Can I be my own Registered Agent in New Mexico?

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Deal alert! Northwest will form your LLC for $39 (60% discount). See details.

Yes, you can be your own Registered Agent in New Mexico as long as you meet the state requirements.

(Unfortunately, most Registered Agent Services and LLC filing companies hide this information.)

We explain the pros and cons below so you can make your own decision.

What is a Registered Agent?

A Registered Agent is a person or a company who receives legal documents and notices from the state for your LLC.

If your business is involved in a lawsuit, the New Mexico Registered Agent will accept Service of Process for your LLC. This is when legal documents are delivered to or “served on” your business.

Note: Some states call the Registered Agent a Resident Agent or Statutory Agent. These all mean the same thing, so we always call it a Registered Agent to keep it simple.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

Who can be a Registered Agent in New Mexico?

There are three options for who can be your New Mexico Registered Agent:

  1. You can be your LLC’s Registered Agent
  2. A friend or family member can be your LLC’s Registered Agent
  3. You can hire a professional Registered Agent Service for your LLC

What is a New Mexico Registered Agent Service?

A New Mexico Registered Agent Service is a company that you pay to be your LLC’s Registered Agent in New Mexico.

(A Registered Agent Service is also called a Commercial Registered Agent.)

The New Mexico Registered Agent Service receives Service of Process for your LLC and forwards it to you electronically or by mail. Some Registered Agent Services also offer additional LLC services, like forming your LLC for you.

New Mexico Registered Agent Requirements

All New Mexico Registered Agents are required to be available at a physical street address in the state during normal business hours.

(Note: The Registered Agent’s address is called the Registered Office. The Registered Office address and the name of the Registered Agent will go on your LLC paperwork.)

If the Registered Agent is a person, they must be over 18 years old and have a physical address in New Mexico. PO Boxes aren’t allowed.

If the Registered Agent is a company (a Registered Agent Service), it must be authorized to do business in New Mexico.

Should you be your own Registered Agent in New Mexico?

It depends. While being your LLC’s Registered Agent can save you money, there are some potential risks.

Let’s discuss the pros and cons of being your own New Mexico Registered Agent.

Pros of being the Registered Agent for your LLC:

  • You save money.
  • It’s one less online account to keep track of if you don’t hire a Registered Agent Service.
  • Documents go directly to you. You don’t have to wait for someone to forward or email them.

Cons of being the Registered Agent for your LLC:

  • You might miss an important notice or legal document. This could happen if you travel often or forget to check your mail.
  • Registered Agent information is public record. Companies can use public records to send you junk mail, or post your address online.

If you aren’t bothered by your address being public, being your own Registered Agent is a great way to save money.

Should I hire a New Mexico Registered Agent Service?

You should hire a Registered Agent Service if:

  • You don’t live in New Mexico
  • You don’t have a friend or family member who lives in New Mexico
  • You live in New Mexico, but don’t want to list your personal address, or don’t want to be your own Registered Agent

Our recommendation for a New Mexico Registered Agent Service

We recommend Northwest Registered Agent.

Northwest has been the best Registered Agent Service in the business for over 20 years, and they have excellent customer service. They’re also the service we use for our own LLCs.

Hiring Northwest Registered Agent will also keep your physical address off of public records. This is our favorite Northwest feature. And no other Registered Agent Service offers this.

How to keep your address off public records

Northwest is a national Registered Agent Service, and lets you use their business address throughout your entire LLC filing in all 50 states and D.C. This can keep your address off public records.

For example, you can list their address for any or all of the following:

(Note: The list above is an example. Some states have more address fields than others. Wherever there is an address field on the LLC filing, you can list the Northwest address if you’d like. This can keep your address off public records.)

Any mail that Northwest receives gets scanned and uploaded to your online account.

Need to save time? You can also hire Northwest to form your LLC.

Special discount for LLC University® readers

Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to form a New Mexico LLC. But they offer a special price (60% off) for LLC University® readers.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

New Mexico Registered Agent FAQs

Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz is the leading expert on LLC education, and has been teaching for 15 years. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.

2 comments on “Can I be my own Registered Agent in New Mexico?”

Disclaimer: Nothing on this page shall be interpreted as legal or tax advice. Rules and regulations vary by location. They also change over time and are specific to your situation. Furthermore, this comment section is provided so people can share their thoughts and experience. Please consult a licensed professional if you have legal or tax questions.

  1. Hello,

    Our registered agent passed away and now I need to change it. How can I do this?

    Reply
    • Hi Suzette, you can file a “Change of Registered Agent” with the New Mexico Secretary of State. They’ve since gone “online only”, so there is no longer a paper form you can mail. Instead, you’ll first need to create an account with the New Mexico Business Portal. After you create an account:

      • Click “Search” on the left.
      • Search for your LLC name and select it in the list.
      • Then click the “File Amendment” link/icon.
      • Then click “Registered Agent Change” to begin the filing.
      Reply

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