Registered Agent Services
Every Washington corporation and LLC must have a registered agent
for service of process. Service of process is the procedure
by
which a person is given legal notice. Legal papers
(“process”)
are
given (“served”) to a person. For individuals, process is
served
on the person himself. For entities like corporations and
LLCs,
process is usually served on the registered agent. (Note:
there are other
valid ways to serve a corporation or LLC, but service on the registered
agent is the standard method.)
In Washington,
the
registered agent must have a specific geographic location
– post office boxes are not allowed. (
RCW
23B.05.010 and
25.15.20)
This requirement implicates privacy concerns, because the address for
the registered agent is publicly displayed on the Washington Secretary
of State web site. For many small corporations and LLCs, this
will mean displaying an owner’s home address.
For $50 per year,
Burkhart and Burkhart, PLLC will serve as registered agent for
your Washington corporation or LLC. We also serve as
registered
agent for "foreign" entities chartered in other states. Our firm
receives process when it is served, and we coordinate the filing of
required annual reports.
The advantages of having Burkhart and Burkhart designated as your
registered agent include:
- We assist you with the annual reporting requirements.
We provide you a reminder when the state notifies us that your reports
are due, and we give you instructions.
- Our street
address is displayed publicly on the Washington Secretary of
State web site, not your home address.
- In
the event that legal process is served on your entity, it is
immediately in the hands of attorneys who know what needs to be done.
A note about “Governing
Persons”
The
Washington Secretary of State web site also displays “governing
persons.” For corporations, these are officers; for LLCs,
these
are members or managers. The Secretary of State lists the
governing persons who are listed on the entity’s annual
reports.
See this
example
of a famous Washington corporation. Post office
boxes
are
allowed, so a person’s home address need not be displayed.
Contact Us
Phone:
(509) 529-0630
Fax:
(509) 525-0630
Mail:
PO Box 946
Walla Walla, WA 99362
In Person:
6½ N. 2nd Avenue, Suite 200
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Map
E-Mail:
