Things to Know About Company Address in Usa

One of the most frequently asked questions when forming an LLC company in Usa is the company address. Can the company mailing address be in a different state than the state in which the company is incorporated? Is the registered agent address a mailing address? Why can't we use registered agent addresses as mailing addresses? We have prepared an article where you can find answers to these and many other confusing questions.

LLC Basics

It is useful to start the topic with the basics of LLC, so let's first remember what kind of structure LLC is. LLC is a flexible company type that can be formed by one or more people, and at the same time, it is a commercial entity that protects individual assets, just like a Corp company. Owners of an LLC are formally defined as members. An LLC may consist of one or many members. Every LLC must comply with the laws of the state in which it is formed. An entrepreneur must file articles of organization with the state to form an LLC. One or more people living outside the United States can form an LLC remotely. To do this, they must receive service through a registered representative (agency or registered agent) and create the LLC by filing articles of incorporation through the agencies. The address of the LLC or limited liability company may include both its principal place of business and its physical location. Like other types of business entities, an LLC can have more than one address.

Principal Address

The paperwork filed with the state during the LLC formation phase (called articles of formation) must specify the LLC's primary place of business. However, some states, such as Texas, only accept the address of the registered agent and the addresses of LLC owners. Principal Address can be a mailbox or a physical location. However, the mailbox service must contain a real street address and have a structure where one person can receive the document. In some states, such addresses cannot be used as business addresses because PO boxes do not accept registered or certified mail. Principal Address, that is, the main address, may be outside the state where the company was formed, important documents that may come from the state secretariat (lawsuit summons, official correspondence, etc.) do not come to this address anyway, such important documents are sent to the registered agent address from which you receive service. The registered agent is authorized to receive such legal documents on your behalf and is obliged to forward them to you as soon as they are received. In summary, you can think of the Principal Address as your business mailing address.

Registered Agent Address (Agency address or registered agent's address)

Documents filed with the state at incorporation must include a registered agent designated to receive legal notices. It also includes the address of the registered agent. Some states require the registered agent to have an actual office in the same state, which is an office staffed during business hours. In some states, it is not necessary to have an office within the state; the address of the agency may be in another state.

The registered agent's address in the incorporation documents may or may not be the same as the LLC's principal office (Principal Address). LLCs that are not affiliated with a registered agent in the state may be dissolved by the secretary of state. Therefore, as long as your LLC in the USA is active, it must always be affiliated with a registered agent.

Many registered agents will not accept mail from these addresses other than legal documents. That's why you need to have a Principal Address where you can receive regular mail. You are only allowed to use Northwest Registered Agent addresses as a mail forwarding service, but the prices are quite high. You can find detailed information on this subject in the Northwest LLC Installation Service Review

Other Addresses

Your LLC may have more than one address in the following situations.

• Executive offices: Where located in a location other than the main business location.
• Postal address: In cases where different addresses must be used for orders, invoices, payments and other correspondence
• Websites: Used only for occasional mail such as tax letters from the IRS or bank statements

The above addresses do not need to be in the state where the LLC is registered. Postal companies that provide mail forwarding (opening and digital scanning) services (e.g. wyomingmailforwaring.com) are acceptable. If you have multiple separate LLCs, you can use the same address.

Address Comparison with LTD Companies in Turkey

It would be appropriate to give an example to understand the issue by considering the limited company structure in Turkey.

When a limited company is formed in Turkey, it is necessary to show an address and as it is known, this address can be a home address or another office address. When a Turkish limited company opens new branches, it must notify the chamber of commerce and have the added branches published in the trade registry gazette.

For LLCs, the registered agent address is recorded in company formation documents and state records. These registered agent offices have an employee during working hours, and they are responsible for hand-delivering official documents that may come from the state. Thanks to this structure, an entrepreneur residing anywhere in the world can form an llc in Usa through registered agents. Since the state secretariat gives all powers to these agencies, it reaches the owner of the registered agent LLC in case of any lawsuit or negative situation. We have previously mentioned that you must also have a Principal Address where you can receive mail and unnecessary documents. As is known in the structure of LTD in Turkey, there is no such thing as a registered agent.

Address Change

You are free to change your registered agent company for any reason, in which case the new agent will enter its current information and address into state records. You can make these changes for a small fee, but you will have to pay the new agency a one-year registered agent fee. If you do not change your mailing address but only change it to a registered agent, the mailing address may remain in state records forever. Of course, you can also change your mailing address through state registries. This change is made online in many states for a fee of $10 to $20.

Using Home Address as LLC Address

There may be home office-based LLC owners who use their home address as their business address. This type of structure is commonly used by residents of the United States, but publicly posting personal home addresses in state records can pose privacy concerns. LLC owners who use this type of structure avoid using their home address on their websites or social media accounts and prefer to have an alternative address, such as a postal service or co-working space, just for that reason.

If you live in the USA and work from home and also own an LLC and do not want your address to be public, you can appoint your lawyer as a registered agent or get service from registered agents. Although the mailbox provides privacy, it may not inspire trust in customers in a corporate structure. In such cases, a virtual office showing a real address can be rented, but this solution is more expensive than mail forwarding services.

Choosing an Address to Form an LLC in Usa

There are many companies where you can get mail forwarding service for LLC. We have previously shared a list of these companies in this article. You can look here.