5 Best Pennsylvania Registered Agent Services in 2023

What Is a Pennsylvania Registered Agent?

The Pennsylvania Department of State says that this state does not utilize registered agents but rather that they require a registered office address. Practically and legally speaking, the registered office provider required by Pennsylvania is no different from a registered agent ― this state simply uses different terminology than every other state, even though the role is exactly the same. Throughout this guide, we’ll use “registered agent” and “registered office provider” interchangeably.

Every business entity in the state of Pennsylvania is required to have a registered office provider. In fact, you will not be allowed to finish the formation process for your company until you designate your registered office provider.

The most important aspect of this role is receiving document deliveries from the state government, then alerting your business of the delivery before forwarding the documents to you. The role of the registered office provider is so important because it establishes a point of contact for your business with the state so that they have a reliable place to get in touch with an official representative of your company at any time.

The state of Pennsylvania provides a list of Commercial Registered Office Providers (CROP) acting in the state. This list includes every individual person and business entity currently acting as a registered office provider in Pennsylvania, although inclusion on this list does not represent an endorsement from the state.

What Does Pennsylvania Law Say About Registered Agents?

Each state has its own rules and regulations surrounding registered agents. For the most part, these laws are fairly similar, but it’s always worth taking a look to see what Pennsylvania requires.

Before we dive in, we should make a clarification: Pennsylvania doesn’t require you to have a specific “registered agent.” Instead, you have to have a “registered office.” But there is always a real-life person at a registered office, so in a sense, the requirement is similar. Allowing for a registered office ensures that a business can have multiple individuals responsible for accepting service of process. Additionally, any of the services we’ve included in this guide can serve as your registered office.

For the bulk of this guide, we’ll refer to the “registered office” as a “registered agent” since the two terms are practically interchangeable.

In Pennsylvania, we’ll need to take a look at The Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, which say:

• Every entity must list a registered office where one or more people are present to accept service of process during business hours
• The office cannot be a P.O. box
• An entity may also elect to appoint a “registered office provider,” which means another business serves as the registered office
• The registered office address must be in-state
• An address must be continuously maintained

All of the companies we’re about to discuss meet these regulations and are great options for Pennsylvania registered agent service. When you’ve made your choice, you can indicate your registered agent’s name and address on your Certificate of Organization.

What About Small, Pennsylvania-only Registered Agent Services?

As you’ve probably noticed, the registered agent services we’ve listed here serve businesses across the country. But if you Google “Pennsylvania Registered Agent,” you’ll probably see results for local services, too. These can be local entrepreneurs with a knack for clerical tasks, offices dedicated to serving businesses in their counties, or statewide companies.

On one hand, using a local service can have its advantages. Some will be cheaper than nationwide firms (but not always!). And each state has its own nuances for business compliance requirements, Pennsylvania included. A registered agent service that services Pennsylvania alone will have detailed knowledge about those requirements. Granted, most national services do a good job of understanding local requirements. But they probably won’t give you the same “homegrown Pennsylvania” feeling as a local agent service.

That said, national businesses like Northwest Registered Agent and ZenBusiness give you streamlined solutions. Let’s say you’re using a local Pennsylvania-only registered agent service, but it’s time to add locations in New York. You could search for an additional agent that services New York businesses. But that’s going to require a lot of additional paperwork, including new receipts, new automatic payments, more emails…you get the idea. But if you’re using a national service, you can cut down the “new” paperwork and focus on what really matters: growing your business.

Ultimately, the choice is up to you, and there’s no “wrong” answer. The most important thing is that you appoint one so you can run a compliant Pennsylvania business.

Conclusion

The role of a Pennsylvania registered agent is critical to your company’s compliance and legal standing. This position requires dealing with seemingly simple tasks, yet if they’re handled incorrectly, they could cost you a considerable amount of money in fines and could even potentially see the state dissolve your business.

While you can always change your registered agent down the line, we think it’s essential to pick the right registered agent for your business starting at the formation phase. You should also keep an eye on your compliance standing to ensure nothing goes awry along the way.