Change Registered Agent in Arizona

There are a number of reasons you might need to change your Arizona LLC’s registered agent. Maybe your designated registered agent moved out of state, left the company, or no longer wants the responsibility. Maybe you had assigned the job to yourself, and you no longer want your address on public record. Maybe (hopefully) your business has expanded so much that you no longer have time to handle the registered agent responsibilities.

Whatever your reason may be, changing a registered agent in Arizona might seem like a daunting task, with a mountain of paperwork and legal proceedings involved. However it’s actually quite simple, and this guide will help make the process quick and painless.

What the State of Arizona Says about changing a Statutory Agent

The state of Arizona has certain requirements about changing your LLC’s statutory agent. To effectively change your statutory agent, you must submit an “LLC Statement of Change of Known Place of Business Address or Statutory Agent,” found on the Arizona Corporation Commission Forms webpage.

You must either mail this form or deliver it in person. There is no option for online filing and emailed forms will not be accepted.

The state provides in-depth instructions on how to complete and submit this form here.

For more general info, take a look at the “Statutory Agent” section of the Arizona Corporation Commission FAQ page.

Who can be an Arizona Statutory Agent

You can’t pick just anyone to be a statutory agent for your LLC. The state of Arizona puts certain restrictions on who can serve as one. If you’re choosing or changing your statutory agent, keep these requirements in mind. The statutory agent in Arizona must:

• Be an individual Arizona resident or a business entity located in Arizona
• Have a Arizona street address (P.O. boxes are not allowed)

It might seem the easiest route to name your LLC as its own statutory agent, but this is not allowed. You may name an individual member of the LLC as statutory agent, but not the LLC itself.

* If your statutory agent is a foreign business entity, it must be authorized to transact business in Arizona

How to Change Your Arizona Statutory Agent

In order to change your statutory agent in Arizona, you must file an LLC Statement of Change of Known Place of Business Address or Statutory Agent. Find it under the Limited Liability Company section of the Arizona Corporation Commission Forms page. Here are step-by-step instructions to complete it.

1. In section 1, provide your LLC name. It must be an exact match with the name on file with the state.
2. Skip section 2, unless you’re also changing your business address.
3. If you’re simply making a change to your current statutory agent’s name or address, provide that information in sections 3, 3.1, and 3.2. But if you’re changing your statutory agent completely, skip to section 4.
4. Provide your new statutory agent’s name, physical address, and mailing address (only if it’s different from the physical address. You must also submit a Statutory Agent Acceptance form (M002), which your new agent will sign.
5. Sign the form and check the appropriate box to indicate whether you are an LLC manager, member, or statutory agent.

Note: All Arizona Corporation Commission forms must be submitted with a cover sheet, which you can find here, or on the A.C.C. forms page.

This filing requires a $5 fee (or $35 for expedited processing) and can only be submitted by mail or in person to:

Arizona Corporation Commission

Corporations Division

1300 W. Washington St.

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

If filing by mail, you must pay by money order or check, which you can make payable to “Arizona Corporations Commission.” In person, you can pay with check, credit card, money order, or cash.

Got all that? To recap, here’s everything you need to submit when filing your statutory agent change:

• LLC Statement of Change of Known Place of Business Address or Statutory Agent form
• Statutory Agent Acceptance form, signed by your new statutory agent
• Cover sheet
• $5 standard or $35 expedited fee

Some states allow you to change your registered agent by updating your annual report, but since Arizona LLCs are not required to submit annual reports, this is not an option. If you are making changes to your Articles of Organization using an Articles of Amendment form, you may also make the statutory agent change there.

If you’re too busy, or if you’d feel more comfortable letting someone else take the reins, you have the option of hiring a company or individual to file your paperwork for you. It’s a great way to save time and stress.

Submit your form? Pay your fee? You’re good to go! The A.C.C. updates its processing times weekly. To check them, go to their eCorp page and click “Processing Times” at the bottom.

Consider a Registered Agent Service

Think of your registered agent as a mediator between you and the state of Arizona, the person or business entity that handles some of your most important paperwork.

In case you thought the registered agent was just a formality, look at the documents they handle:

• service of process notices
• tax information
• lawsuits
• and other Secretary of State correspondence.

A lot of important stuff. Which is why a reliable registered agent is essential to every Arizona business owner.

By handling high-priority and sensitive documents on your behalf, your registered agent takes care of your communications with the state, so you can spend more time building your business.

Plus, if you operate a Arizona small business from out of state, a trustworthy registered agent is especially important, as the state requires a local contact for your LLC. Having this contact ensures your company will receive and respond to time-sensitive documents, so you won’t miss filings and get hit with penalties.

If you’re unsure where to find a good Arizona registered agent, consider using a registered agent service. These companies provide you a reliable, professional registered agent so you can have peace of mind knowing you won’t ever miss a filing, tax deadline, or state correspondence.

Sure, you can jump online, search “registered agent services,” and get a ton of results. But the truth is that not all of these services are trustworthy. So, we’ve done some research for you. If you want to know you’re getting a top-quality registered agent, take a look at our comparison guide on the best registered agents. Many of these providers can also form an LLC for you if you’re needing a fresh start. ZenBusiness is a very well known option.

Need to Resign your Arizona Statutory Agent?

There are numerous reasons you might need to give up your Arizona 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 Arizona LLCs it is easy.

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.

Notifying the Arizona LLC

The first thing you should do – before you file any paperwork with the Arizona Corporation Commission (A.C.C.) – is let your LLC know you’re resigning. Arizona Statutes Section 10-503 dictates that resigning statutory agents must submit written notice to the LLC as part of the resignation process.

You’re only required to inform your LLC at the time that you file your official resignation form with the state; however, notifying them ahead of time will give everyone involved a chance to prepare a transition plan and statutory agent change, avoiding potential penalties for operating without an agent.

Submitting Your Resignation

Now that you’ve talked with your LLC and come up with a transition plan, it’s time to formally resign. To do so, download the  “Statutory Agent Resignation” form for an LLC. There are different forms for each business type, so make sure that you use the correct one, or your filing will be rejected.

The form, along with detailed instructions (form L032i) for its completion, are on the A.C.C. Forms page. Got it? Then either type or write in the following information:

• The LLC name (must be an exact match for the name on file with the A.C.C.)
• Your name (an exact match with the A.C.C. records)
• Confirmation of whether or not the LLC’s business address is the same as your street address
• The address where you mailed your resignation notice to the LLC
• Your signature
• Confirmation of statutory agent type (individual or entity)

And you’re done! But don’t send it off just yet. Every Arizona Corporation Commission form must be submitted with a Cover Sheet to facilitate expediency in the filing process. Also, be sure to include payment for the $10 filing fee. For mailed documents, pay via check or money order made out to “Arizona Corporations Commission.” If you’d like, you can drop it off in person instead, and pay with cash or credit card. Mail or hand-deliver your documents and payment to:

Arizona Corporation Commission

Corporations Division

1300 W. Washington St.

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

The A.C.C. regularly updates processing times on their eCorp homepage. Statutory agent resignations are typically processed in 13-15 business days. If you don’t have that kind of time, you can request expedited processing on your cover sheet for an additional $35. On average, expedited forms are processed in 8-10 business days.

You will be officially removed as the LLC’s statutory agent on the 31st day after your form is processed. Keep in mind that you may still receive documents and service of process for a month after you formally resign.

Handing off Your Responsibilities

When you put down your statutory agent responsibilities, someone else has to pick them up, or your LLC will lose its good standing with the state. Help your LLC keep its momentum by carefully planning your transition.

This starts with finding a successor who’s ready to take over right away. Even a small gap in statutory agent coverage can result in severe penalties. Any business entity, for example, that goes without a statutory agent for more than 60 days can be administratively dissolved. So, after your resignation takes effect, if the LLC goes too long without appointing a new agent, they could find themselves in trouble. This is why it’s best to develop a succession and transition plan with your company before you resign.

Once you’ve nominated a replacement, confirm that they meet Arizona’s statutory agent requirements. They must:

• Be an individual or a business entity (corporation or LLC) that resides in Arizona
• Have a physical Arizona address (P.O. boxes aren’t allowed)
• Have a mailing address in Arizona

* Foreign corporations or LLCs serving as Arizona statutory agents must have a physical address in Arizona and be authorized to transact business in the state.

We recommend using a statutory agent service, which can take over statutory agent duties, freeing up more time for the LLC’s managers to focus on running the business.