How to Find the Best Registered Agent in Vermont
Recommended services
This guide will help you find the best registered agent in Vermont. We’ll explore key factors to consider, evaluate top providers, and equip you with the knowledge to make an informed decision for your business’s registered agent needs.
Jump to
What is a registered agent?
Vermont Statutes Title 11A, Chapter 005 requires businesses formed in the state to appoint and maintain a registered to remain in good standing.
According to the Vermont Secretary of State, a registered agent is a person or business entity that accepts services of process and official correspondence for a business organization.
The Vermont Secretary of State Corporations Division requires a business to appoint a registered agent so that they know someone is always physically available to receive legal notices and important documents, including:
- Articles of Organization – the formation documents for limited liability companies (LLCs)
- Articles of Incorporation – the documents a Vermont corporation submits upon formation
- Annual report fee – due within 2 1/2 months of the end of a business’s fiscal year
- Certificate of Fact– proof of good standing in Vermont
- Business entity income tax– is expected by the 15th day of the 4th month after the taxable year ends
A registered agent is a physical address in Vermont
Registered agents in Vermont must be physically present in Vermont to accept official notices from the Secretary of State Corporations Division and other official correspondence during normal business hours.
You can list the registered agent’s street address in the public record rather than a private office or home address.
An agent is the point of contact
Registered agents accept time-sensitive legal documents, including subpoenas, that require a prompt response.
The state of Vermont gives a person or business ten days to respond to a legal summons.
The appointment of a registered agent service helps protect you against default judgments and contempt of court by notifying you immediately about any service of process.
Commercial registered agents are an up-to-date compliance calendar
The annual report fee is due within 2 1/2 months of the following fiscal year, which isn’t always easy to track.
Forgetting to pay the fee on time can result in losing good standing and asset protection in Vermont.
Professional registered agent services maintain a Vermont compliance calendar with all of your due dates so that they can remind you in one is approaching and assist you in filing the correct documents.
Cost of a registered agent in Vermont
A Vermont registered agent must be 18 years and have a street address in the state.
The Vermont Secretary of State Corporations Division does allow you to appoint anyone that meets the registered agent requirements for free, including:
- Yourself
- Family
- Friend
- Employee
Vermont commercial registered agent services cost between $50 and $500 annually.
When to appoint a registered agent
Businesses in Vermont must appoint a registered agent when submitting the formation documents to the Secretary of State Corporations Division.
An LLC lists the registered agent information when filing the Articles of Organization.
For corporations, the registered agent’s name and address are provided on the Articles of Incorporation.
How does a Vermont LLC appoint a registered agent?
1
File the Articles of Organization
You will use the Vermont Secretary of State Business Services website to request the Articles of Organization (form LLC-1(D).
You will then complete the Articles of Organization form and return it to the Corporations Division by mail.
Mailing address:
Vermont Secretary of State
Corporations Division
128 State St.
Montpelier, VT 05633
You can use the Vermont Secretary of State Corporations Division website to file the Articles of Organization online.
2
Appoint your registered agent
Form LLC-1 (D) will ask you to provide certain information.
- Registered agent name
- Registered agent address
3
Pay your Vermont filing fees
The cost to file Articles of Organization in Vermont is $125.
The Vermont Corporations Division does not offer expedited business filing services.
The cost to file your LLC Articles of Organization in Vermont is $125.
How to change your registered agent in Vermont
The Vermont Secretary of State Corporations Division requires you to notify them if there is a registered agent change or if you need to make an address change.
Submit the registered agent change form online
Vermont Secretary of State Corporations Divisions Online Services website to update registered agent information online.
Submit the change of agent form by mail
You must request the change of agent form from the Vermont Corporations Division and submit it to the Secretary of State by mail.
The cost to switch registered agents in Vermont is $25.
Submit the change of agent or address using the Vermont annual report
You can use the annual report to change a registered agent or update a registered office address if the switch happens near the fee filing period.
How to resign as a registered agent in Vermont
You must request a Vermont statement of resignation of registered agent form.
You will then complete the form and submit the original along with two copies to the Vermont Secretary of State Corporations Division by mail.
The Secretary of State will then send one of the copies to the company you’re resigning from.
The statement of resignation of registered agent form will as you to provide information including:
- Name and address of the person receiving the returned filing
- Business entity name
- Business structure
- Registered agent name
- Registered agent mailing address
- Registered agent email address
- Statement of resignation
The Vermont Secretary of State does not charge to resign as a registered agent.
Benefits of appointing a registered agent in Vermont
-
You don’t risk losing liability protection in Vermont
In Vermont, you must remain in good standing with the Secretary of State to maintain asset protection.
If you fail to pay the annual report fee on time, you become noncompliant and can lose all liability protection in Vermont.
Commercial registered agent services keep compliance calendars that track due dates so they can remind you and assist you in filing the annual report correctly.
-
You decide if you’re address becomes public record
Working from private offices is common for small business owners and entrepreneurs.
However, appointing yourself as a registered agent means the personal address becomes a public record.
People can use the Vermont Business Entity Search by business name or state ID number.
By appointing an outside registered agent, you can decide if you want to list a private office or home address or the service’s address in the Vermont Corporations Division business address database.
-
A registered agent provides much-needed discretion
Vermont process servers can arrive at your place of business unannounced to serve legal documents, such as subpoenas.
A registered agent service accepts those sensitive documents at a location away from the office and will notify you so you can respond.
-
You work when you want to work
Statutes Title 11A, Chapter 005 require all registered agents in Vermont to be physically available during regular business hours to receive official correspondence from the Secretary of State, Corporations Division, law firms, and the Vermont Department of Taxes.
A business owner who appoints themselves as a registered agent must be available Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
A professional registered agent service makes resident agents available during those times, so you’re schedule remains flexible.
-
You have online access to the Vermont Certificate of Fact
When you attempt to open a new bank account, the financial institutions will ask for proof that you’re in good standing with the Vermont Secretary of State.
In Vermont, the Certificate of Fact is the document that proves you’re currently in good standing.
A commercial registered agent service will provide you anytime access to the Certificate of Fact and other formation documents, which makes doing business easy.
-
Appointing an agent makes expansion into different states easy
LLC expansion into other states requires establishing a registered agent before the formation process begins.
If you have one appointed already, you can begin the foreign LLC formation immediately.
FAQs
Can I have my business mail delivered to my Vermont registered agent?
Most registered agent services are not mail-forwarding services and don’t want business mail. An agent only accepts legal documents and correspondence from the Vermont Secretary of State. Some professional services offer business mail scanning services for an additional fee.
How do I remove myself as a registered agent in Vermont?
You will complete the statement of resignation form and submit it to the Vermont Secretary of State Corporation Division or the registered agent change form.
Can an LLC be a registered agent in Vermont?
An LLC can’t act as its own registered agent in Vermont, but an LLC owner or member can as long as they meet Vermont registered agent requirements.
How do I sign up to be a registered agent in Vermont?
The Vermont Secretary of State Corporations Division does not require a special form or need you to register as a registered agent. According to state law, the company you’ve been appointed to will list you on the appropriate documents upon business formation.
What are the penalties for not having a registered agent in Vermont?
The Secretary of State will reject any business filings that don’t have a registered agent listed. If your agent resigns, you must immediately appoint a new registered agent or face involuntary dissolution and the possibility of being barred from doing business in the state.
Find the best registered agent in your state
Click below to get started.
