New Hampshire Registered Agent

Responsibilities of a New Hampshire Registered Agent

A New Hampshire registered agent's primary responsibility is receiving official documents, such as summons, and other notices from the state, and forwarding them to your organization.

The agent ensures that no critical information is missed, which could otherwise cause legal complications, such as default judgments in case you fail to appear in court or the rejection of formation documents by the state.

New Hampshire Registered Agent Requirements

To be appointed as a registered agent, they must meet specific requirements set by the state. The agent must be 18 years or older and a resident of the state. They need to have a registered office in New Hampshire, and it must be a physical street address—P.O. boxes and virtual addresses are not allowed.

According to Section 293-A:15.07 of the New Hampshire State Law, you have two options when appointing a resident agent:

1. An individual residing in the state, such as an employee, friend, family member, or even yourself
2. A domestic or foreign organization authorized to transact in New Hampshire, including:
1. A corporation (other than yours) formed under the laws of New Hampshire
2. An LLC authorized to do business in the state
3. An LLP formed under the state's laws do business in the state

Keep in mind that each option comes with its pros and cons. For example, appointing an individual is generally inexpensive. However, the person must always be available during business hours, which can be limiting when they have vacations, personal commitments, or unexpected emergencies.

How To Appoint and Change a New Hampshire Registered Agent

To designate a New Hampshire registered agent, you must file the relevant documents with the secretary of state. The specific steps depend on whether you are:

1. Appointing a registered agent during the formation process
2. Changing your registered agent after your business has been formed

Appointing Your Registered Agent for a New Company

Whether you're registering a new organization or foreign qualifying in New Hampshire, you need to appoint a registered agent. Here's how you can do that:

1. Prepare the appropriate formation documents—Prepare the Articles of Incorporation for profit and nonprofit corporations or Articles of Organization for LLCs.
2. List the registered agent—In the formation documents, list the full legal name and physical street address of your chosen registered agent.
3. File the documents—Submit the completed formation documents to the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Corporations Division.

Changing a Registered Agent in New Hampshire

If you wish to change your registered agent after your business is already formed, follow these steps:

1. Fill out the Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent, or Both form—It requires details about your business, the old registered agent's information, and the new registered agent's information.
2. Submit the completed form to the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Corporations Division—You can do this by mail or in person.

Note that there is a $15 filing fee associated with this process.

New Hampshire Registered Agent Service by Harbor Compliance

If you're looking for a reliable partner who will make sure you never miss an important notice, you can't go wrong with Harbor Compliance. We offer a comprehensive Registered Agent Service in New Hampshire, helping you stay on top of legal obligations.

At Harbor Compliance, we have the appropriate systems and processes to ensure you receive legal notices as soon as they're issued, such as:

• Nationwide presence—Harbor Compliance operates in all U.S. territories and states, making us an ideal partner if your business operates in multiple jurisdictions.
• Same-day delivery of notifications—As soon as a legal notice arrives, you'll receive an email notification, ensuring no delay in communication.
• Prompt phone alerts—In case of a lawsuit or other urgent matter, our representatives will promptly reach out by phone to the primary contact associated with your account.
• Secure client portal—All your legal documents are scanned and uploaded to a secure Client Portal so you can access it easily.

Beyond the Registered Agent Service, Harbor Compliance provides a range of solutions for meeting different state regulatory requirements. Check out the table below for a snapshot of our extensive portfolio of services:

Individual NH Registered Agent vs. Harbor Compliance

Even though appointing an individual seems like a simpler and cheaper option than partnering with a commercial resident agent, it comes with several disadvantages, including:

• Limited availability—An individual working alone may not always be available during business hours due to sick leaves, vacations, or emergencies.
• Lack of professional Infrastructure—An individual may not have the necessary systems in place to track multiple legal notices and ensure you receive them on the same day.
• Risk of missed notices—There's a higher risk of missing important notices due to human error or absence.
• Privacy concerns—If you appoint a friend, someone within your organization, or yourself as a registered agent, you risk having lawsuit notices delivered in front of other employees or customers, which can cause discomfort.

Harbor Compliance's robust solution can eliminate these challenges, providing peace of mind. The benefits of engaging with Harbor Compliance include:

• Constant availability—Our team is always present in our local office during business hours, ensuring you don't miss legal notices.
• Centralized platform—All your legal documents are managed and accessible from a single, user-friendly platform
• Industry-standard security—We use advanced security measures to protect your sensitive legal documents, safeguarding your privacy.
• Confidentiality—With Harbor Compliance, your legal notices are received in a professional setting and sent to you via a secure Client Portal that only you can access, maintaining your business's privacy.

How To Appoint Harbor Compliance as Your New Hampshire Registered Agent

You can appoint Harbor Compliance as your New Hampshire Registered Agent in three scenarios:

1. Forming a new organization in New Hampshire
2. Foreign qualifying in New Hampshire
3. Changing your registered agent

Forming a New Organization in New Hampshire

If you're forming a new business in New Hampshire, you can leverage any of our three entity formation services:

1. Incorporation
2. LLC formation
3. Nonprofit formation

Choose the package that suits your business, and we'll complete the steps, including appointing Harbor Compliance as your agent.

If you prefer to complete the formation in-house, you can order our Registered Agent service separately and appoint us in three steps:

1. Sign up for the service
2. Find the address of our New Hampshire office and pre-filled state forms in the Client Portal.
3. Fill out the forms and file them with the secretary of state.

Foreign Qualifying in New Hampshire

Expanding into another jurisdiction can be challenging due to differences in regulatory requirements. To eliminate such setbacks, you can use Harbor Compliance's Foreign Qualification Service.

Complete the signup wizard, and we will:

1. Gather the necessary documents
2. File them with the New Hampshire secretary of state
3. Obtain your New Hampshire certificate of authority
4. Appoint Harbor Compliance as your registered agent at no extra cost for one year

Changing Your Registered Agent

If your current registered agent is not meeting your needs or if you wish to switch from an individual to a professional service, Harbor Compliance provides a Change of Registered Agent Service that can facilitate the change.

To initiate the process, order the Registered Agent Service and opt for the Add Change of Agent Service before checkout. Harbor Compliance will handle the rest, including notifying the New Hampshire secretary of state about the change.

Harbor Compliance—Your Partner in Meeting New Hampshire's Legal Requirements

With Harbor Compliance, you can confidently meet time-sensitive notices and ensure your business operates within the confines of New Hampshire law. Order our Registered Agent Service and see for yourself.

If you need assistance with other regulatory requirements, explore our additional services or try our award-winning compliance platform. Schedule a demonstration to see it in action.

To ensure you meet all statutory obligations, leverage our free Harbor Compliance Score™. For information on registered agent requirements in other jurisdictions, refer to the table below: