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Florida registered agent

Every Florida company must keep a physical address in the state and someone there to receive official notices. If that address stops working, the notices stop arriving — and in September the state dissolves the company before anyone notices.

Let’s start with the basics

What is a registered agent?

It is the person or entity designated to receive service of process and official communications addressed to your company in Florida, at a physical address in the state that becomes part of the public record. §607.0501(1) requires every corporation to designate and continuously maintain a registered office and a registered agent; §605.0113(1) imposes the same requirement on LLCs.

What it does

Receives service of process if someone sues your company
Receives communications from the Florida Department of State
Receives the Annual Report notice and other filing deadline reminders
Immediately forwards what it receives to the person you designate
Signs the written acceptance of the appointment filed with the department
Maintains a physical address in Florida, available during business hours

What it does not do

It does not receive IRS notices: the IRS does not send notices through the registered agent but to the address on file in its own records
It does not keep the company’s books or file its taxes
It is not the owner, the manager or a general point of contact for the company
It does not make decisions for the company or represent it in business dealings
It does not replace a business address or an operating office
It does not give legal advice about what it receives

This distinction matters: a common myth online says the registered agent is “the one who gets the IRS mail.” It isn’t. Its role covers the state registry and legal process.

What clients tell us

Where it really hurts

“I never got the notice”

The mail went to an old address or to an agent who stopped responding. The result is the same: the company finds out once it has already been dissolved.

“My agent disappeared”

They moved, closed or stopped answering. Being left without an agent is in itself grounds for administrative dissolution (§607.1420(1)(c)).

“I used a friend’s address”

That works until the friend moves, has a falling-out with you or simply doesn’t open an envelope addressed to someone else. That’s how service of process gets lost.

“I live abroad and have no address here”

The law requires a physical address in Florida, with someone available during business hours. A PO box won’t do.

“I only own an apartment in Miami”

Even if you don’t do business here, owning real property in Florida, or holding a mortgage on it, already triggers the requirement (§607.0505(1)(a)).

“I don’t want my home address in a public registry”

The registered agent’s address is public and anyone can look it up. Many people only realize it once their address is already on the record.

Problem by problem

What we do about each one

“I never got the notice”
Mail arrives at a physical office staffed by real people, and anything received in your name is forwarded to you immediately through the channel you prefer.
“My agent disappeared”
We file the change of agent with the Department of State and take on the role with the written acceptance required by §607.0501(3) and §605.0113(2).
“I used a friend’s address”
We replace it with a stable professional address that doesn’t depend on someone still living where they used to live.
“I live abroad”
That is exactly what this service is for: we provide the Florida presence the law requires, without you having to travel or rent anything.
“I only own property”
You’re covered too. The requirement in §607.0505(1)(a) applies to anyone who owns real property in Florida or holds a mortgage on it, even if they don’t do business here.
“I don’t want my home address in a public registry”
The address on the public record becomes ours: 175 SW 7th St, Suite 1905, Miami.

The requirements

What the law requires of a registered agent

Florida residence. §607.0501(1)(b) allows the agent to be an individual who resides in the state, or another authorized entity, always with a business address identical to the registered office. The law doesn’t require US citizenship; it requires presence in Florida.
A physical address, not a PO box. The registered office can be the same as the company’s address in the state, but it has to be a real street address.
Written acceptance. §607.0501(3) and §605.0113(2): the agent files a written statement with the department accepting the appointment.
Continuously. Designating an agent once is not enough: the law says “designate and continuously maintain.” The day you’re left without one, the trouble begins.
Out-of-state companies too. §607.1507(1) requires an authorized foreign corporation to maintain a registered office and registered agent in Florida.

The real consequence

What happens if you have no registered agent

It is grounds for administrative dissolution. §607.1420(1)(c): the department may dissolve a corporation that fails to designate and maintain a registered agent and registered office.
So is failing to report a change. §607.1420(1)(d): you have 30 days to file the statement of change when the agent’s name or address changes.
There’s a financial penalty too. §607.0505(1)(b) sets a penalty for each year, or part of a year, of non-compliance — but the statute itself says that liability is fully waived once you come into compliance. Getting current doesn’t just protect the future: it wipes out the past.
Worst of all, you can miss service of process. A lawsuit served on an agent who no longer exists can end in a judgment entered without anyone at the company ever finding out.

How we get started

The process, in four steps

We review where you stand today

We check the public record: who is listed as agent, which address is on file and whether a deadline is coming up.

We accept and file the appointment

We sign the written acceptance of the appointment and file the designation or change with the Department of State.

We set up how we notify you

We agree on whom to notify, and how, the moment anything arrives in the company’s name. No middlemen, no delays.

We keep your calendar on track

We keep track of the Annual Report and other filing dates, which is where most companies slip.

Frequently asked questions

What clients ask us most

What exactly is a registered agent?

It is the person or entity designated to receive service of process and official communications addressed to the company in Florida, at a physical address in the state that appears in the public record. §607.0501(1) requires every corporation to designate one and maintain it continuously.

Does the registered agent receive IRS letters?

No, and that’s a very common misconception. The IRS sends notices to the address in its own records, not through the registered agent. The agent’s role covers the state registry and legal process: service of process and communications from the Florida Department of State.

Is it mandatory?

Yes. §607.0501(1) requires it for corporations, and §605.0113(1) for LLCs and foreign LLCs with a Certificate of Authority. §607.1507(1) also requires it for a foreign corporation authorized to do business in the state.

Can I be my own registered agent?

If you reside in Florida and have a physical address in the state that matches the registered office, yes. What the law requires is not US citizenship but residence here. Keep in mind that the address becomes public.

I live outside the United States. Can I be the agent?

No, because you don’t meet the Florida residence requirement. In that case you need to designate an individual who resides in the state or an authorized entity with an address here. That is exactly what this service is for.

Is a PO box acceptable?

No. The law refers to a registered office with an address in the state, identical to the agent’s business address, and the whole point is that someone is there to accept service of process during business hours.

What happens if I don’t have a registered agent?

It is grounds for administrative dissolution (§607.1420(1)(c)) and triggers a penalty for each year, or part of a year, of non-compliance (§607.0505(1)(b)). The good news is that this liability is fully waived once you come into compliance.

I own an apartment in Miami but don’t do business here. Does this affect me?

Yes. §607.0505(1)(a) extends the requirement to every corporation, foreign corporation or foreign business organization that owns real property in Florida or holds a mortgage on real property in the state, even if it doesn’t do business here.

Can I change my registered agent?

Yes, and it is a routine filing. The change has to be filed with the Department of State, and you shouldn’t let it slide: under §607.1420(1)(d), failing to file the statement of change within 30 days after the agent’s name or address changes is grounds for dissolution.

Is the agent’s address public?

Yes. It appears in the Department of State’s records and anyone can look it up. It is one of the reasons many people prefer not to use their home address.

Does the registered agent serve as my company’s address?

No, those are separate things. The registered agent covers the legal requirement to receive documents; a business address, or using an address for other purposes, is arranged separately and is not included by default.

What if my company has already been dissolved for not having an agent?

Then the path is reinstatement. §607.1422 allows you to apply at any time, and in fact the application must be signed by the registered agent together with an officer or director: without an agent, you can’t even file it.