Generally speaking, if you own a business entity, you likely need a registered agent. Most states require a registered agent’s address to be an actual physical address. If you have a registered agent, you may wonder if that physical address is also meant to be your business address.
I’m here to clear up any confusion you may have and give you all the details you need about your registered agent address, your business address, and whether you can use your registered agent address as your company’s business address.
Can My Registered Agent Address Be Used as My Business Address?
In most places, yes. You’re allowed to use your registered agent’s address as your business address.
But, to paraphrase a quote from Jeff Goldblum’s iconic Jurassic Park character, many business owners are so preoccupied with finding out whether they could use a registered agent address as their business address that they don’t stop to think if they should. It can be a lifesaver for some business owners, but there are some disadvantages that make it a bad idea for others..
What Is a Principal Business Address?
You may wonder what the difference between a business address and your principal business address is. Your principal address may be referred to as something different in your state, like a principal office address, corporate address, or principal place of business.
In simple terms, your business address is the address you list on your formation documents for your business, and is your business mailing address — where all of your company’s mail is sent. Your principal place of business is your main office. It’s where all the work or business happens. These two places are not always the same — though, of course, they often are.
Some companies, LLCs, or corporations have headquarters miles, or even states, away from their principal business address. Courts have called it the “nerve center” of the business, and that’s a pretty good analogy.
What Is a Registered Agent Address?
Your registered agent address is a physical address where all the official mail for your business is sent. This includes things from the Secretary of State or other government agencies, as well as law firms and other business entities. This includes important legal documents and service of process.
Your registered agent address isn’t necessarily the same as your principal business address, although it can be in some instances. It’s where your registered agent will receive service of process and mail for your company during normal business hours.
If you’re your own registered agent, then your registered agent address and your business address are going to be the same on paper. But if you use a registered agent service, your registered agent’s address should only be used for official correspondence, legal documents, and certain types of business mail.
When Should You Use a Registered Agent Address as Your Business Address?
There are two situations in which it makes sense to use your agent’s address as your business address.
The first situation is if you choose to be your own registered agent. Sadly, there are several disadvantages to being your own agent that make this a last-result option for many business owners, such as your home address being listed on the public record if your company lacks a physical location.
The second situation is if your business is located in a place that won’t allow you to use a virtual business address or virtual office.
If you’ve chosen a registered agent service and want to use its address as your business address, then you need to let them know so that address can go on your formation documents and filings.
But be aware, not all registered agent services allow you to use their address as your business address. So if this is something you want, talk to your registered agent service provider about it.
When NOT to Use Your Registered Agent Address as Your Business Address
It’s generally permissible, as well as a good idea, to use your registered agent address on formation and other official documents for your business, as long as your registered agent agrees to that arrangement. But there are a few situations where you can’t or shouldn’t use your registered agent’s address as your business address.
- Don’t use your registered agent address on business cards, your business’s website, or anywhere else that could lead to regular mail being sent to your registered agent.
- Don’t use your registered agent address on any IRS forms, such as your EIN application.
- Don’t use your registered agent address when applying for a business bank account.
- Don’t use your registered agent address as a billing or shipping address for purchases.
Alternatives for Your Business Address
If you find yourself in a situation where you either don’t want to use your registered agent address as your business address or aren’t allowed, then you have a few options available to you. It’s a relief to know that you won’t have to list your home address as your business address, huh? Here are some address alternatives to consider.
Virtual Address
A virtual business address is a physical mailing address, and you’re legally allowed to use one as a business address in some states. Using a virtual address means you can choose the location of your business address, which is important in some instances.
For example, there’s a publication requirement for LLCs in New York, which means they’re required to publish an announcement about the formation of their LLCs for a specific number of weeks to complete the formation process. But the prices of these publications can differ greatly depending on which city you publish in.
Publication costs in New York City can exceed $1,000. Many registered agent services in New York advertise addresses in Albany county because publishing in newspapers there is less expensive. This is one example of how a virtual address could save your company some money.
If you choose a popular downtown location full of successful businesses, then it could give the appearance that your business is both reputable and able to compete with other local businesses.
Just to clarify, you won’t actually visit this address. In most instances, your mail isn’t even sent here — unless you use the winning combination of a virtual address and a virtual mailbox.
You should know that some states don’t allow businesses to use a virtual address as their registered agent address. If you’re your own registered agent and need a business address, read up on state laws to find out if you can use a virtual address.
Virtual Mailbox
A virtual mailbox is a physical mailing address that includes a box, like a PO box. In fact, it works a lot like a PO box in that your mail is sent to a different location and you can pick it up. But these companies will also take pictures of your mail and upload it to an app that allows you to sort it using your computer or device.
From there, you can decide to have your business mail and packages forwarded to you, saved to the online storage system, or pick them up yourself. If you notice something in the pictures that doesn’t seem important, such as junk mail, you can check an option and the company will shred it for you.
Most registered agent services now have virtual mailbox systems.
If you use a virtual address, then a virtual mailbox service can make it far more versatile and useful. You can use the virtual address to make your business look more professional, and use the virtual mailbox to make the virtual address functional.
Virtual Office
A virtual office is the best of both worlds. It’s not just a physical address, it’s an entire office building. Of course, a third-party company owns and maintains the building, not you, but you’re able to use it as your business address.
But it goes so much further than being your business address! This is office space that you can actually utilize. If you don’t have an office at your business, or if you own a home-based business and need to use an office, you can use a virtual office.
If you need a place to meet with clients and don’t want to do it in your living or dining room, you can use your virtual office for this, too. And you can hold meetings with your employees as well. The building comes complete with offices, conference rooms, and a receptionist. Your company’s name is even listed on the building directory.
This is the best option for any company that is in need of office space as well as a business address.
Virtual Office Space
Full disclosure: you can’t use this as your business address. But it’s closely related to the other alternatives on this list, and we wanted to include it so that you’d know what it is and not confuse it for other options. As a matter of fact, there’s a lot of information online that mistakes virtual offices with virtual office spaces.
A virtual workspace is an online service that allows businesses and employees to work online. It creates a place where people can work together and collaborate on projects, even if they live on opposite corners of the globe. These workspaces can be used to develop a team-based work environment for remote workers.
Conclusion
In many states, you’re allowed to use a registered agent address as a business address. But just because it’s an option doesn’t make it the best option. And even if you’re your own registered agent, using a registered agent address as your official company address should be a last resort option.
If you’d like to learn more about registered agent services, read my guide on the Best Registered Agent Services. If you haven’t chosen a business structure yet and are interested in LLC formation, check out How to Start an LLC. And if you’d like additional guidance through the complicated formation process, read my guide on the Best LLC Formation Services.
