Part of our guide to the registered agent service in Illinois. More guides on this topic
Every Illinois LLC and corporation has to name a registered agent. It is not a formality. The agent is the person or office the state and the courts use to reach your company, and Illinois requires a real street address in the state, staffed during business hours. A P.O. box does not qualify.
Here is why it matters more than it sounds. If someone sues your business, the lawsuit is delivered to your registered agent. Miss it because no one was at the address, and the case can move forward without you and end in a default judgment. The agent is also where the state sends your annual report notice and your tax mail. It is the one address your company cannot afford to leave unwatched.
You can be your own agent, but your address then becomes public record and you have to be there every weekday to sign for a process server. Most founders would rather keep their home address private and let a staffed office handle it. Lobi Business Compliance will be that office in Chicago, with same-day scans of anything served, for $95 a year per entity. The service is opening soon.
For the full picture, read what a registered agent is responsible for and whether you can be your own agent, or see the registered agent service page.
Part of Lobi Business Compliance, opening soon.