Every limited liability company operating in the United States needs to designate a registered agent. Even after you identify your initial registered agent in your formation paperwork, filed on your own or through a KS LLC service, there are several reasons for why you may need to change the registered agent for your LLC in Kansas.
Your registered agent could be moving out of state, or they could be a former co-owner or employee who no longer works for your organization. Maybe you want to switch from an individual registered agent to a professional service that operates in all 50 states, or perhaps you’re simply unsatisfied with your current registered agent’s service.
Whatever the reason may be, each state allows you to change your registered agent at any time, and in most states the process is both simple and inexpensive. Let’s dive into the specifics of how to change your LLC’s registered agent in Kansas.
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3 Steps to Change Your Kansas Registered Agent
Thankfully, changing your registered agent in Kansas isn’t a terribly complicated process. If you know the steps to follow, it’s a cinch:
1.) Gather contact information for your new agent:
This might seem like fairly basic information, but the state requires you to gather the name and business address of your new agent. You also need to know your business’s ID number. If you don’t have this information immediately on hand, you’ll need to get it before proceeding.
2.) Obtain the proper forms:
In Kansas, your only option for changing your registered agent is to file a Change of Registered Office/Resident Agent form. Thankfully, you can submit it in two ways: online or using a paper method. From there, it’s as simple as filling out the required information!
3.) Submit the completed form to the Secretary of State:
If you’re filing online, this step is as simple as hitting the submit button. But if you’re filing with a paper method, you’ll need to send it in through mail. Either way, your completed form needs to be accompanied by the appropriate filing fee. Online filings cost $30, and mail filings cost $35.
That’s all there is to it! Once the state receives and processes your documents, you’ll have yourself a new registered agent.
Important Kansas Registered Agent Do’s and Don’ts
Want to make your registered agent switch a perfect success? If you follow the steps above, you’ll be off to a great start. But there are a few other things to keep in mind to keep things running smoothly—before, during, and after the switch.
DO follow state regulations when appointing a new agent.
When it all comes down to it, the state of Kansas isn’t incredibly picky about who can be your registered agent, but they still have some rules they want you to follow. If you want to read the official statutes, you can find them here. But you’re probably pretty busy (and legalese can be overwhelming!), so here are the essentials:
- Can be an individual resident of the state (including yourself)
- OR a business entity registered to do business in the state (can be the entity itself, although that’s not recommended)
- Must maintain a physical address in the state (not a P.O. box)
- Be present at that address to accept service of process and official communications at that address during regular business hours
As long as you meet those requirements, you can pick just about anyone to serve as your own registered agent.
DO pick the right agent for your business goals
Before you opt to serve as your own registered agent or hire a registered agent service, you’ll want to consider the right agent for your unique needs. After all, agents aren’t “one-size-fits-all.” Some businesses might benefit from having the owner or an employee serving as their own agent. Others might opt to have a local, Kansas-dedicated registered agent service. And lots of LLCs in KS choose to work with a national service that covers businesses in all 50 states.
There’s not really a wrong answer here. Well, the only wrong answer is not hiring one. That would put you in non-compliance. That said, you should think about your long-term vision for your business when picking a registered agent.
For example, if you want to expand into other states later on, you should pick a service that covers multiple states. That way, you wouldn’t have to hire another service when you joined a new state. You’d just have your pre-existing agent serve you in that state, too.
DON’T confuse your filing options
Even though there’s only one form type to file for the registered agent change, don’t get confused by all the ways you can file it. We recommend picking your favorite method before you even start the process. That way, you won’t change your mind halfway through the process and have to start over.
Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that the way you file your form will affect how quickly your documents are processed. Online filings are processed immediately, and mailed-in filings will be processed within 2-3 business days of receiving them. So if you’re in a complete rush, you’ll want to file online.
DON’T forget to keep both your new and old registered agent in the loop
This might seem like a common courtesy, but when you switch registered agents, you should chat with both (unless, of course, you’re serving as your own agent). Obviously, you’ll talk with your new agent to let them know you’ll require their services. That way, you’ll be able to discuss your business’s needs, your registered agent’s fees, and so on.
But be sure to touch base with your previous agent, too. This is especially important if you’re paying someone to serve as your registered agent. You’ll want to wrap up any payment obligations, including canceling any automatic payments you’ve set up. And even if a friend or family member was acting as your agent for free, you should let him or her know your plans to avoid any confusion.
Getting Help: Hiring a Registered Agent Service
A registered agent service is a company that specializes in being a registered agent for a wide variety of businesses across the country, bringing tons of expertise and a healthy dose of reliability to the role.
Most professional registered agent services operate on a national basis, meaning there’s no restrictions on which states you can operate your business in. They also tend to charge affordable rates, as you can find several registered agent services that charge around $10/month or even less for this service. In addition, most of these companies will also offer to handle the process of changing a registered agent for you.
If you’re interested, compare options like Zen Business, LegalZoom and Northwest Registered Agent to see which is ideal for you.
Conclusion
Since the registered agent is such a vital part of any business, it’s crucial to get it right whenever you decide to switch agents. We hope this article helped you improve your understanding of changing a registered agent in Kansas. If you’d like more assistance, there are plenty of business services online that can help with changing your agent or even filing an LLC. And, as always, we thank you for choosing Registered Agent Ready!