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

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 Washington DC?

All business owners who form an LLC in Washington DC are required to elect a registered agent. Should the district or another entity have official business, the registered agent is the formal point of contact for the business.

Your elected registered agent should generally be available during business hours, and they ought to be comfortable receiving and passing on important notifications. They might receive tax notifications from the city, service of process notifications from suing parties, or other important documents. For some of these, the registered agent might be asked to sign.

Your registered agent is designated when filing the Articles of Organization that will form your LLC. An LLC formation service can assist with filing and designating, or you can go through the steps on your own. You’ll need the registered agent’s name and address in order to complete your filing.

Should you decide to form and designate on your own, you can do so one of two ways:

1. Online filings are made through the Washington DC CorpOnline System, which is maintained by Washington DC’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). The entire form can be completed and submitted online. The Washington DC LLC filing fee of $220 can be paid at the time of submitting.
2. Hard copy filings are made with the Articles of Organization for Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form DLC-1). The registered agent’s name and address are filled out in Article 3, with both details simply being written in the space provided. The address is printed on the bottom of the form, and the form should be submitted along with the $220 filing fee ($320 for in-person filings).

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

The process of changing your LLC’s registered agent includes the following:

File Statement of Change of Registered Agent

1. You can submit the form online by signing into the DCRA CorpOnline system. You’ll need to provide both the current and the new registered agent’s information, along with a few details about your business and a signature. The filing fee is $50, which you can pay via credit card.
2. You can also submit the form by mail by downloading and filling out the Statement of Change of Registered Agent (Form RA-3). The form for changing a registered agent is on page 3 in the packet. The same $50 fee applies when changing a registered agent by mail, which you must pay via check or money order.

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.

Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Contact Information

Mailing Address

Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations Division
P.O. Box 92300
Washington, DC 20090

Physical Address

1100 4th St., SW
Washington, DC 20024

Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:30am – 4:30 pm

Thursday: 9:30am – 4:30pm

Phone: (202) 442-4400

Email: dcra@dc.gov