Can The Secretary Of A Nfp In Illinois Be The Registered Agent

How to Choose a Registered Agent For Your Illinois Nonprofit

Confident registered agent standing in an office.

Illinois nonprofits will probable demand to appoint and retain a registered agent.

This in-depth guide provides information almost a nonprofit registered agent'south role and responsibilities, the benefits of hiring a professional registered agent service, and what it means to act as your ain registered agent.

ILLINOIS REGISTERED Amanuensis GUIDE FOR NONPROFITS

SKIP Alee:

What Is an Illinois Registered Amanuensis?
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Illinois?
Should My Nonprofit Use an Illinois Registered Amanuensis Service?
How Do I Cull a Registered Agent in Illinois?
How Practice I Change My Nonprofit's Registered Agent in Illinois?
Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: 2021-10-04

What Is an Illinois Registered Amanuensis?

A registered amanuensis is a professional who will serve as your organization's representative to the Illinois Secretarial assistant of State while you lot operate your business organization. Some states refer to registered agents every bit resident agents, statutory agents, or service of procedure agents.

Your registered agent typically will receive correspondence, such as compliance information and revenue enhancement notifications, on behalf of your organisation. Registered agents likewise are in charge of accepting service of procedure documents. This simply means your registered agent volition take the legal summons and documents on your nonprofit'due south behalf in the event someone sues your nonprofit.

In Illinois, the requirements for registered agents include:

They may exist domestic or foreign individuals or business entities.
1. Individuals must be Illinois residents that are at to the lowest degree 18 years of age.
2. Business entities must be registered to operate in Illinois.
They must have a physical address (not just a P.O. box) in Illinois.
They must always exist bachelor at said physical address during regular business hours.

Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Illinois?

Any individual can serve every bit your nonprofit'south registered agent equally long as they meet the requirements listed to a higher place. Y'all may choose to act as your nonprofit's registered amanuensis; y'all may as well select a member of your board of directors or a reliable friend.

If you choose to act every bit your system's registered agent, yous must understand the importance of this position. If y'all miss a filing borderline or lose a certificate, you could put your nonprofit's compliance status at take chances and the Secretary of Land could revoke your nonprofit's corporation status.

Many nonprofits and other businesses choose to hire a professional registered amanuensis service to ensure their arrangement remains in compliance at all times.

Should My Nonprofit Use an Illinois Registered Agent Service?

Before you determine to hire an Illinois registered agent service, be sure to consider the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

Advantages

Yous might consider hiring a registered agent service for your nonprofit organization for several reasons. Specifically, this approach can:

Save You Time: When you beginning first your Illinois nonprofit, you need to focus on doing everything you lot can to make it successful. Hiring a professional person registered amanuensis service will allow you to focus on what's important while the registered agent takes intendance of all incoming mail and official notices. In addition, they'll frequently remind you of upcoming of import filings or deadlines.
Protect Your Personal Privacy and Your Business's Reputation: Unfortunately, at some indicate in time, your system may face a lawsuit. When you hire a professional registered agent service, all service of process notices will be delivered to a business address. If yous deed every bit your own registered agent, constabulary enforcement agents could deliver these notices to your domicile or your place of work, depending on the address on file.
In add-on to protecting your privacy and your business's reputation, registered agent services are accustomed to receiving and properly handling this legal paperwork. This volition assistance ensure your organization doesn't lose a lawsuit on a technicality because you forgot to file something on time or you mishandled something due to not knowing how the legal arrangement works.
Ensure Prompt Handling of Your Business organization Mail: Considering a registered amanuensis service's primary job is to serve as a registered agent for a number of organizations, y'all can exist sure they'll address whatsoever mail they receive promptly. In addition, they'll be available during their normal business hours to answer any questions you might accept almost these documents.
Continue Your Nonprofit Compliant: You must ensure your nonprofit remains compliant with the requirements set forth by the State of Illinois and the federal government (if you successfully apply for 501(c)(iii) status). Hiring a registered agent service volition assist ensure y'all don't miss a unmarried filing.
Offer Convenience: Registered agents are required to be present at their listed accost during business hours. That means hiring a registered amanuensis service will allow yous to take off work equally needed and choose a flexible working schedule if desired.
Provide National Support: If yous think you may want to abound your organization nationally, cull a national registered amanuensis service so it can proceed to back up you equally your business grows.

Disadvantages

The simply disadvantage of hiring a registered agent service is that it costs money, whereas you could act equally your own registered amanuensis for free.

Practice I Need to Hire a Professional Registered Agent Service?

While hiring a professional registered amanuensis service can exist a swell idea for several reasons, it becomes essential in some situations. If you answer "yes" to any of the post-obit questions, yous should hire a registered amanuensis service for your nonprofit.

Does your nonprofit keep irregular business concern hours? As previously noted, your nonprofit's registered amanuensis must be available at their listed address during standard business hours. If your nonprofit's operating hours fall exterior the standard nine-to-5, you'll demand to hire a registered agent service.
Practice you lot live out of country? Your nonprofit's registered agent must be a resident of the country in which your nonprofit is incorporated. If you lot're not an Illinois resident, you'll need to hire an Illinois registered agent to represent your nonprofit.
Is your nonprofit located in multiple states — or volition it be in the future? If your nonprofit currently operates in multiple states — or has plans to exercise so — you must appoint a registered amanuensis in every state in which information technology will operate. Considering you obviously can't be in 2 places at one time, it'southward essential that yous rent a registered agent service.
Will you operate without a concrete address? If you plan to solely operate your nonprofit online, or without a physical accost, you won't have a concern address to list on your Articles of Incorporation and other important legal documents. By hiring a professional person registered agent service, you lot tin list their agency's concrete accost on all documents.

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How Practice I Choose a Registered Agent in Illinois?

Yous must select a registered agent for your Illinois nonprofit when you file your nonprofit'south Manufactures of Incorporation. The Manufactures of Incorporation is the primary nonprofit germination document in Illinois.

Nominating a Registered Amanuensis Online

You may file your nonprofit'due south Articles of Incorporation and pay the $50 filing fee online through the Illinois Cyberdrive website. When you complete the Articles of Incorporation online, you'll exist able to nominate your nonprofit'southward registered agent.

Nominating a Registered Amanuensis by Post

To form your Illinois nonprofit by mail, download Course NFP 102.10 - Articles of Incorporation, fill information technology out in its entirety, and submit the original plus one re-create (along with the $50 filing fee) to the Illinois Secretary of State. Y'all volition list your registered amanuensis's proper name and contact details in Article 2.

How Do I Change My Nonprofit'southward Registered Agent in Illinois?

Conclusion

When working in a nonprofit environs, you lot have more than important things to focus on than checking the mail, filing legal documents, and worrying about remembering compliance deadlines. That's what a registered agent tin exercise for you. When y'all hire a professional person registered agent service, y'all can leave these tasks in their capable easily and truly focus on what matters well-nigh to your organization.

Oft Asked Questions

Who can serve as a nonprofit's registered agent?

In the land of Illinois, anyone eighteen and older may serve as your nonprofit's registered agent as long as they're a state resident and bachelor at their listed accost during standard business hours during the week. We exercise, nevertheless, recommend all nonprofits use a registered agent service.

How much does an Illinois nonprofit registered agent cost?

Although using a registered agent service can cost your nonprofit betwixt $l and $300 per year, it volition salve y'all time, coin, and stress in the long run.

How much does it cost to change my nonprofit'southward registered amanuensis?

Changing your Illinois nonprofit's registered agent with the Secretary of Country costs $5.

What is a statutory agent?

A statutory amanuensis is another name for a registered amanuensis.

What is a resident agent?

A resident agent is another name for a registered agent.

What is a service of procedure agent?

A service of process agent is another name for a registered agent.

What does service of procedure mean?

Service of procedure simply means receiving legal documents, such as a court summons. A court summons is a certificate that requires a representative of your system to appear before a judge because of a pending lawsuit.

What is the deviation betwixt a commercial registered amanuensis and a noncommercial registered amanuensis?

Most states require nonprofit owners to provide their nonprofit's registered agent'southward name and address when forming your nonprofit. In some states, y'all volition be asked whether you are electing a commercial or noncommercial registered agent. Some states refer to professional registered agents as commercial agents and individual agents as noncommercial.