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

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 Nevada?

State law requires all Nevada LLCs to have a registered agent. You’ll need to choose a registered agent as you go through the process of forming an LLC in the state of Nevada. The registered agent that you choose will be responsible for receiving official communications that are sent to your LLC. These commonly include tax and other state documents, but also can include service of process or other papers.

Your chosen registered agent must have a street address for the process of service, and this address can’t be a P.O. box. A separate P.O. box address for other communications is allowed. You’ll need these addresses and your registered agent’s full name.

You’ll see a place in the Articles of Formation to officially designate your chosen registered agent. You can have an LLC formation service attend to this on your business’s behalf, or you can fill out the articles and designate the registered agent on your own.

You can make the registered agent designation online or with a hard copy:

1. To file online, create an account for your LLC on Nevada SilverFlume Business Portal. You also must have the registered agent electronically sign that they consent.
2. To file a hard copy form, complete the Articles of Formation packet. The separate sections require basic business information, registered agent information, and signatures. Both an LLC representative and the registered agent must sign.

The registered agent form can be given to the Nevada Secretary of State – Commercial Recordings Division by mail, by fax, by email, or in person. All contact information is found below.

The Nevada LLC filing fee is $75 when filing online or in paper form. LLCs will also have to file a $150 initial list and $200 business license fee at the time of formation.

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

Should you need to change your LLC’s registered agent at any point in time, the change is easy to make. A digital option isn’t available, however, so you must submit the appropriate form by mail or in person.

• File a Registered Agent Acceptance and Statement of Change
  Complete the Registered Agent Acceptance/Statement of Change. The form can be downloaded on its own from the Nevada Secretary of State website. Your new registered agent must sign the form to consent to their appointment. The fee for changing a registered agent is $60, and payment can be included along with the form. A separate ePayment Checklist where you can list credit card information comes with the registered agent change form when you download it. Alternatively, payment can be made by check or cash (if dropped off in person).
• File Nevada Certificate of Amendment
  You can also choose to change your registered agent by filing a Certificate of Amendment. You must attach the Registered Agent Acceptance/Statement of Change from your new registered agent. Submit the form to the Secretary of State – Commercial Recordings Division using the contact information found below. The filing fee is $175.

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.

Nevada Secretary of State Contact Information

Mailing Address

Nevada Secretary of State
Commercial Recordings Division
202 North Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701

Physical Address

Nevada Secretary of State
Nevada State Capitol Building
101 North Carson Street, Suite 3
Carson City, NV 89701

Phone: (775) 684-5708

Fax: (775) 684-5725

Email:

LLC Formation filing – sosmail@sos.nv.gov

Articles of Amendment filing –  amendments@sos.nv.gov