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Your business must appoint a Mississippi registered agent to receive documents in legal matters, including notice of lawsuit. Our reliable registered agent service fulfills this requirement. You get:
Appointing a registered agent with the Mississippi secretary of state is among the first steps in future-proofing your organization and ensuring it operates according to Mississippi’s laws. The agent serves as your point of contact with the state and accepts service of process and other official correspondence on your behalf. By keeping you aware of crucial notices such as lawsuits, a registered agent is a vital first line of defense against any legal challenges your organization might face in the state.
Besides securing a prompt response to any legal issue, appointing and maintaining a registered agent is mandatory for most legal entities. Without a registered agent, you can’t form an organization in Mississippi or expand to the state.
In this guide, you’ll learn what a Mississippi registered agent does and how to choose and appoint the right one. We’ll also go over the many ways Harbor Compliance can help your organization run in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements in various states.
The duties of a registered agent in Mississippi don’t differ much from the responsibilities of agents in other states. Their central role is to receive service of process alongside other legal and official correspondence on behalf of your organization. The agent must also forward any correspondence sent to their address to the legal entity they represent.
Statutory obligations of a Mississippi registered agent are defined by the MS Code § 79-35-14, which also requires the agent to keep current (maintain) the relevant information, such as their name and address.
Appointing and maintaining a registered agent is a legal obligation, and failing to do so can prevent you from establishing an organization and operating in Mississippi.
A registered agent can be any individual or organization with a physical location in Mississippi (P.O. boxes are not allowed). The agent must be available at their address—also known as the registered office—during regular business hours to receive the necessary correspondence.
With this in mind, you can appoint an employee, friend, family member, or another organization as your registered agent. You can even enlist yourself, but doing so would come at the cost of privacy because your name and address would enter the public record.
While you might feel compelled to enroll an individual, doing so comes with certain risks. If they take time off or travel, you might miss critical legal notices like lawsuits or court summons, which can lead to severe consequences. Namely, failing to respond to a lawsuit or appear in court can lead to the so-called default judgment, where the verdict is automatically delivered against your organization in your absence.
In the worst-case scenario, failure to appoint and maintain a registered agent can lead to the administrative dissolution of your entity—the process by which your rights and authority to operate in Mississippi are taken away.
Mississippi is one of the 12 states that differentiate between commercial and noncommercial registered agents, as defined by the Model Registered Agents Act (MoRAA).
Note that both individuals and legal entities can be commercial or noncommercial agents, which might create some confusion. The main distinction is that commercial agents—like Harbor Compliance—have to file a listing statement with the Mississippi secretary of state.
When they do, they’re listed on the secretary of state website, making updating their information and status easier. The list is publicly available and updated every 14 days. Noncommercial agents don’t submit the listing statement but can still perform their duties by giving consent to the organization they want to represent.
To appoint or change your registered agent, you must submit the relevant filings to the Mississippi secretary of state. Note that there’s an important yet subtle distinction between these two processes, as explained in the following table:
| Process | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Appointment | In a formation or foreign qualification, you appoint an agent in Mississippi for the first time, meaning no prior registered agents existed. You’ll do so while submitting your formation filings, listing your agent’s details in the appropriate section. |
| Change | If your Mississippi entity is already formed and you have the right to operate in the state, you can replace your existing registered agent with a new one. Do so by filing a signed statement of change with the secretary of state. |
For over a decade, Harbor Compliance has helped numerous organizations meet the legal and regulatory requirements of the states they’re operating in. Our Registered Agent Service saves time while ensuring important notices are delivered efficiently, no matter where you are. Besides all 50 states, the service is available in:
By partnering with us, you can leverage our local Mississippi office in Ridgeland and enjoy same-day electronic delivery of all time-sensitive correspondence. The office is open during regular business hours, so you can rest assured knowing your registered agent will always be there to receive service of process and other documents.
Harbor Compliance also offers a robust cloud platform that streamlines communication and makes all the necessary documents readily available. Our secure, user-friendly Client Portal lets you manage alerts and notifications so the key people in your organization never miss a notice. You’ll also find pre-filled state forms that reduce clerical errors and filing time.
Besides our Registered Agent Service, we offer numerous solutions for meeting different state regulatory requirements:
At first glance, appointing an individual such as yourself, a friend, or an employee might seem simpler than partnering with a commercial registered agent provider. However, you should keep in mind that to fulfill their duties diligently, a registered agent must ensure:
The following table shows how individual agents compare to Harbor Compliance according to the factors listed above:
| Factor | Individuals | Harbor Compliance |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Your registered agent might be unavailable for various reasons (travel, sickness, personal time off), in which case they might fail to receive important notices. In worst-case scenarios, this can lead to a default judgment against your organization and its administrative dissolution. | Our Mississippi office is always open during regular working hours, ensuring you can avoid missed notices and related legal consequences. |
| Security | Many individual agents use basic online and offline security while storing and sharing documents, exposing your organization to the risk of data leaks. | Harbor Compliance uses cutting-edge security protocols, password protection, and other safety measures when uploading received documents. |
| Organization | If your registered agent receives other mail to their business address, it may get mixed up with yours. They might also be overwhelmed by the amount of received correspondence and fail to forward crucial notices promptly. | Harbor Compliance uses a centralized portal to upload, store, and manage documents. Everything is neatly organized in one place, minimizing room for error. |
With Harbor Compliance, you’re in complete control of the registered agent appointment process—you can let us take care of it or do it yourself. Either way, the process is quick and straightforward, though the details depend on your specific scenario:
If you need help going through the formation or incorporation process beyond the appointment of a registered agent, we can help with three sets of services depending on your entity:
When you order your preferred service, we’ll take over the formation process and submit the necessary filings on your behalf, including naming ourselves as your registered agent.
If you choose the DIY approach, you can appoint Harbor Compliance as your registered agent on your formation form
Note that you must order our Mississippi Registered Agent service before appointing us in your forms.
You can also change your Mississippi registered agent while ordering your Harbor Compliance registered agent service. The process is pretty much the same as when employing the registered agent service during formation. However, you’ll see an option to add our Change of Agent service before you check out.
When you select this option and complete the checkout process, we’ll handle the filing on your behalf and appoint Harbor Compliance as your agent.
If your entity is already operating in another state and you want to expand to Mississippi, you can use our foreign qualification service to streamline the process. The user-friendly wizard will guide you through the process, and Harbor Compliance will obtain your certificate of authority and complete the appointment filing.
You can also order the certificate of good standing from your organization’s home state, which is necessary for expanding your operations.
Located in nearby Ridgeland, MS!
Appoint us as your Mississippi 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 Mississippi. Sign up for Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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.
Below are some of the most common questions regarding registered agents in Mississippi. If you don't find what you're looking for, refer to our Information Center.
Like most other U.S. states, Mississippi requires all legal entities to appoint a registered agent who will receive and forward service of process and other relevant notices or documents. You must appoint one whether forming an organization for the first time or ensuring your existing entity can legally operate in the state.
You can create an account on the secretary of state website and appoint your registered agent while submitting your formation documents. Alternatively, you can entrust Harbor Compliance with the formation process and have us set ourselves as your Mississippi registered agent.
It’s technically possible to appoint yourself as a registered agent, but only as an individual—your legal entity cannot be its own agent. Remember that if you appoint yourself, you won’t enjoy much privacy. You’ll need to make your personal details available for public access, which isn’t the case if you appoint another individual or entity.
Failure to meet Mississippi’s legal requirements, no matter how insignificant they might seem, can stunt your organization’s growth. Whether you want to get your business or nonprofit off the ground faster or expand to the state without friction, the right registered agent can make a world of difference.
Harbor Compliance’s reliable registered agent service can help you promptly address any legal issue your organization might face. Besides diligently accepting and forwarding your state correspondence, our comprehensive service offering ensures that you keep everything up and running without legal or regulatory setbacks.
Order our Registered Agent Service or reach out to explore our additional services and ensure your organization meets state requirements effortlessly.
If you want to check your current regulatory standing, you can also get a free Harbor Compliance Score™. Our award-winning software can help you resolve any issues you may notice, so request a demonstration to see how it works in action.
If you run a multistate organization and need help navigating the regulatory frameworks of various jurisdictions, browse our Registered Agent service across the U.S. and beyond by referring to the table below:
