How Registered Agent Works

Understand what a registered agent does and how Pluvel handles it.

The state needs someone to accept legal documents for your business. Lawsuit papers, tax notices, compliance reminders — someone has to receive them and make sure you know about them. If that someone isn’t available, you might miss a lawsuit deadline and lose by default.

That’s what a registered agent does. Every LLC and corporation is legally required to have one, and Pluvel handles it so you don’t have to be tied to a physical address during business hours.

What a registered agent does

Your registered agent:

• Receives service of process — If someone sues your business, the lawsuit papers are delivered to your registered agent
• Accepts state correspondence — Annual report notices, tax documents, and compliance reminders
• Maintains a physical address — Must be a street address (not a PO Box) in your state of formation
• Is available during business hours — Someone must be present to accept documents Monday-Friday, 9-5

Why you need one

Every state requires LLCs and corporations to designate a registered agent. The registered agent:

• Creates a reliable contact point for legal matters
• Ensures you don’t miss important deadlines
• Provides an address for your public filings

If you don’t have a registered agent, your business can lose good standing, and you may not receive notice of lawsuits filed against you.

Pluvel as your registered agent

When you form a company through Pluvel or transfer your registered agent service:

What we provide	Details
Physical address	In your state of formation
Document acceptance	Business hours, every business day
Instant notification	Email and dashboard alerts when mail arrives
Digital copies	Scanned documents available immediately
Forwarding	Physical mail forwarded on request
Compliance tracking	We remind you of deadlines

How documents flow

1. Document arrives

   Legal or government mail arrives at our registered agent address.

2. We scan it

   Documents are scanned and digitized within 1 business day.

3. You're notified

   You receive an email and dashboard notification with the scan.

4. Take action

   Review the document and take any required action. We track deadlines for you.

Service of process

If your business is served with a lawsuit:

1. We accept service — The process server delivers papers to our office
2. Immediate notification — You receive an urgent alert (email, SMS if enabled)
3. Scanned copy — Document uploaded to your dashboard within hours
4. Physical forwarding — Original documents shipped to you via overnight mail
5. Deadline tracking — We note the response deadline in your compliance calendar

Service of process triggers immediate notification, not next-business-day. We understand the urgency.

Coverage by state

We provide registered agent service in all 50 states plus Washington DC. If your business is registered in multiple states, we can serve as your agent in each.

Situation	Coverage
Single state	Your formation state
Foreign qualified	Each state where you’re registered
Multiple entities	Each entity can use our service

Included with formation

Registered agent service is included with Pluvel:

• First year free with company formation
• Ongoing — Included in your subscription
• No hidden fees — No per-document charges

Using your own address

You can be your own registered agent, but consider:

Your address	Pluvel as agent
Your address is public record	Our address is listed instead
You must be available 9-5, M-F	We handle availability
Miss a delivery = missed deadline	We never miss deliveries
Home address exposed	Business address only

View your mail

Learn how mail forwarding works.