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Your business must appoint a Vermont registered agent to receive documents in legal matters, including notice of lawsuit. Our reliable registered agent service fulfills this requirement. You get:
A Vermont registered agent is your main point of contact with the secretary of state, charged with accepting service of process and other government notices on your behalf. Appointing an agent is obligatory for most legal entities, so you can’t form an organization in Vermont or expand to the state without one.
This guide will help you meet the registered agent requirement in Vermont by explaining who can be your agent, what their duties are, and how to appoint one. You’ll also learn about Harbor Compliance and our Registered Agent Service, which ensures you don’t miss important notices.
A registered agent receives and forwards lawsuits, subpoenas, and other notices you don’t want to miss. By doing so, they act as the first line of defense when it comes to legal issues, helping you address them promptly.
Besides, you can’t form or foreign qualify your organization in Vermont without appointing a registered agen. If you want your entity to operate in accordance with the law, you need to enlist a registered agent with the secretary of state’s Business Services Division (formerly known as the Division of Corporations).
To fulfill their responsibilities, your agent must establish a reliable communication channel by being present at a designated physical location during regular business hours.
According to Title 11A, Chapter 5.01 of the Vermont State Code, there are three categories of registered agents:
This means you have various options when choosing a registered agent, most notably:
While appointing an individual or a commercial agent is equally valid under the law, the latter is typically considered a more reliable option. They have the necessary know-how and systems in place to ensure you always receive your notices and react to them timely.
A prompt response to legal issues is crucial to avoiding severe consequences like default judgment—a ruling made in the plaintiff’s favor as a result of you not being aware of the legal process against your organization and missing a court hearing.
Besides, appointing an external agent can protect your privacy, which might suffer if you enlisted yourself because your name and address would enter the public record. Selecting someone from your organization is also not the best idea, as you might receive lawsuits in front of your team or clients.
After choosing your agent, you must name them in your Articles of Incorporation (if you’re forming a profit or nonprofit corporation) or Articles of Organization (if you’re forming an LLC). If expanding into Vermont, you’ll appoint the agent in your foreign qualification documents.
In either case, the documents will contain a section regarding your registered agent, where you must enter their name and address, known as a registered office. You must keep this information updated in your annual reports and other filings with the secretary of state.
If working with a noncommercial agent and they move to a new location, you’ll have to update the state about the change by filing the Change of Registered Agent form through the state’s online portal. Failing to do so can result in administrative dissolution, which means the state revokes your right to operate in it, effectively shutting down your organization. Partnering with a commercial registered agent drastically reduces this risk, as they can keep their address updated with the secretary of state themselves, relieving you of the responsibility.
If you already have a registered agent but want to partner with another one, you’ll have to submit the same Change of Registered Agent form using the online portal.
Harbor Compliance is among the nation’s leading Registered Agent Service providers. With a local office in Shelburne, we can be your reliable point of contact with the Vermont secretary of state and provide:
You’ll be notified via email as soon as your notice is processed and get a link you can use to view and download the document from your Client Portal. Our robust software lets you manage notices from all states you operate in and drastically shorten the filing time.
Our extensive portfolio of solutions goes beyond the Registered Agent Service and comprehensively supports your organization’s regulatory standing through various scenarios, most notably:
| Service | Overview |
|---|---|
| Entity lifecycle management | Harbor Compliance helps you streamline some of the most time-consuming tasks, including DBA management, payroll tax registration, formation document amendments, and even dissolution. |
| Nonprofit formation | We can complete the incorporation and charitable registration process on your behalf and secure your 501(c) tax exemption. |
| Document filing and retrieval | Our Drop-off Filing service delivers your time-sensitive filings in person, prioritizing them with the secretary of state. We can also retrieve your certificate of good standing or authority alongside certified copies of official documents. |
| Business licensing support | Whether you need a general business license or an industry-specific one ( architecture, construction, pharmacy, etc.), you can rely on us to handle the entire process. |
By partnering with Harbor Compliance, you can enjoy five major advantages you likely won’t get by appointing yourself or another individual:
When appointing Harbor Compliance as your registered agent, you can let us handle the entire process or take a more involved approach. The specific steps depend on whether you are:
If you’re forming a new legal entity in Vermont, you can choose between our three formation services depending on your desired business structure:
Each service encompasses the formation process from start to finish. We’ll submit all relevant filings on your behalf and name Harbor Compliance as your registered agent.
You can also order our Registered Agent Service separately if you wish to file the registration documents yourself. In this case, you can appoint us by taking the following steps:
While the Vermont secretary of state’s website makes it easy to change your registered agent, Harbor Compliance makes it even easier.
As you go through the Registered Agent Service wizard, you’ll see the option to add “Change or Agent” before checkout. If you select this add-on service, we’ll complete the change on your behalf so that you don’t need to submit the Change of Agent form yourself.
Foreign qualification is necessary for expanding your organization into Vermont, and Harbor Compliance makes the process fast and straightforward. Our Foreign Qualification package lets you meet all the requirements through a simple wizard.
Once you complete it, we’ll file everything on your behalf and obtain your Vermont certificate of authority. We’ll also name Harbor Compliance your official point of contact with the state, and you’ll get the Registered Agent Service at no additional cost for a year.
Located in nearby Shelburne, VT!
Appoint us as your Vermont 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 Vermont. Sign up for Vermont 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 Vermont 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 you’ll find the answers to common questions regarding Vermont registered agents. If you need additional information, our Information Center has plenty of resources to explore.
Like most states, Vermont requires a registered agent to form an organization in the state or expand to it—it’s a mandatory part of the registration process.
Any individual over the age of 18 with a physical address in Vermont can serve as a registered agent, as can any legal entity authorized to operate in the state other than your own organization.
You can appoint yourself as a registered agent, but doing so is often the least attractive option due to a lack of privacy and the possibility of receiving service of process in front of other team members or clients.
You can find an agent by asking other organization leaders for a recommendation, or you can click here and order our Registered Agent Service in Vermont today.
Signing up for our Registered Agent Service allows you to outsource a significant responsibility and free up more time for essential activities and decisions. You’ll enjoy more freedom and peace of mind knowing that your notices are handled by experts and delivered timely.
You can also inquire about our additional services, and our team will help you find the best solutions for your regulatory needs. To see if there are any issues you should prioritize, get your free Harbor Compliance Score™ and assess your current standing.
Besides our comprehensive service portfolio, you can take advantage of our innovative software solution to stay on top of any state’s regulatory requirements. To see the platform in action, schedule a demonstration.
If you plan on expanding beyond Vermont, consult the following table to learn about our Registered Agent Service in other states:
