Washington DC Registered Agents for Your LLC
Your LLC must assign a Registered Agent. This is a formally recognized person or business that can receive business correspondence and other documents from the Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Assigning a Registered Agent is a legal requirement
Your LLC must have a Washington DC Registered Agent at all times. You can appoint a Registered Agent when you first start your business. You can also replace your existing Registered Agent at a later date, provided there is a smooth transition between the old and new Registered Agent service.
Information from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Here’s some important information from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs on Washington DC Registered Agent services:
“Any business required to register with the Corporations Division is required to maintain a registered agent. Said registered agent may be a bona fide Washington DC resident or a company physically located in the Washington DC. The registered agent’s office may or may not be the same address as the place of business.”
DC Registered Agents: The Rules You Need to Follow
There are certain rules that you must follow when you’re appointing a Washington DC Registered Agent service for your business. They are:
- If the Registered Agent is a person, they must reside in Washington DC.
- If the Registered Agent is a business, they must be able to conduct business in Washington DC.
- The Registered Agent must have a physical street address in Washington DC, 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 Washington DC LLC business address.
What a DC Registered Agent Does
Your Washington DC Registered Agent carries out several valuable services for your business. They accept official communications and documents from the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs on your behalf. This may include:
- Correspondence from the Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, like a notice to file reports and other forms
- Service of process documents (for example, if your LLC has legal proceedings issued against it)
- Official Washington DC and federal government documents, form filings and requests for information (including taxes, permits and company filings)
Incfile Provides a Free Washington DC Registered Agent Service for the First Year
Incfile provides a complete Washington DC Registered Agent service for any LLC that’s incorporated in DC. Even better, if you choose to incorporate your business through Incfile, your Registered Agent is completely free for the first year and only $119 a year after that.
Incfile is authorized to conduct business in Washington DC and can legally act as your Registered Agent. Here’s what the Incfile Washington DC Registered Agent service provides for your LLC:
- An always-available Washington DC Registered Agent who can receive correspondence, documents and legal proceedings on your LLC’s behalf
- A digital dashboard where you can access, store and retrieve any information we’ve received for your business
- Email notification whenever we receive documents for your business
- Automatic forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation and information directly to you
Your Options for Appointing a Washington DC Registered Agent
You can appoint a Registered Agent when you first incorporate your Washington DC LLC or at any point after that. Here’s how to go about it.
Assign Your Registered Agent When You Form Your DC LLC
Your business needs to have a Washington DC 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 Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
You will need to include details of your Registered Agent in your Articles of Organization. This is the form that you file with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to formally create your business.
Incorporate Through Incfile and Get a Free Washington DC Registered 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 Registered Agent service for the first year, and we’ll include details of your Registered Agent in the form that we file.
Incorporate Your Business Through IncfileChange Your Washington DC Registered Agent After Your LLC Is Formed
You can also change your DC 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 Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Once you’ve chosen a new Registered Agent, you can complete a form that’s available on the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs website. Once you’ve filled it out, send it to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs so they can update your records.
Sign up for Incfile’s Washington DC Registered Agent Service and We’ll File the Change on Your Behalf
When you choose to use our DC 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 Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. We’ll let you know once we officially become your Registered Agent.
Order Incfile’s Washington DC Registered Agent serviceDC Registered Agent Search
In some situations, you might want to know the name of the Registered Agent that represents another Washington DC LLC. If you do, you can search the business database of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, which will often provide details of a specific business’s Registered Agent.
If the Registered Agent isn’t available from the searchable business registry, contact the Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs requesting the information.
The Problems Caused When You Don’t Appoint a Washington DC Registered Agent Service
What happens if you choose not to assign or provide details of a Registered Agent to the Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs? 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 Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs: If you don’t respond to certain correspondence (like the request for your annual report), certain areas may revoke your right to do business.
- Losing your status as a Washington DC LLC: A Registered Agent “proves” to local government that your business exists. without it, you could lose your business entity protections and your LLC may be dissolved.
Acting as Your Own Registered Agent for Your DC LLC
If you have an address in Washington DC, 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 Washington DC. You always need to have someone on hand during business hours at the Washington DC address to sign for important documents.
- The Registered Agent’s name and address are part of the public record and available through the Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs's website. If you prefer your name and address aren’t published, you should choose a Registered Agent service.
- If you change your Washington DC business address or move out of the area, you would need to file additional documentation with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs 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.
FAQs About Washington DC Registered Agents
Yes. All LLCs are required to have a Registered Agent. This is mandated by the Washington DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
You can either do it when you incorporate your Washington DC business through paperwork filed with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs 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 Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
Yes. Additionally, if they are a business providing Registered Agent services, they must be legally able to conduct business in DC.
Useful Resources for Washington DC Registered Agent Services
You might find these resources helpful:
