WASHINGTON REGISTERED AGENT OFFICE
Why are there registered agents in the first place?
When I was a kid, you just tended the farm and paid tribute to the lord of the land. Eventually, economies evolved, new business structures like limited liability companies and corporations emerged. These types of company structures were created to protect business owners from liabilities and provide tax advantages. Companies are given standing that is disconnected from the individuals who put them together. Unfortunately, it didn’t take very much time for people to understand that they could stay away from litigation by personally steering clear of servers of process. So, to get rid of that loophole, most States insist that companies to appoint a “registered agent.”
Are there any requirements or restrictions I should know about my registered agent?
There are only a few restrictions concerning who can act as a registered agent in Washington. In particular, the person or entity acting as your registered agent needs to be located and available at an official street address within the state of Washington during typical business hours. They will be responsible to receive all legal and tax-related documents, annual report forms, litigation (service of process) documents, etc., for you. It is important that you designate a reputable company, like RegisteredAgentOffice.com when choosing your Washington registered agent.
How does having a registered agent help my company?
First and foremost, designating our registered agent service keeps your company in adherence of state law. On top of that, we accept and scan any legal notice, service of process, letter, or annual report received into your online account locally right here in Washington. You receive immediate notification of any paperwork scanned into your Washington registered agent online account.
As an additional service, we also monitor your State annual report due date and forward you prompts with do-it-yourself links to file your paperwork before your due date with Washington.
Tell me the top 5 things I should be looking for in a registered agent?
Practical Knowledge: You want to choose a registered agent who is competent at what they’re doing, who’s been performing the duties of a registered agent for many years and has a solid track record.
Reliability: You need to be able to trust your registered agent. You should be able to trust that they will live up to their responsibilities and be accessible during normal business hours to accept legal documents and service of process.
Solid Reputation: Your Washington registered agent must have a reputation for delivering service of process and legal documents in a reliable and timely manner. If they receive legal papers on your behalf and don’t deliver them to you, your business could end up with a ruling against you in court and not even be aware that your business is involved in a lawsuit.
Consumer Relations: What if you need to clarify or have a question about some aspect of your business as it relates to the State of Washington. You don’t want to talk to someone reading off a script in a call center in India, you want to talk to a consumer service rep who actually knows a thing or two about commercial registered agent service in Washington.
Additional Services: Besides basic registered agent service (by accepting your legal papers), make sure your registered agent offers additional services like: Pre-populated paperwork for your state filings, email reminders for important filing deadlines and due dates, any other tools that will keep your business in good standing with the state.