Mississippi Registered Agents for Your LLC
The Mississippi Secretary of State requires every MS LLC to have a Registered Agent. Once you have assigned a Mississippi Registered Agent, they can receive official correspondence and documents on behalf of your MS business. Registered Agents can be individuals or other specialized Registered Agent service businesses.
Your LLC must have a Mississippi Registered Agent at all times. You can appoint a Registered Agent when you first start your business. You can also replace your existing MS Registered Agent at a later date, provided there is a smooth transition between the old and new Registered Agent service.
What the Mississippi Secretary of State Says About MS Registered Agents
Here's some important information from the Mississippi Secretary of State on MS Resident Agent services.
“Any individual, corporation or LLC may act as registered agent for any Mississippi company provided the agent has a physical address in the state of Mississippi. Noncommercial registered agents will not be listed on the Secretary of State's website. Companies seeking to utilize a noncommercial registered agent must obtain that agent’s permission prior to listing the agent on any forms filed with the Secretary of State.
Noncommercial registered agents will not be notified of their selection as a registered agent. If a company chooses a noncommercial registered agent without permission, that agent has no obligation to the company and may refuse to perform the duties of registered agent without penalty.
If properly selected, both commercial and noncommercial registered agents have the same duties and obligations to their clients. The same forms are used for naming, amending or terminating registered agents regardless of type. Those forms are found with all of the other business forms on the Business Services page.”
Mississippi LLC Resident Agent Service Rules
There are certain rules that you must follow when you’re appointing a Mississippi Registered Agent service for your business. They are:
- If the Registered Agent is a person, they must reside in Mississippi.
- If the Registered Agent is a business, they must be able to conduct business in Mississippi.
- The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in Mississippi, not a P.O. Box.
- The Registered Agent must be available in person during normal business hours to sign for any correspondence.
Note that the Registered Agent address does not need to be the same as your Mississippi LLC business address.
Services Provided by a Mississippi Registered Agent
Your Mississippi Registered Agent carries out several valuable services for your business. They accept official communications and documents from the MS Secretary of State on your behalf. This includes:
- Correspondence from the Mississippi Secretary of State, like a notice to file reports and other forms
- Service of process documents (for example, if your Mississippi LLC has legal proceedings issued against it)
- Official Mississippi and federal government documents, form filings and requests for information (including taxes, permits and company filings)
The Incfile Registered Agent Service for Mississippi LLCs
If you have an LLC that’s incorporated in Mississippi and you need a Registered Agent, we can help. Incfile provides a complete Registered Agent service for any Mississippi business—plus, we’ll act as your Registered Agent free for your first year (normally a $119 annual cost).
We are authorized to conduct business in Mississippi and can legally act as your Registered Agent. We also have an address in Mississippi, which is required to operate as a Registered Agent. Here's what the Incfile Mississippi Resident Agent service provides for your MS LLC.
We are authorized to conduct business in Mississippi and can legally act as your Registered Agent. We also have an address in Mississippi, which is required to operate as a Registered Agent. Here’s what you need to know about Incfile’s MS Registered Agent service:
- The Registered Agent will always be available to accept documents and letters on your behalf
- We automatically notify you whenever we receive correspondence for your business from the Mississippi Secretary of State or anyone else
- We scan your correspondence and upload it to a dashboard, so you can review it when convenient
- We forward all correspondence to an address you choose
How to Appoint a Mississippi Registered Agent for Your LLC
You can appoint a Registered Agent when you first incorporate your Mississippi LLC or at any point after that. Here’s how to go about it.
Assign Your Mississippi Registered Agent When You Form Your LLC
Your business needs to have a Mississippi Registered Agent Service as soon as it’s formed. You can achieve this through one of the following methods.
File Articles of Organization With the Mississippi Secretary of State
You will need to include details of your Registered Agent in your Articles of Organization. This is the form that you file with the Mississippi Secretary of State to formally create your business.
Incorporate Through Incfile and Get a Free Mississippi Resident Agent
When you incorporate through us, we complete and file your Articles of Organization based on the information you've provided. Additionally, we give you a free Mississippi Resident Agent Service for the first year, and we'll include details of your Mississippi Resident Agent in the form that we file.
Registered Agent Service for the first year, and we’ll include details of your MS Registered Agent in the form that we file.
Form your business nowChange Your Mississippi Registered Agent After Your LLC Is Formed
You can also change your Registered Agent service after you’ve formed your LLC. There are a couple of ways to achieve this.
Choose a Registered Agent Service and File a Form With the Mississippi Secretary of State
Once you’ve chosen a new Mississippi Registered Agent, you can complete a form. Once you’ve filled it out, send it to the secretary of state so they can update your records. The Mississippi SOS may charge a nominal fee to assign or change a Registered Agent, and we do pass that fee on to you.
Sign Up for Incfile's Mississippi Resident Agent Service and We'll File the Change on Your Behalf
When you choose to use our MS Registered Agent service, we take care of all the form filling and filing for you. We’ll collect important information about your business, complete the form on your behalf and send it to the Mississippi Secretary of State. We’ll let you know once we officially become your Registered Agent. Note that the Mississippi SOS may charge a nominal fee to assign or change a Registered Agent, which will be passed on to you.
Order Incfile's Mississippi registered agent serviceSearching for MS Registered Agents for Other LLCs
In some situations, you might want to know the name of the Registered Agent that represents another Mississippi LLC. If you do, you can search the business database of the Mississippi Secretary of State, as these will often provide details of a specific business’s Registered Agent.
If the MS Registered Agent isn’t available from the searchable business registry, contact the Mississippi Secretary of State requesting the information.
Possible Outcomes of Not Assigning a Registered Agent for Your Mississippi LLC
What happens if you choose not to assign or provide details of a Registered Agent to the Mississippi Secretary of State? There are several possible ramifications, including:
- Getting served or sued and not finding out about it: If your LLC is sued and you don’t know about it, you could lose to a default judgment in your absence.
- Falling out of good standing with the Mississippi Secretary of State: If you don’t respond to certain correspondence (like the request for your annual report), certain states may revoke your right to do business.
- Losing your status as a Mississippi LLC: A Registered Agent “proves” to the state that your business exists. Without it, you could lose your business entity protections and your LLC may be dissolved.
You Can Appoint Yourself as Your Own Mississippi Registered Agent
If you have an address in Mississippi, you can choose to be the Registered Agent for your LLC. We don’t recommend this approach as there can be some drawbacks:
- The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in Mississippi. If you’re forming an LLC outside Mississippi, you will need to use an in-state Registered Agent.
- You always need to have someone on hand during business hours at the Mississippi address to sign for important documents.
- The Registered Agent’s name and address are part of the public record and available through the Mississippi Secretary of State's website. If you prefer your name and address aren’t published, you should choose a Registered Agent service.
- If you change your Mississippi business address or move out of state, you would need to file additional documentation with the MS Secretary of State for the new address if you act as your own Registered Agent. This would not be the case if you use a Registered Agent service, making a move or address change much simpler.
There are more considerations, but these should help with your decision to use a Mississippi Resident Agent service.
FAQs About Mississippi Registered Agents
Yes. All MS LLCs are required to have a Registered Agent. This is mandated by the Mississippi Secretary of State.
You can either do it when you incorporate your Mississippi business through paperwork filed with the MS Secretary of State or afterward by filing the correct form. If you form your business through Incfile, we will file all necessary forms on your behalf.
Yes, but we don’t recommend it for the reasons listed above. If you still want to be your own Registered Agent, you need to fill in the correct forms and pay a fee to the Mississippi Secretary of State.
Yes. Additionally, if they are a business providing Registered Agent services, they must be legally able to conduct business in your state.
Useful Resources for Mississippi Registered Agent Services
You might find these resources helpful:
