Wisconsin Registered Agent
When You Want More
A Wisconsin registered agent accepts official mail (annual report forms, tax forms, etc.) and service of process (lawsuits) on behalf of a business. When forming a corporation or limited liability company (LLC) in Wisconsin you’ll need to appoint a registered agent on your formation documents. Wisconsin’s business act requires all business entities formed in or authorized to do business in the state to appoint a Wisconsin registered agent.
With our registered agent service, get Privacy by Default®, business address, free mail forwarding, free Phone Service for 60 days, and local Corporate Guides®—only at Northwest.
Everything You Need To Know About Wisconsin Registered Agents:
Get Wisconsin Registered Agent Service
Instant Online
Service
Sign up & immediately get a secure account where you’ll find:
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Wisconsin business forms
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Annual report reminders
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All your scanned & stored documents
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Easy access to all our business services
Do Business
the Right Way
See why the pros choose Northwest:
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Same price every year
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Free limited mail forwarding
- Free 60-day trial of Phone Service
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Privacy by Default®
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Lifetime support from our Corporate Guides®
Wisconsin Registered Agent Service
$ 125 Per Year
Hire Us What Do Wisconsin Registered Agents Do?
At minimum, your Wisconsin registered agent accepts legal documents (service of process) and official mail on behalf of your business at a physical address in the state. This location is known as the registered office.
In other words, your registered agent’s address acts as the official place where any service of process and official mail for your Wisconsin LLC, Wisconsin corporation or Wisconsin nonprofit will be sent.
However, the right registered agent service can do much more. At Northwest, we go above and beyond the minimum to ensure top speed, security, privacy and support.
What Are the Legal Requirements for Wisconsin Registered Agents?
According to Wisconsin Statutes § 183.0105 (for LLCs) and § 180.0501 (for corporations), any resident over the age of 18 can be a registered agent, as well as other business entities authorized to do business in the state. The address of the agent’s registered office (the agent’s official address) must be located within the state, and P.O. boxes are not valid addresses, as the agent’s address must be a physical one. A registered agent must also be available at their registered office during normal business hours and have a reliable way to notify businesses when they’ve received a notification on that business’ behalf.
How Do I Change My Wisconsin Registered Agent?
There are two ways to change your registered agent in Wisconsin.
- Hire us and we’ll complete the change of agent form for you for free.
- Do it yourself and file a Change of Registered Agent form with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. There is a $10 fee to file this form.
What Makes Northwest Different From Other Services?
At Northwest, we do business the right way. We’re dedicated to getting you your docs fast, protecting your privacy and offering you support. Here’s how:
- Same-Day Scans, Instant Notifications: We accept and scan your docs at our local office the same day. We notify you instantly and reach out to you if your essential mail goes unread.
- Privacy by Default®: We automatically minimize the exposure of and access to your personal data. If we can put our address on a public doc instead of yours, we do. If we don’t have to list your personal info, we don’t. We have tough privacy policies to keep your data safe and private. And we never sell your data.
- Free Limited Mail Forwarding: Of course we’ll get you your state and legal mail. That’s our job. But what if we get some of your regular business mail? It happens a lot—clients and businesses trying to connect with you via your registered agent. We scan 5 documents per year for FREE. We can also scan additional mail at a per document rate of $15.
- Corporate Guides®: Have questions? We have answers. Our guides are business experts whose sole job is to provide phone and email support for all your toughest business questions.
Wisconsin Registered Agent FAQs
Why Do I Need A Wisconsin Registered Agent?
When you appoint a registered agent for your LLC or corporation, you are giving that person or business the responsibility to accept official mail and service of process on your business’ behalf. Once your agent accepts your mail, it is their responsibility to deliver it to you, the business owner. The reasoning for registered agents’ existence is the idea that these agents serve as a link in the chain of due process. If your business is sued, before the lawsuit can move forward in court, your business must be officially notified. Registered agents serve as a reliable point of contact, so business owners can’t hide from lawsuits and businesses can’t be sued or dissolved without the business first being notified.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent In Wisconsin?
Yes, you can be your own registered agent in Wisconsin. However, after considering the registered agent requirements most business owners elect to hire a registered agent service instead. Why? Well although being your own registered agent will cost you $0 upfront, a Wisconsin registered agent’s name and address becomes part of the public record. Additionally, the registered agent is required to be available to accept service of process during normal business hours 5 days a week.
Where Is Northwest’s Registered Office In Wisconsin?
We accept and scan all of our Wisconsin clients’ documents on-site at our registered office in Appleton, WI.
Can I Use Your Wisconsin Registered Office Address For Everything On My Business Filing?
Definitely! We’re the only national registered agent service that allows our clients to list our address for everything when you’re doing a filing to keep your private address off public records.
Can I Have My Business’s Mail Delivered To Your Wisconsin Office?
We don’t want ALL of your business mail. It’s not what we do. And it wouldn’t serve you well. You wouldn’t have unique address or suite number. Any mail we receive on your behalf would come to to Northwest Registered Agent, care of you.
But we understand that businesses and clients sometimes reach out to you through your registered agent. Through us. That’s why we give you 5 FREE scans of regular business mail a year. You can request any additional documents to be forwarded at a per document rate of $15.
Should I Hire A Registered Agent Before Or After I Start My Business In Wisconsin?
You should definitely know who your registered agent is before forming your business entity because all states require that you appoint a registered agent on your formation documents. Your registered agent should also be able to help you with your filing.
How Do Wisconsin Registered Agents Get Served?
When your business is sued, a process server will deliver a complaint form and a summons form to your registered agent. Then the agent signs for the documents, acknowledging receipt of the lawsuit (this is what it means to be served). If Northwest is your registered agent, we’ll quickly scan the documents, upload them to your account, and notify you instantly.
How Do I Search For A Wisconsin Registered Agent?
- You can do a Wisconsin business name search on the DFI website
- Type in the company name you are trying to find.
- Look at the WI registered agent name and registered office street address.
NOTE: If you want to legally notify someone through their Wisconsin registered agent service, just send a certified letter directly to the registered agent name and registered office address.
How Do I Resign From Being A Registered Agent In Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, to resign as a registered agent, you need to submit a Resignation of Registered Agent statement (and $10 for processing) to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. For a more detailed walkthrough, you can refer to our guide on how to resign as a registered agent in Wisconsin.
How To Order Wisconsin Registered Agent Service:
You sign up online, clicking on one of the buttons or links that says “HIRE US.”
We collect the first year of the registered agent service fee up front.
For new businesses, we’ll become your Wisconsin registered agent service once your business registration filing with the state is complete.
About a year later, we’ll send you an invoice for another year of Wisconsin registered agent service. If you want to keep using us, great; if you don’t, you can easily cancel.
With offices in every state, we make it easy to add registered agent services anywhere in the country. We don’t farm out work (or your info) to other companies—wherever you are, WE are your registered agent.
We make your account a real go-to resource for you, not just for Wisconsin registered agent service or paying a bill but for keeping up with Wisconsin corporate compliance.
Information Your Wisconsin Registered Agent Should Help You Understand:
- Business filings are submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. The agency encourages online filings when available, typically charging more for paper filings.
- Domestic LLCs cost $130 to file online ($170 paper).
- Domestic corporations, along with foreign LLCs and corporations, pay $100 to file.
- Domestic nonprofits are $35 and foreign nonprofits are $45.
- Your business will also need to file an annual report each year. Filing fees vary depending on entity type. For example, domestic corporations pay $25 online ($45 paper).
At Northwest, we can also form your LLC or form your corporation in Wisconsin for $100 plus state fees. As part of our commitment to Privacy by Default®, we put our business address on your filings to better protect your privacy. And you always have the support of our Corporate Guides®.