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Swyft Filings is committed to providing accurate, reliable information to help you make informed decisions for your business. That's why our content is written and edited by professional editors, writers, and subject matter experts. Learn more about how Swyft Filings works, our editorial team and standards, what our customers think of us, and more on our trust page.
Every limited liability company and corporation in Oregon must have a registered agent. This agent handles much of the company’s important mail, including notifications from the state and legal documents, such as service of process.
Your company must find the right Oregon registered agent. To do that, you need to know the requirements to serve as an agent and how to elect one. This guide discusses those topics and examines the benefits of working with a third-party registered agent.
Key Takeaways
Failure to elect a registered agent in Oregon, or to replace an agent that has left your company, can result in the administrative dissolution of your business.
A company can’t be its own registered agent under Oregon law, although any individual employee or manager of a business can be elected as a registered agent.
A third-party registered agent service helps companies wrangle essential legal documents without bogging down a manager or employee, keeping the latter’s focus on growing the business.
Protect your privacy, avoid compliance issues, and choose a service trusted by over 300,000 businesses.
What Is a Registered Agent?
According to the Oregon Secretary of State’s website, a registered agent may be an individual or registered business entity.[1]
If you choose to have an individual serve as your registered agent in Oregon, that person must live in the state. Furthermore, that person’s business office must be the same as the registered office in the state’s public record.
Business entities, whether domestic or foreign companies, can also serve as registered agents per Oregon law. That means you can elect an Oregon LLC, small business, or multi-national corporation if they have a physical business address in Oregon.
The company you choose must also have authorization from the Secretary of State to conduct business in Oregon.
In all cases, a registered agent takes responsibility for receiving legal documents and other important notifications on your company’s behalf. You need a registered agent to remain in good standing with the state, ensuring you can conduct business in Oregon.
Registered Agent Responsibilities
Any Oregon registered agent you elect has several responsibilities to meet:
Maintain a registered office in the public record with the Oregon Secretary of State
Keep regular business hours to receive notices and similar documents
Handle the receipt, processing, and forwarding of essential documents
It’s also important to note that your registered agent is responsible for maintaining a physical business address to serve as their registered address. Your agent can’t use a mailing service or P.O. Box to receive mail.
Choosing Your Oregon Registered Agent
Now that you understand the role a registered agent plays in Oregon, you likely have one question on your mind: How do you choose your registered agent?
Oregon Registered Agent Requirements
Any individual living in Oregon or business entity authorized to conduct business in Oregon can be a registered agent in the state. In the case of business entities, the company you choose must be in good standing with the Secretary of State. Failure to elect a registered agent in good standing means that you’ve failed to elect an agent at all.
You must have a registered agent regardless of your business type. As a result, a limited liability company (LLC) has as much responsibility to maintain an agent as a corporation or nonprofit business.
You must name your company’s registered agent on its formation documents, which you submit to the Oregon Secretary of State. You’ll usually have to pay state fees to submit these documents and receive consent to elect an agent directly from the proposed agent.
Finally, the state requires your registered agent to have a registered office, which is placed on the public record. This office must be a physical street address that houses somebody who can accept mail on your company’s behalf.
What Happens if You Don’t Have a Registered Agent?
Failing to maintain an Oregon registered agent could prevent your company from receiving notifications of pending legal actions such as service of process. A service of process is a notification of somebody’s intent to sue your business. If you don’t receive that document, you’re not in a position to defend against the claim.
The state of Oregon also enacts harsh penalties on any business that doesn’t have a registered agent.
For example, your registered agent may resign at any point. You must elect a new agent or face administrative dissolution if this occurs. Dissolution means your company is no longer in good standing with the state, meaning it can’t transact business in Oregon.
Can I Be My Own Oregon Registered Agent?
Oregon doesn’t allow a business entity to act as its own registered agent. However, it does allow the manager or an agent of your company to serve as the agent.[2]
Anybody who works for your company, including you, can take on the responsibilities of a registered agent. If you wish to have a business entity act as your registered agent, you must work with a third party.
But why would you consider working as your own registered agent? There are a couple of benefits to keep in mind:
You save money on hiring a registered agent service
You ensure all necessary documents come directly to your office address
While these are attractive benefits, there are also several downsides to serving as your own registered agent:
You must maintain a physical office address that stays open during regular business hours
Your office address becomes a matter of public record, opening you up to junk mail
You may receive sensitive documents at inopportune times
You may not have access to employees with the expertise to serve as registered agents
Benefits of a Third-Party Registered Agent
Working as your own registered agent requires you to assume many time-consuming responsibilities. Likewise, suppose you elect one of your employees as a registered agent. In that case, they’ll have to split their time between these responsibilities and the other work they do for your company.
Working with a third-party Oregon registered agent service, such as Swyft Filings, removes these burdens from your shoulders. It also comes with several benefits for your business.
1. Not Worrying About Regular Business Hours
Imagine that you’re a business owner who travels a lot for work. Alternatively, you operate a business that opens primarily during the evening or night.
Keeping regular business hours in these situations is impractical. Your company might need to stay open during irregular hours to receive mail.
The best Oregon registered agent services are open during regular business hours, allowing you to control when and how your own business operates.
2. Enhanced Privacy
Think of a third-party registered agent service as a giant barrier around your company. The service only opens the gate to that barrier when vital documents, such as legal notices, arrive.
Why is that a good thing?
As your registered address is on the public record, any marketer, individual, or business entity in Oregon can access it. Your company may receive a lot of junk mail that obscures the essential documents you need to see.
A barrier ensures privacy by allowing your company to operate without placing its address on the public record.
3. Expert Point of Contact
Many small businesses don’t have legal or accounting departments. Sometimes, the business owner handles the paperwork related to those issues. Unfortunately, many don’t have the expertise required to do so efficiently. Plus, those who do may prefer to focus their energy on building their company.
A third-party registered agent service is your company’s point of contact. In addition to keeping you in good standing with the state, your agent can advise you on the documents it forwards to your business.
As a result, you always have an expert to walk you through any issues you may find confusing or frustrating. Furthermore, it’s harder to accidentally overlook important documents when working with an expert.
4. More Control Over Your Business
The freedom of choosing unique business hours isn’t the only way a third-party registered agent gives you more control over your business.
What if you want to move offices?
Suppose you’re serving as your own registered agent. In that case, you must file papers with the Secretary of State to register your new office. That adds an extra layer of paperwork when you’re already handling a complex move.
Alternatively, imagine somebody sends a service of process to your company.
That document may arrive when you’re meeting a client or when you’re in a meeting with employees. Receiving such a sensitive document in public could lead to the loss of business or rumors spreading around the office, affecting your control over your own company.
Simply put, an Oregon registered agent service provides the stability needed so you don’t have to worry about these issues. Our reliable and affordable registered agent service is available in all 50 states. We’ll give you more time to focus on your business while guaranteeing privacy, compliance, and accuracy.
How To Set Up Your Oregon Registered Agent
If you’re a new entrepreneur, you need to know how to elect an Oregon registered agent for your fledgling business.
But business owners who have established Oregon LLCs and corporations aren’t out of the woods. If your registered agent leaves, you fall out of good standing with the state. That means you also need to know how to change your registered agent if the time comes.
Electing an Oregon Registered Agent
The process for electing an Oregon registered agent varies depending on your company’s business entity type. Though the forms you complete differ, the delivery method is the same.
We’ll fill out the relevant form, file it with the state, and fulfill your registered agent requirement for your new business. Alternatively, you can file the form with the Secretary of State on your own,
If you wish to send your forms by mail, you must send them to the following address:
Oregon Secretary of State
Corporation Division
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310-1327
You can also file your forms online using the Oregon Business Registry website. Note that you’ll need to set up an online account before filing.
Electing a Registered Agent for an Oregon LLC
In Oregon, an LLC elects a registered agent when completing formation documents. Specifically, you must complete Articles 4 and 5 of your LLC Articles of Organization to select an agent.[3]
The state fees for filing this form are $100, regardless of whether you file online or by mail.
Electing a Registered Agent for an Oregon Corporation
Corporations select a registered agent in Oregon by filling out Articles 3 and 4 of your Articles of Incorporation.[4]
Much like with an LLC, the filing fees for a corporation come to $100 no matter how you file your forms.
Electing a Registered Agent for an Oregon Nonprofit
Those founding a nonprofit business also have a form to fill out. Use the Articles of Incorporation - Nonprofit form, completing Articles 2 and 3 to elect your registered agent.
The filing fees for a nonprofit are lower than for-profit businesses, coming in at $50.
Changing an Oregon Registered Agent
You may have occasion to change your Oregon registered agent. For example, your existing agent may leave your company or the state, necessitating the election of a new one.
Thankfully, electing a new agent is a simple case of completing a single form. If you choose Swyft Filings as your registered agent, we’ll handle this change for you. Otherwise, you can fill out the Corporation/LLC - Information Change form and submit it to the Oregon Secretary of State by mail or online.
There are no state fees attached to this form, meaning your Oregon LLC or corporation can change its registered agent without cost at any time.
Avoid Penalties: Every business is legally required to have a registered agent in any state where it operates.
Prioritize Your Privacy: We go on record with the government so you don’t have to, meaning any legal actions come to us, not your home or office.
Stay Flexible: We are always available at a physical address during business hours, so you’ll never miss an official notice.
FAQs
Who can be an Oregon registered agent?
Any individual who resides in Oregon and any business entity authorized to do business in the state can serve as an Oregon registered agent. However, your business can’t serve as its own registered agent.
How much does a registered agent in Oregon cost?
Fees vary depending on the service provider. At Swyft Filings, our registered agent service starts from a flat fee of $149 per year.
How can I change my registered agent in Oregon?
You can change your Oregon registered agent by completing and filing the Corporation/LLC - Information Change form.
How can I find a registered agent in Oregon?
You can use the Oregon Secretary of State’s Corporation Division database to find a registered agent in Oregon.
What is an Oregon registered office?
A registered office is your registered agent’s physical street address. This office is placed on the public record, allowing anybody in the state to find the address.
What’s the difference between a registered agent and a resident agent or statutory agent?
Usually, registered, resident, and statutory agents are synonyms for the same role. But a resident agent may also have the authority to represent a property’s interests despite not owning that property.
What is a registered agent service?
A registered agent service is a third party that fulfills the registered agent requirements on behalf of the business. Swyft Filings offers a reliable registered agent service that maintains your privacy, provides immediate access to vital documents, and gives you more time to focus on your business.
Bibliography
Oregon Secretary of State. “Registered Agents and Service of Process.” Accessed December 14, 2022.
OregonLaws. “ORS 60.111.” Accessed December 14, 2022.
Oregon Secretary of State. “Articles of Organization - Limited Liability Company.” Accessed December 14, 2022.
Oregon Secretary of State. “Articles of Incorporation.” Accessed December 14, 2022.
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