Arkansas Registered Agent: Everything You Need to Know
Arkansas registered agent is an individual or business who has agreed to receive service of process and other legal communication on behalf of the company.3 min read
Arkansas registered agent is an individual or business who has agreed to receive service of process and other legal communication on behalf of the company. An Arkansas registered agent must have a physical address in the state of Arkansas; just having a post office box number is not enough. The agent must be available at the given address to accept service of process during business hours.
What Is Service of Process?
Service of process is the procedure for serving legal notice to a party. Such notices are usually sent along with court documents like summons and lawsuits. Since you must respond to a lawsuit within a limited time, it's important to have a reliable registered agent.
Who Can Be an LLC Registered Agent in Arkansas?
You can assign any of the following as your registered agent in Arkansas:
- Yourself (owner or member of the LLC)
- Any of your friends or family members
- An external, commercial registered agent
Choosing Your Registered Agent
If you have a physical address in the state of Arkansas where you are available during business hours, you can appoint yourself as your company's registered agent. If you don't have a physical address in the state of Arkansas, you can assign a friend or relative who has such address and is available during normal business hours. If you or a friend or relative can't serve as the company's registered agent, you must hire a commercial registered agent.
Risks of Assigning Yourself, Friend, or Relative as a Registered Agent
There are certain risks of assigning yourself or your friend or family member as your company's registered agent. For example, if the state agency is unable to reach your registered agent, it may even dissolve your company. Similarly, if there is a lawsuit against your company and process can't be served at your company's registered agent's address despite several attempts, the court may proceed with the case without your presence, and you may not even to know about it.
A process server may not be able to reach your registered agent for any of the following reasons:
- The assigned agent is not present at the address during working hours.
- The assigned agent is on vacation.
- The agent has moved to some other address, and you forgot to file a change of address with the state.
A commercial registered agent is always more reliable, and many will also help you comply with filing and other legal requirements of your LLC.
Do You Need a Commercial Registered Agent in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, a registered agent can represent any of the following entities:
- Domestic filing entities like LLCs and corporations
- A domestic or qualified foreign limited liability partnership (LLP)
- A qualified foreign entity
- An unincorporated nonprofit association, whether domestic or foreign
- A non-filing domestic entity which has filed an appointment of agent style="display: block; border: medium none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; visibility: visible; width: 617px; background-color: transparent; overflow: hidden; opacity: 0;">