Are you unsatisfied with your North Dakota registered agent? Or perhaps you’re currently serving as your own registered agent, but would rather hire a professional registered agent service instead?
The state of North Dakota makes it rather easy to change your registered agent, but there are some details involved in the process that are worth reviewing.
In this guide, we’ll discuss all the relevant details of changing a registered agent in North Dakota.
Guru Tip: If you would prefer to have a professional service deal with the paperwork and take over registered agent duties, hire a North Dakota registered agent service. It’s just a small annual fee.
What Is a North Dakota Registered Agent?
Why is a registered agent required for every limited liability company (LLC) or corporation? It all comes down to the fact that the state needs to be able to contact an official representative of your business if they need to deliver important documents to you, especially service of process.
Without a registered agent, you could remain unaware of a lawsuit against your business progressing through the court system.
Who Can Be a North Dakota Registered Agent?
If you’re looking to change your company’s registered agent, it’s a good idea to know who is eligible to serve as one.
The North Dakota Secretary of State dictates that a registered agent may be either an individual resident of the state, a foreign or domestic LLC, or a foreign or domestic corporation. While an individual affiliated with a company may serve as the company’s registered agent, it is not permitted for a business entity to serve as its own registered agent.
Should you decide to hire the services of a company specifically in the business of acting as a registered agent, you may choose to consult this list of commercial registered agents compiled by the North Dakota Secretary of State. To designate one of these agents, you must first contact the entity and obtain consent.
How to Change Your Registered Agent in North Dakota
If you would like to change your registered agent for any reason, the process is simple.
The only form you must complete is the Commercial or Noncommercial Registered Agent Statement of Change (form SFN 13019) which must be completed as a PDF file and then either faxed or mailed to the North Dakota Secretary of State or submitted online using the FirstStop system.
To complete the document you’ll need the following information:
- The exact name of the organization
- The federal ID number
- The name and address of the current registered agent
- The name and address of the new registered agent
- The signature of the new registered agent (if a non commercial agent is being appointed) OR the signature of an authorized individual from the business entity (if I commercial agent is being appointed)
- A contact name, email, and phone number should the Secretary of State need to make contact
Change of Registered Agent Fee: $10
Should You Hire a Professional North Dakota Registered Agent Service?
Hiring a registered agent service like Northwest Registered Agent has some distinct advantages. First and foremost, compared to serving as your own agent, professional registered agent services allow you to keep your personal address private. They’re also much less expensive than hiring a lawyer or accountant to provide registered agent service.
An often-overlooked benefit is how easy it is to expand your North Dakota business into other states if you choose a professional registered agent. They typically have offices in all 50 states, so if you begin transacting business in an additional state, your same registered agent service can handle that for you.
If you’re interested in hiring a professional registered agent service, take a look at our guide to the top service providers.
Conclusion
The process for changing a registered agent in North Dakota isn’t a complicated one, but it’s certainly advisable to know exactly what you want to do ahead of time. If you know what you want going in, you’ll find that the process is really quite painless.
We hope this article answered your questions about changing your North Dakota registered agent!