Charitable Registered Agent
A charitable registered agent is the legally designated point of contact for your nonprofit. The registered agent receives important legal notices, such as service of process, on behalf of your organization. In most states, the registered agent must have a physical location in the state and be available during regular business hours. Be sure to choose a charitable registered agent that can forward crucial documents to you in a timely manner. (There are exceptions. Be sure to review the charitable registered agent chart below to see requirements for your state.)
- Jump To:
- Is a registered agent required for fundraising registration?
- When is a charitable registered agent required?
- How to choose a reliable charitable registered agent
You may have discovered the term registered agent while registering to fundraise in a new state. This is known as charitable solicitation registration. These registrations typically take place with the state attorney general.
You may have also learned the term while incorporating your nonprofit or expanding to a new state. This is known as legal entity registration. These registrations typically happen with the secretary of state.
Your nonprofit may need a registered agent for both purposes. Keep reading to learn about registered agent requirements when registering to fundraise. To learn about registered agents for your nonprofit legal entity, visit our nonprofit registered agent page.
Is a registered agent required for fundraising registration?
Yes. As many as 18 states currently require a registered agent when registering to fundraise. In some states, a registered agent is always required. In others, the nonprofit may designate the state charity official as its registered agent. In the rest, the nonprofit may not be required to appoint a registered agent because of its unique situation. Keep reading for our table of state-specific charitable registered agent requirements.
Harbor Compliance provides registered agent service in every state. Our local offices are staffed during all regular business hours to receive documents on behalf of your organization. We help ensure you receive your documents in any state where you register to solicit.
When is a charitable registered agent required?
Many states require nonprofits to appoint a registered agent when registering to solicit. These appointments take place with the state charity official, such as the attorney general. They are known as special agency appointments or special agency representation.
Reading through state-specific registration forms or the Unified Registration Statement (URS) can be overwhelming. The instructions for when a registered agent is required are often unclear. But the table below provides the charitable agent requirements by state, to help eliminate any confusion.
Charitable registered agent requirements by state
The following table provides the registered agent requirements for each state. Please note that every organization has a unique situation. We encourage you to review these requirements with your legal counsel.
Disclaimer: We mention the URS in the two states that may require it, but many states no longer accept the URS. The URS form itself is longer and more complicated than the state-specific forms. In general, filing state-specific applications also results in faster state processing times.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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How to choose a reliable charitable registered agent
Harbor Compliance is a national nonprofit registered agent provider. With our service, you benefit from a reliable, local presence in every state. Our nationwide offices receive and scan documents electronically and notify you the same day. We eliminate the need to file change paperwork with state charity officials each time you move. Registered agent service includes complimentary access to our award-winning Entity Manager Software.
- Nationwide Presence: We provide local registered offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. These offices are open during all regular business hours to receive legal and government notices.
- Same-Day Document Delivery: We scan your documents locally and deliver them to you electronically. With customizable notifications, you will never miss a delivery when you are on the go.
- Secure Client Portal: Manage your registered agent service in a secure, cloud-based Client Portal. Easily configure notifications to alert colleagues and legal counsel of service of process.
- Annual, Flat-Rate Service: We offer flat-rate registered agent service with no hidden fees. Invoices are accurate and easy to understand. Includes free document scanning.
The right charitable registered agent helps your organization comply with state solicitation requirements. As you engage with donors and fundraise online, our comprehensive fundraising compliance service allows you to grow seamlessly into any state.
