Change Registered Agent in Oklahoma

Read our guide about what changing an Oklahoma Registered Agent entails and see why you should use our experts to do it for you.

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There are a number of reasons you might need to change your Oklahoma LLC’s registered agent. Maybe your designated registered agent moved out of state, left the company, or no longer wants the responsibility. Maybe you had assigned the job to yourself, and you no longer want your address on public record. Maybe (hopefully) your business has expanded so much that you no longer have time to handle the registered agent responsibilities.

Whatever your reason may be, changing a registered agent in Oklahoma might seem like a daunting task, with a mountain of paperwork and legal proceedings involved. However it’s actually quite simple, and this guide will help make the process quick and painless.

What the State of Oklahoma Says about changing a Registered Agent

Go looking for registered agent information on the Oklahoma Secretary of State website and you might be searching for a while. It’s scarce, but don’t worry! We’ve compiled everything you need to change your registered agent here.

While you might not find explicit directions online, the S.O.S. site does offer some general information on its FAQ page, and the Oklahoma Statutes §18-1023 provides some additional context.

Who can be an Oklahoma Registered Agent

You can’t pick just anyone to be a registered agent for your LLC. The state of Oklahoma puts certain restrictions on who can serve as one. If you’re choosing or changing your registered agent, keep these requirements in mind. The registered agent in Oklahoma must:

  • Be an individual Oklahoma resident or a business entity located in Oklahoma
  • Have an Oklahoma street address (P.O. boxes are not allowed)

* If your registered agent is a foreign business entity, it must be authorized to transact business in Oklahoma

How to Change Your Oklahoma Registered Agent

Now that we’ve set the ground rules, let’s get started changing your registered agent. The Oklahoma Secretary of State allows registered agent changes online, by mail, or in person – whichever works best for you. Here’s how to get it done.

Online: First, head over to the Secretary of State’s Entity Filing page. You can get there from the Business Services page by clicking “Business Entities” in the column labeled “File Online.” On the right side of the Entity Filing page, click the link that reads “Change of Agent and/or Office.” Enter your business filing number or name to start the process.

Postal Mail: On the Secretary of State’s Downloadable Business Forms page, scroll down to find the section for Oklahoma (or Foreign) Limited Liability Companies. Note that there are separate forms for domestic and foreign LLCs, so be sure to use the correct one. The form you need is called the “Change or Designation of Resident Agent and/or Registered Office and/or Principal Office.” Find the domestic form here, and the foreign one here. When you’re finished, mail your form to:

Oklahoma Secretary of State

421 N.W. 13th St., Suite 210

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73103

In Person: Download and complete the change form, then deliver it to the address listed above.

Each of these submission methods comes with a $25 fee. Online, you can pay via card or check, and by mail or in person, include a check made out to “Oklahoma Secretary of State.”

You cannot effectively change your Oklahoma registered agent on your Annual Certificate. The state allows you to do so by filing an amendment to your Articles of Organization, but the fee is $50, so it’s cheaper to file the designated change form unless you’re making other simultaneous amendments.

If you’re too busy, or if you’d feel more comfortable letting someone else take the reins, you have the option of hiring a company or individual to file your paperwork for you. It’s a great way to save time and stress.

Submit your form? Pay your fee? Your change will take effect soon! The Secretary of State’s office typically processes mailed forms in 5-7 business days, online forms in one day, and hand-delivered forms while you wait.

Consider a Registered Agent Service

Think of your registered agent as a mediator between you and the state of Oklahoma, the person or business entity that handles some of your most important paperwork.

In case you thought the registered agent was just a formality, look at the documents they handle:

  • service of process notices
  • tax information
  • lawsuits
  • and other Secretary of State correspondence.

A lot of important stuff. Which is why a reliable registered agent is essential to every Oklahoma business owner.

By handling high-priority and sensitive documents on your behalf, your registered agent takes care of your communications with the state, so you can spend more time building your business.

Plus, if you operate an Oklahoma small business from out of state, a trustworthy registered agent is especially important, as the state requires a local contact for your LLC. Having this contact ensures your company will receive and respond to time-sensitive documents, so you won’t miss filings and get hit with penalties.

If you’re unsure where to find a good Oklahoma registered agent, consider using a registered agent service. These companies provide you a reliable, professional registered agent so you can have peace of mind knowing you won’t ever miss a filing, tax deadline, or state correspondence.

Sure, you can jump online, search “registered agent service,” and get a ton of results. But the truth is that not all of these services are trustworthy. So, we’ve done some research for you. If you want to know you’re getting a top-quality registered agent, take a look at our comparison guide on the best rated registered agent services. Many of these providers can also form an LLC for you if you’re needing a fresh start. ZenBusiness is a very well known option.

Need to Resign your Oklahoma Registered Agent?

There are numerous reasons you might need to give up your Oklahoma registered agent role, but only one way to resign.

Registered agents play an important role in the life of an LLC, handling sensitive legal and tax documents, so it’s essential that agents follow proper resignation procedures. Otherwise, you could leave your company with unplanned fines or penalties, and you could be individually liable.

Fortunately, for Oklahoma LLCs it is easy.

Follow these steps and the hardest part of your resignation won’t be the process itself, it’ll be saying “so long” to your former business.

Notifying the Oklahoma LLC

Your first step in the resignation process, before even downloading the official form, is informing your LLC. Oklahoma state law (§18-1026) mandates that you send written notice of your resignation to each business entity you had been representing at least 30 days prior to submitting your official notice to the Secretary of State. In doing so, you’re giving your company plenty of time to develop a transition plan for their registered agent change, thereby avoiding potential penalties.

Submitting Your Resignation

After you’ve broken the news to your LLC and waited the requisite 30 days, you’re ready to get started on your official resignation. You can complete the process online or using a paper form.

If expediency is your goal, online filing is often quicker and easier. Head to the Secretary of State’s e-Filing System and click the link for either domestic or foreign LLC. Enter your contact information and follow the onscreen instructions to select the appropriate form and complete the process.

To file a hard copy, get started by downloading the “Resignation of Registered Agent” form from the Secretary of State’s Business Forms page. There are separate forms for each business entity type, so make sure that you choose the one under the Limited Liability Companies section.

Now that you have the form, it’s time to fill it out. You only need to provide a few pieces of information:

  • The LLC name
  • The date you notified the LLC (must be at least 30 days prior to this filing)
  • The address where you sent your written notice to the LLC
  • The date you’d like your resignation to take effect (this is optional – your position will be automatically terminated 30 days after your form is processed)
  • Your signature and the date
  • The signature of an LLC representative acknowledging your resignation

All finished? Don’t send it off just yet. You’ll need to include a $25 filing fee. If submitting online, you can input your credit card information. For mailed submissions, include a check made out to “Oklahoma Secretary of State” and send everything to:

Oklahoma Secretary of State
421 N.W. 13th St., Suite 210
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73103

Online submissions are processed immediately. Standard processing time for mailed forms is 7-10 business days, but if you’re in a hurry, you can pay an additional $25 fee for same-day expedited processing. The resignation won’t take effect until 30 days after it’s processed unless the LLC appoints a new agent sooner. Just be aware that you might still receive service of process for up to a month after you resign.

Handing off Your Responsibilities

When you put down your registered agent responsibilities, someone else has to pick them up, or your LLC will lose its good standing with the state. Help your LLC keep its momentum by carefully planning your transition.

This starts with finding a successor who’s ready to take over right away. Even a small gap in registered agent coverage can result in severe penalties. If your LLC hasn’t appointed a replacement by the time you’re officially off the record, they will receive a warning from the Secretary of State. From that point, they have 60 days to find a successor. Any company that goes more than 60 days without a registered agent on file will be administratively dissolved.

When the LLC does bring on a replacement, they meet Oklahoma’s registered agent requirements, which means they must:

  • Be an individual or business entity residing in Oklahoma
  • Have a physical Oklahoma address (P.O. boxes aren’t allowed)
  • Have a mailing address in Oklahoma
  • Be authorized to do business in Oklahoma, if a foreign entity

Some companies might find it easiest to name an individual member the registered agent and, while this is allowed, it can save time and stress to hire a professional service.

We recommend using a registered agent service, which can take over registered agent duties, freeing up more time for the LLC’s managers to focus on running the business.

Finishing Up

You do a lot for your Oklahoma LLC. You’re essentially the shield that protects it from fines, the filter that catches important documents, the conductor that keeps it on track with compliance.

Because you play such an important role, it’s crucial that you follow the resignation procedures exactly — and potentially provide a replacement agent for the business. Otherwise, you might find yourself and your LLC in hot water.

Follow this guide and you’ll be totally fine. Soon, you’ll be on to your next project, whether that’s starting a new business in Oklahoma or something completely different.

If you need a fresh start and would like to form a brand new LLC, there are plenty of services that can take care of this for you. ZenBusiness and LegalZoom are two very popular options.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.

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Written by Team ZenBusiness

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