I look forward to hearing about the business entity you’ve built and I’m excited to see what comes of it.
Oklahoma Registered Agent FAQ
Does Oklahoma require a registered agent?
Yes, Oklahoma requires that you have a registered agent for your LLC or corporation.
What is the function of a registered agent in Oklahoma?
The function of the registered agent in Oklahoma is to receive service of process on behalf of your business entity. This includes but is not limited to items such as summons, subpoenas, and other legal documents that an individual or business entity wants to bring your way.
Does registered agent mean owner?
No. An owner of your business is not the same as a registered agent. An owner actually owns a piece of your business.
What is a registered agent service?
A registered agent service is a business or individual that agrees to receive service of process on behalf of your business entity.
How do I choose a registered agent in Oklahoma?
You can choose any individual or business entity to be your registered agent so long as they are willing and able to perform the duties required by law.
Best Registered Agent
The best option for your registered agent service