What is a registered agent?
The licensed party that receives legal and government mail for your entity — required in most US states, and included in your formation.
A registered agent is the party officially designated to receive legal documents and government correspondence on behalf of your company — things like state notices, service of process, and annual-report reminders. Most US states require every registered entity to name one, with a physical address in the state of formation.
What the registered agent does
- Receives official mail — state filings, tax notices, and legal service — at a real in-state address.
- Forwards it to you so nothing important is missed, wherever in the world you live.
- Keeps your address off the public record in states like Wyoming where privacy matters.
- Maintains a registered office for the entity, as the law requires.
Being the agent of record is a role the law reserves for a qualified, in-jurisdiction party — so FormBridge uses a vetted registered-agent partner rather than an AI. The Formation agent files the paperwork; the licensed partner serves as your agent of record. This is the same pattern FormBridge uses everywhere a license is legally required.
A registered agent is included when you form a US entity, and its renewal is one of the recurring obligations the Compliance agent tracks for you. UK and UAE entities use the equivalent registered-office arrangements for their jurisdictions.
You'll see your registered agent listed on your company page, and any mail it forwards surfaces in your dashboard rather than getting lost in the post.
Read more about the licensed-partner model in how the autopilots work.