You may have heard the term registered agent and thought, what is a registered agent? Or perhaps you've heard the verbiage statutory agent. In either case a registered agent and a statutory agent are the designated party for whom service of process is instituted in the event of legal action against a business. The address of the registered agent is the one on record for the business entity.

Let's reiterate, for businesses, service of process is accomplished through a company’s registered or statutory agent. This agent will receive all legal notices through due process. The process server will seek out the proper party. Once the proper authority i.e. statutory agent is located, personal delivery of complaints and summons will ensue or if allowable by law, the documentation will be mailed (usually via certified registered mail).

The failure of a business entity to designate a proper registered agent may result in missed a court filing, hearing, or other important legal information. It's not smart to let a business fall through the cracks, so having a reliable registered agent (if the business owner or other executive does not take on this role) can be vital.

Without maintaining a registered agent, a company may need to spend unexpected finances on legal fees that would have never been required had the appropriate statutory agent been registered and available for service of process. Needless to say, not having a registered agent (who has a local physical address and is available during normal business hours) can literally make or break a business.

As with a statutory agent, not having a registered agent can result in a business' legal status being revoked, because it is no longer considered in "good standing."

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