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What is an Idaho Registered Agent?
A Idaho Registered Agent is a person or company who agrees to accept legal mail and notices on behalf of your Idaho LLC.
Legal mail (called Service of Process) is sent if your LLC is involved in a lawsuit. Additionally, the state may send notices and reminders to your LLC’s Registered Agent.
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)
Idaho Registered Agents should be available during normal business hours (9am – 5pm), Monday through Friday.
And the Registered Agent for your LLC in Idaho must have a physical street address in Idaho. PO Box addresses, Personal Mail Boxes, and Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies aren’t allowed.
Note: Most states use the term “Registered Agent”, but some use the terms “Resident Agent” or “Statutory Agent”. They all mean the same thing and we may use these terms interchangeably.
Does Idaho require a Registered Agent?
Yes, Idaho requires all business entities to list a Registered Agent on their LLC formation paperwork. And they must keep a Registered Agent on file with the state for the life of the LLC.
Why do I need a Registered Agent in Idaho?
The purpose of a Registered Agent is to accept Service of Process in case your business gets sued. And the court needs proof that your LLC received the legal documents.
That’s why each business entity (like a Limited Liability Company or Corporation) must have a Registered Agent on file with the state.
Said another way, your LLC’s Registered Agent is a key component of how the court and legal systems work. By requiring all Idaho LLCs to keep a Registered Agent on file with the state, the delivery of court documents can be properly tracked.
Who can be my Registered Agent in Idaho?
You actually have 3 options for who can be your Idaho Registered Agent:
- yourself
- a friend or family member
- an Idaho Registered Agent Service
You can save money by being the Registered Agent for your LLC, but there are some risks.
What are the risks of being your own Registered Agent in Idaho?
The risks of being your own Idaho Registered Agent are:
- missing an important notice from the state
- administrative dissolution
- missing Service of Process (and potential legal consequences)
These issues are more likely to occur if you:
- move and forget to update your address with the state
- travel or leave town for extended periods of time
- don’t have a reliable address
- don’t keep up with your mail
We’ll explain a few of these risks below.
Missing an important notice from the state
Your business needs to promptly receive all important notices sent by the Idaho Secretary of State or any other state agency.
Notices sent by state agencies often have actions that your LLC must take by a certain deadline. And in some cases, there are penalties and fees if you miss those deadlines.
Administrative Dissolution
If you are the Registered Agent for your LLC, and you move without updating your Registered Agent address, the Idaho Secretary of State can dissolve (shut down) your LLC.
To clarify, the state isn’t looking over your LLC every single day, so this potential administrative dissolution won’t automatically happen if you don’t update your Registered Agent information.
However, if the state finds out that your Registered Agent address isn’t up-to-date, and they can’t reach you, then they could shut down your LLC.
Penalty for Using a PO Box or Personal Mailbox (UPS Store, etc)
Idaho has very strict rules for Registered Agents. They can’t use an address other than a USPS database-verified street address.
An Idaho Registered Agent can’t use any of the following:
- PO Box
- PMB (personal mailbox)
- CMRA (commercial mail receiving agency)
- The UPS Store, PostalAnnex+, Postal Plus, Mailboxes Etc, Pak-n-Ship, MailRoom, PakMail, or anything similar.
If you are caught using any of the above for your Registered Agent’s address, the Idaho Secretary of State will administratively dissolve your LLC.
Default Judgment
If there is a lawsuit against your LLC, a process server will make multiple attempts to serve your LLC (deliver the court documents).
However, if they are unable to serve your LLC in person, Service of Process can be made another way (like through Certified Mail). This can mean the court notices and/or documents were “delivered” to you, even if you didn’t physically receive them.
Then the person suing your LLC can argue their case without you being there to defend your LLC. In these situations, the person suing your LLC usually wins and the court enters a default judgment against your business.
Contempt of Court
If there is a lawsuit that involves your LLC, the parties might serve your business with a subpoena. The subpoena may ask you to testify in a hearing, or to produce records.
If you don’t respond to the subpoena, you can be held in contempt of court. This can lead to fines, or the court can issue a bench warrant. This means the sheriff can come seize the records or force you to show up in court.
So should I be my own Registered Agent?
You certainly can. While there are risks of being your own Registered Agent in Idaho, they don’t come up very often. And you can save money by being your own Idaho Registered Agent.
Having said that, hiring a professional Registered Agent Service can provide additional benefits, such as address privacy.
Registered Agent Information is Public Record in Idaho
While you (or a friend or family member) can be your LLC’s Registered Agent, you may not want to have a home address listed on public record.
The information you enter in your Certificate of Organization (including the Registered Agent’s address) becomes public record with the Idaho Secretary of State.
Not only is this information searchable by the public, but other websites download the state’s records and republish them on their own website. Then things begin to spread as other public record websites take that same information and list it on their websites too (and the process repeats itself).
Pretty soon your address is listed on many websites and people can easily find it by doing a Google search.
If you’d like to keep your address off public records, we have a strategy for this.
How to keep your address off public records:
Many business owners in Idaho start businesses from their homes. So you should be aware that the Registered Agent’s name and address on your LLC Certificate of Organization get listed on public records.
If you want to keep your address off public records, you can hire an Idaho Registered Agent Service that will allow you to use their Idaho business address throughout your Certificate of Organization.
Northwest Registered Agent offers this unique service at no additional cost.
There are many Idaho Registered Agents out there, but we have found Northwest to be the best Registered Agent Service available.
What’s the best Idaho Registered Agent option to choose?
Choosing the best Idaho Registered Agent option for your business depends on a few factors.
You:
You can be your own Registered Agent in Idaho if:
- you are a resident of Idaho, and
- you have a physical address in Idaho.
You also should be comfortable with your address being listed on public records.
Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you want to save money (since you won’t need to hire an Idaho Registered Agent Service).
Friend or Family:
A friend or family member can be your Idaho Registered Agent if:
- they are a resident of Idaho, and
- they have a physical address in Idaho
They also should be comfortable with their address being listed on public records.
Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you aren’t a resident of Idaho, but want to save money (since you won’t need to hire an Idaho Registered Agent Service).
Idaho Registered Agent Service:
A Idaho Registered Agent Service (aka Commercial Registered Agent) is a company that specializes in receiving mail and Service of Process for your LLC.
Idaho Registered Agent Services usually charge $100 to $300 per year. After they receive mail for your LLC, they’ll forward it to you or upload it to your online account.
Why choose this option? This is a good option to choose if you:
- don’t live in Idaho
- don’t have a friend or family member’s address to use
- won’t be available during normal business hours to receive mail, or
- don’t want your address listed in the Certificate of Organization
If you’d like to hire a Registered Agent Service, the company we recommend is Northwest Registered Agent.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent is our personal recommendation (and the National Registered Agent Service we use) for a few reasons:
- they’ve been in business for over 20 years
- their customer service agents are LLC experts, and
- they let you use their Idaho business address in your entire LLC filing (to keep yours off public record)
Special discounted pricing for LLC University readers
Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to form an LLC. However, we’ve negotiated a discounted rate (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)
Idaho Registered Agent FAQs
How much does a Registered Agent cost in Idaho?
If you (or a friend or family member) will be your Registered Agent, there is no cost.
If you want to hire a Professional Registered Agent Service, it will cost between $100 and $300 per year.
What is the best Registered Agent Service in Idaho?
We’ve reviewed the top Registered Agent Services in the industry and think the best Registered Agent Services in Idaho are:
- Northwest Registered Agent
- Our #1 recommendation for privacy
- ZenBusiness
- MyCompanyWorks
- Harbor Compliance
- IncFile
- Rocket Lawyer
- LegalZoom
To learn more about how these companies compare against each other, check out Best Registered Agent Services in Idaho.
Note: If you want to save money, you can be your own Registered Agent for your Idaho LLC.
Can a family member be a Registered Agent in Idaho?
Yes, a family member can be your Registered Agent in Idaho, if they meet the legal requirements.
To be your Registered Agent, your family member must have a physical address in Idaho. (PO Boxes aren’t allowed). And they must be available at that address during normal business hours.
What do you think?
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References
Idaho LLC Act: Section 30-21-405
Idaho LLC Act: Section 30-21-407
Idaho LLC Act: Section 30-21-413
Idaho LLC Act: Section 30-21-404
Idaho LLC Act: Section 30-21-412
Idaho LLC Act: Section 30-21-402
Idaho LLC Act: Title 30, Chapter 21, Part 4 Registered Agent of Entity
Idaho Secretary of State: Registered Agent Information
Idaho Secretary of State: Business Services Resources
Idaho Secretary of State: Statement of Change of Registered Agent
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.
Hello,
How to get the 60% off on Northwest registered agent.
Thank you!
Jenny
Hi Jenny, are you looking to just hire them as your Registered Agent or do you want them to be your Registered Agent and have them form your LLC?