Registered Agent Rules for Florida S Corps & C Corps

What is a Registered Agent?

A man with a title Registerd Agent in the background

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Registered Agent

A Registered Agent in Florida provides various services, such as accepting formal documents, communication and correspondence from the Florida Department of State (DOS).

Your corporation must have Florida Registered Agent services at all times. You appoint one when you first start your business. You may also replace your existing Registered Agent after formation, provided there is no period during which your business is without a Registered Agent.

Florida Registered Agent Requirements

Every corporation, domestic or foreign, must have a Registered Agent with a registered office within the State of Florida at all times
The Registered Agent can be a domestic or foreign (licensed to transact business in the state) artificial legal entity (corporation, LLC, LP or LLP) or a natural person
If the Registered Agent is a company, they must be authorized to conduct business in Florida
If the Registered Agent is a person, they must live in Florida
The Registered Agent must be available in person to sign for any correspondence during regular business hours
The Registered Office must be located in the state of Florida at a street address (a P.O. Box is not acceptable)

What Florida Registered Agents Do

A Registered Agent’s primary function is to accept official correspondence and documentation, including but not limited to:

State and federal government correspondence and notices
Service of process notices (e.g., if your corporation is sued or required to appear in court)
Correspondence from the FL Department of State
Tax forms and requests to complete permits, company filings and reports

Having a Registered Agent also allows you to prove to the state that your business exists.

Bizee Provides Free Florida Registered Agent Service for the First Year

Bizee provides complete Florida Registered Agent service for any Corporation formed in the state. Even better, if you form your corporation through Bizee, your Registered Agent is completely free for the first year and only $119 a year after that.

Bizee is authorized to conduct business in Florida and able to legally act as your Registered Agent. Here’s what our Florida Registered Agent services include:

An always-available Registered Agent who can receive correspondence, documents and legal proceedings on your corporation's behalf
A digital dashboard where you can access, store and retrieve any information we’ve received for your business
Email notification whenever we receive documents for your business
Automatic forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation and information directly to you

Get a Registered Agent

Appointing a Registered Agent for Your Corporation

When you're incorporating in Florida, you must appoint a Registered Agent at that time. You can change the agent at any time after that. Here’s how.

Assign a Registered Agent When You Form Your Corporation

Incorporate Through Bizee

Assign a New Registered Agent After Incorporation

You can also assign someone else as your Registered Agent in Florida after you’ve incorporated. There are a couple of ways to do this.

Order Bizee’s Service

Search for Florida Registered Agents

In some situations, you may need to know the name of the Registered Agent that represents another Corporation in Florida. You'll find this information in the state's business directory.

What Happens If You Don’t Have a Registered Agent?

If you don’t assign or provide a Registered Agent's details to the Department of State, you may be subject to certain ramifications, including but not limited to:

Getting sued or served and not knowing about it. You could lose to a default judgment in your absence if your corporation is sued and you don’t respond.
Losing your status as a Corporation in the state. A Registered Agent is evidence to the state that your business exists. Without it, you could lose your business entity protections and your corporation may be dissolved.
Falling out of good standing with the FL DOS. The state may revoke your right to do business if you don’t respond to certain correspondence (such as a request for your annual report).

Acting as Your Own Registered Agent

You may elect to be the Registered Agent for your Florida Corporation if you have a business office in the state. There can be some drawbacks to this approach:

Someone must always be available during business hours at the Florida address to sign for important documents.
The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in Florida. If you’re forming a Corporation outside the state, you’ll need to use an in-state Registered Agent.
The Registered Agent’s name and address are part of the public record and available through the FL Department of State website. If you prefer to keep your name and address private, you should use a Registered Agent service.
If you change your business address or move out of state, you need to file additional documentation with the Department of State for the new address. This won't be necessary if you use a Registered Agent service, making a move or address change much simpler.