Whether we’re talking weather, vacations, or bags of potato chips, all good things must come to an end, and that includes registered agent duties.
There are numerous reasons you might need to give up your District of Columbia registered agent role, but only one way to resign.
Registered agents play an important role in the life of an LLC, handling sensitive legal and tax documents, so it’s essential that agents follow proper resignation procedures. Otherwise, you could leave your company with unplanned fines or penalties, and you could be individually liable.
Fortunately, for D.C. LLCs, it’s an easy and painless process.
Follow these steps and the hardest part of your resignation won’t be the process itself, it’ll be saying “so long” to your former business.
Recommended
We recommend most entrepreneurs hire a registered agent service to handle this important responsibility. That said, see our review of the best registered agent services to get the best deal. Or, if you haven't formed an LLC, ZenBusiness can handle company registration as well as registered agent responsibilities.Notifying the D.C. LLC
You’re required by District law to tell your LLC before resigning. You must provide the entity with a copy of the Statement of Resignation 10 days before you file it with the Corporations Division. Giving advance notice will also give the company more time to line up a new registered agent and facilitate a smooth transition.
Submitting Your Resignation
Like the District’s other registered agent documents, the Statement of Registered Agent’s Resignation form is part of the Registered Agent Combined Form.
There isn’t much information required to fill it out. In fact, all you’ll need to provide is the name of the entity, the name of the registered agent, the date of notice, the date of resignation (must be at least 30 days after the Corporations Division receives the form unless the business designates a new registered agent sooner), the registered office address, the entity’s principal office address, and the registered agent’s signature.
When you finish filling it out, you can mail or hand-deliver it to:
Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
Corporations Division
P.O. Box 92300
Washington, D.C. 20090
There is no fee to file a Statement of Registered Agent’s Resignation. Remember, the registered agent must provide the entity with a copy of this form 10 days before filing it, in duplicate, with the Corporations Division. 30 days after that, the registered agent’s responsibilities are complete.
Handing Off Your Responsibilities
When you put down your registered agent responsibilities, someone else has to pick them up, or your LLC will lose its good standing with the District. Help your LLC keep its momentum by carefully planning your transition.
This starts with finding a registered agent that’s available right away. Even a small gap between registered agents can result in severe penalties. Every Washington, D.C., LLC is required to keep a valid registered agent on file, or the District can administratively dissolve them. This is why it’s important to communicate with your company about registered agent changes and/or termination.
Any new registered office provider your LLC appoints must meet the District of Columbia’s registered agent requirements. They must:
- Be an individual or organization with a physical address in D.C.
We recommend using a registered agent service, which can take over registered agent duties, freeing up more time for the LLC’s members and/or managers to focus on running the business.
Finishing Up
You do a lot for your Washington, D.C., LLC. You’re essentially the shield that protects it from fines, the filter that catches important documents, the conductor that keeps it on track with compliance.
Because you play such an important role, it’s crucial that you follow the resignation procedures exactly and potentially provide a replacement agent for the business. Otherwise, you might find yourself and your LLC in hot water.
Follow this guide and you’ll be totally fine. Soon, you’ll be on to your next project, whether that’s starting a new business in the District of Columbia or something completely different.
If you need a fresh start and would like to form a brand new LLC, there are plenty of services that can take care of this for you. ZenBusiness and Northwest are two very popular options.