Wisconsin Registered Agent

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

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 Wisconsin?

All businesses in Wisconsin are required to have a registered agent. To form an LLC in the state of Wisconsin, you must name a registered agent as part of the Articles of Organization registration process.

The registered agent that you choose must have a physical Wisconsin address, which is the registered office address. You’ll need their full name and address when filing. It’s also a good idea to choose a registered agent who’s responsible. They’ll receive tax, legal and other notifications sent to your business, and each of these must be promptly passed on to you or another appropriate person.

You can hire an LLC formation service to take care of the entire filing process, including naming a registered agent. Alternatively, you can complete the steps yourself. This can be done online or by mail:

1. To complete the process online, use the Wisconsin Limited Liability Company online filing form to create your LLC. The Wisconsin LLC filing fee is $130 if you submit everything online. The form’s last section is where payment details are entered.
2. To complete the process via mail, use the Articles of Organization Limited Liability Company (Form 502). You must type the information or enter it in black ink. Once completed, mail the form to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions at the address given below. The fee for filing by mail is $170, and there’s an additional $25 fee for expedited service.

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

In Wisconsin, you can change your registered agent through two methods:

• File Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent For online processing, use the Search Corporate Records function to look up your LLC by name. Select your LLC from the results, and then click “File a Registered Agent/Office Update Form,” which you’ll see under the “Addresses” section. There is a $10 fee when you submit this form online to the Department of Financial Institutions. For mail processing, download and complete the Registered Agent and/or Registered Office Change (Form 13). There is no charge for changing a registered agent by mail, but there is a $10 fee to change a registered office by mail. You can send a check with the form, which should be mailed to the Department of Financial Institutions at the address listed below.

• File Your Wisconsin LLC Annual Report If you’re filing your Wisconsin LLC’s Annual Report, you can use this reporting period by updating your registered agent. The filing fee for the annual report is $25.

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.

Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions Contact Information

Mailing Address:

Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
Division of Corporate & Consumer Services
P.O. Box 93348
Madison WI, 53293-0348

Physical Address:

4822 Madison Yards Way, North Tower
Madison, WI 53705

Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:45am – 4:30pm

Phone: (608) 261-7577

Email: DFICorporations@dfi.wisconsin.gov