Whether you’re starting a new LLC or updating the registered agent for your existing business, it’s important to choose the best Arkansas registered agent for your needs.

This article will help you to choose the registered agent that best fits your business, go over the basic functions of registered agents, and answer common questions about registered agents.

If you haven’t yet formed your LLC, you can get one year of registered agent services for free if you form your LLC with Northwest Registered Agent ($29 + state fees). (This is a great deal!).

Best Arkansas Registered Agent Service

When choosing a registered agent service, you want someone who understands the importance of staying compliant and being diligent about legal processes and paperwork. That’s why Northwest Registered Agent is our #1 registered agent service choice for Arkansas businesses.

We recommend Northwest Registered Agent, which offers everything that you need to form your LLC along with Registered Agent services. The company boasts over 20 years of operations helping small businesses start or grow.

Northwest has a 100% Error-Free Guarantee with outstanding customer support, exceptional services, and high prices to match. If data privacy and access to customer support are top on your list, the extra costs of working with Northwest Registered Agent may be well worth it for you and your business.

What Does an Arkansas Registered Agent Do?

A registered agent does a few things for a company. Their main task is to be present when or if the company needs to receive tax or legal paperwork. These would be documents that can’t be sent to a mailbox or delivered to a front desk; rather, documents that must be handed directly to the person who represents the company.

A simple example would be a service of process, which is the delivery of legal documents in a lawsuit. These service documents must be delivered directly to the company’s representative – the registered agent – to ensure they are received.

This may seem like a small task, but the caveat that makes this a critical position is that the registered agent is required to be at the documented location to receive these papers during all “regular business hours.” This is the main reason that most people choose to use a registered agent service rather than operating as their own agent.

Other forms that your registered agent may receive on your behalf are:

• Tax forms
• Legal documents
• Official government correspondence
• Service of process

Another function of a registered agent is to file official documents with the state in which the LLC or corporation is established. In most states, businesses are required to file an annual report once per year to keep the business in “good standing” with the state.

Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Arkansas?

The short answer is yes, you can be your own registered agent.

Whether or not that’s the best plan for you or your company is another question entirely. If you are looking to spend the absolute, bare minimum amount of money on your business, then being your own registered agent may not be a terrible choice. Still, even in that scenario, we don’t recommend it.

Benefits of Using a Registered Agent Service

There are only a few realistic options when it comes to whom you file as your registered agent:

• Yourself
• An attorney
• A registered agent service

As mentioned above, being your own agent has pitfalls and isn’t recommended. What’s more, an attorney in this position would be quite expensive and is generally only a viable option if you had them form your business for you.

So, that leaves you with the option of using a service. Here are the biggest benefits of using a professional registered agent service:

Privacy

When you form an LLC or corporation, your formation data goes into a state database which is open and searchable to the public. The information in this database can include:

• Business name
• Formation date
• Registered agent name
• Registered agent address

While you can’t stop the state from publishing this information, you can retain the privacy of your name and your address by using a registered agent service. Since this information is public, marketing companies use these databases to gather information to market their products and services to business owners. Your mailbox will thank you for keeping your business address private.

Another major privacy benefit is having legal documents delivered to your agent and not you personally. If, for some reason, someone brings a lawsuit against your company, would you rather have your agent call you with these documents or have them served to you in front of your customers, clients, or employees?

Easy Compliance

Along with privacy, another of the main benefits of using a registered agent service is that they will help to keep your business in “good standing” with the state.

Some states require LLCs and corporations to file annual reports or other timely documents. While these generally aren’t difficult tasks, they are often easily forgotten or lost in the day-to-day work that your business hands you.

Your registered agent will send you reminders that this work needs to be completed, and some will even provide you with the proper documents to make your work even easier.

How Do I Elect a Registered Agent in Arkansas?

Arkansas requires LLCs to designate a registered agent in the state. The role of a registered agent is to serve as the business’s main point of contact for all official matters. They’ll receive any tax notifications from the state, any process of service (if someone sues), and other formal communications.

Your chosen registered agent must be located in Arkansas, and they should be willing to sign for any formal communications that require a signature upon delivery. The address must be a street address somewhere in Arkansas — P.O. box addresses aren’t sufficient.

To form an LLC in the state of Arkansas, you’ll make the official designation when filing a Certificate of Organization, which is Arkansas’s main LLC formation document. An LLC formation service will take care of this if you use one.

To file a Certificate of Organization with Arkansas, follow these steps:

1. Elect a registered agent online by submitting a Certificate of Organization with the Arkansas Secretary of State’s Corporations Online Filing System. The online submission form will take you through multiple prompts, one of which is a “Registered Agent” section. This section will ask for the registered agent’s name and contact details. The Arkansas LLC filing fee is $45 if you file online. This fee is payable by credit card.
2. Elect a registered agent by submitting a hard copy form by mail or in person with the Arkansas Secretary of State. Fill out a Certificate of Organization for Limited Liability Company (Form LL-01). Article 3 of the form asks for the name and address of your registered agent. The physical form doesn’t have a place for the registered agent’s email address or phone number. The form can be mailed or delivered to the Secretary of State, whose address can be found on the form and below. The fee for filing by mail is $50 ($5 more than if filing online) and can be paid by check.

How Do I Change My LLC’s Registered Agent in Arkansas?

Arkansas makes it easy to change your LLC’s registered agent, should you ever need to. A single-page form is all that has to be filed.

File Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent

You can change your registered agent online by entering your LLC’s filing number into the appropriate section of the Corporations Online Filing System. Select the Notice of Change of Registered Office or Agent link, and enter your LLC’s filing number. If you don’t know your LLC’s filing number, you can search the state business database by business name and/or registered agent name. A series of prompts will take you through the process of changing your LLC’s registration. There is no fee when changing the name online. You can also file via mail or in person by filling out the Notice of Change of Registered Agent Information (CHRA). The form asks for some basic business information, the name and address of the previous registered agent, and the name and address of the new registered agent. An effective date and signature are also needed. There is no fee for filing, and the form can be submitted at one of the addresses below.

If you choose to use or switch to a registered agent service, they should complete and file the changes for you. For more information about our recommended Registered Agent service for your LLC, check out our Northwest Registered Agent review.

Arkansas Secretary of State Contact Information

Mailing Address

Arkansas Secretary of State
Business and Commercial Services
P.O. Box 8053
Little Rock, AR 72203

Physical Address

Victory Building
1401 W. Capitol Avenue, Suite 250
Little Rock, AR 72201

Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Phone: (501) 682-3409

Email: corporations@sos.arkansas.gov