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Your business must appoint an Indiana registered agent to receive documents in legal matters, including notice of lawsuit. Our reliable registered agent service fulfills this requirement. You get:
Before your organization can legally operate in Indiana, you must appoint a registered agent with the secretary of state’s Business Services Division. The agent will be your main point of contact with the state and fulfill an important role—receiving and forwarding service of process and other official correspondence.
Several entities can act as registered agents in Indiana, so this guide will explain your options and walk you through the process of appointing an agent. We’ll also show you why partnering with Harbor Compliance is a smart choice if you want to ensure that no time-sensitive notices slip through the cracks.
A registered agent’s primary responsibility is to accept legal and other official notices dispatched by the Indiana secretary of state on behalf of your organization. If your entity is involved in litigation, the agent receives and forwards service of process documents such as court summons and subpoenas, enabling you to take timely and appropriate action.
Even if it weren’t for the agent’s important role in safeguarding your organization against legal challenges, you’d still need to appoint one because doing so is mandatory. According to the Indiana Code (IC 23-0.5-4-1), the following entities are legally obligated to appoint a registered agent:
You should choose a reliable and diligent agent to ensure you’re always on top of official correspondence. If your agent fails to receive or forward a legal notice, you might miss the court hearing and face default judgment—a ruling typically made in the plaintiff’s favor in your absence.
Section 3. (a) of IC 23-0.5-4-3 allows the following to act as an organization’s registered agent:
This means you have two broad categories when choosing a registered agent—an individual or another organization. The former can be a family member, friend, employee, or even yourself. Still, it’s worth noting that individual agents typically lack the reliability of organizations specialized in handling legal notices and delivering them to you promptly.
Regardless of whether you choose an individual or organization as your agent, you’ll have another decision to make—will they be a commercial or noncommercial agent?
Commercial agents file a listing statement with the secretary of state, after which they’re added to the state’s database. This means all their relevant details are familiar to the state by default, making the appointment process and future updates more convenient, as you’ll learn in the next section of this guide.
The responsibilities of noncommercial agents are the same as those of commercial agents. The only difference is that they don’t file a listing statement with the secretary of state.
If you’re forming a new organization in Indiana, you’ll appoint a registered agent in your formation filings (Articles of Incorporation for profit and nonprofit corporations or Articles of Organization for LLCs).
Organizations expanding to Indiana from another state must appoint an agent in their foreign qualification filings, as doing so is necessary for obtaining a certificate of authority.
The information required for appointing your agent depends on whether they’re a commercial or noncommercial agent. In the former case, you only need the agent’s name because the secretary of state already has all the other information from the commercial agent’s listing statement.
If you appoint a noncommercial agent, you must also list their address, known as a registered office. The registered office must be a physical address in Indiana—P.O. boxes are not allowed.
Organizations that wish to change their registered agent must submit the Registered Agent or Address Change form, which is available online.
If your agent changes their name, address, or other details, they’re obligated to notify the secretary of state through the appropriate form. This goes for both commercial and noncommercial agents according to the Indiana Code (IC 23-0.5-4-7 and IC 23-0.5-4-8).
Harbor Compliance blends industry expertise with state-of-the-art technology to offer a comprehensive Registered Agent Service. Our office in Fort Wayne is always open during regular business hours to receive your notices without delays.
After accepting your notice, we deliver it electronically on the same day—here’s how it works:
In case of a lawsuit, we’ll call the person associated with the account via phone to help you ensure a swift response to legal action against your entity.
Indiana’s regulatory requirements go far beyond appointing a registered agent. We can help you meet all your other obligations through a diverse service portfolio:
Appointing an individual registered agent comes with several drawbacks and risks, most notably:
Harbor Compliance eliminates all of the above issues. The following table highlights the main benefits of partnering with us:
| Benefit | Overview |
|---|---|
| Privacy and discretion | When you appoint us, our details are given to the secretary of state, and there’s no risk of receiving service of process in a public setting—all notices are delivered to your Client Portal. |
| Convenience | Besides your notices, the Client Portal contains pre-filled state forms that reduce the time and effort necessary to submit various filings. |
| Security | Harbor Compliance keeps your data safe with strong encryption, strict access controls, confidentiality agreements signed by our employees, and various other security measures. |
| Reliability | Someone is always available to receive your notices in our Fort Wayne office, so there’s no risk of a notice being overlooked. |
| Support | We offer a robust Help Center that lets you address any issues promptly. You can also reach out to us if you need further assistance. |
The process of partnering with Harbor Compliance depends on whether you are:
If you want your organization to get off the ground as quickly as possible, we can help you register without setbacks through the following services:
Choose the service corresponding to your business structure, and we’ll complete the registration on your behalf and appoint Harbor Compliance as your registered agent.
Expanding an organization from another jurisdiction into Indiana can be a daunting process, but our Foreign Qualification Service package makes it a breeze.
All you need to do is complete the wizard, and we’ll obtain your Indiana certificate of authority and name Harbor Compliance your agent.
You have two options for changing your existing agent and appointing Harbor Compliance:
If you choose the second option, you can request the change from us before checking out. Select Change of Agent service, and we’ll submit the necessary filings on your behalf.
Located in nearby Fort Wayne, IN!
Appoint us as your Indiana registered agent when you incorporate your business or form your LLC. Sign up for registered agent service and file using the state forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Appoint us as your agent when you apply for a certificate of authority to transact business in Indiana. Sign up for Indiana registered agent service and file using the forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Changing your registered agent to us is easy. Sign up for Indiana registered agent service and file using the forms and instructions in your Client Portal. The forms are pre-filled and signed as required by the state.
Harbor Compliance is a provider of nationwide registered agent service. We can help you consolidate your agent representation and achieve cost savings. Our specialists manage the process to change registered agents so that virtually no work is required on your part. We will complete the state filings to appoint us as your registered agent. Additionally, we can extend your subscription term so that you avoid double payment for any portion of your current contract. There’s no reason to wait. Simply contact us for consolidation and we’ll take care of the rest. If you have registered agent appointments spanning multiple states or entities, contact us today.
Here you’ll find some of the most commonly asked questions about Indiana registered agents. If you need additional help, visit our Information Center.
A registered agent is a person or organization that accepts service of process and other official correspondence on your behalf, after which they forward such correspondence to you.
Appointing a registered agent is a legal prerequisite for most organizations that wish to operate in Indiana, including corporations and LLCs.
Yes, you can be your organization’s registered agent. However, you’d have to be available at the registered office during regular business hours, and your personal information would enter the public record.
You can search for organizations registered in Indiana on the InBiz website, and you’ll see their registered agents, among other details.
If you want to meet Indiana’s registered agent requirement effortlessly, sign up for Our Registered Agent Service today. Your notices will be accepted, processed, and forwarded by experts, so you won’t have to worry about unexpected legal issues.
You can also reach out to us to inquire about the additional services you saw here or get your free Harbor Compliance Score™ to assess your current regulatory standing. Our award-winning software can help you stay on top of all your obligations, so schedule a demonstration to see how it works.
If you plan to expand your organization beyond Indiana, we’re here to support you. Refer to the following table to learn about the registered agent service in other states Harbor Compliance covers:
