An LLC is physically located at its principal office or primary place of business, not automatically at its registered agent's address.
The registered agent's address is the LLC's official legal contact address in the state where it is registered. The registered agent receives lawsuits, subpoenas, government notices and other official documents for the LLC. The agent must generally maintain a physical address in that state and be available during normal business hours.
Registered Agent Address vs. LLC Physical Address
| Address type | What it means | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Registered agent address | The in-state address where legal and official documents are accepted | Formation documents, annual reports and registered-agent records |
| Principal office or business address | The place where the LLC's main operations are managed | State filings, tax forms and business records |
| Mailing address | The address used for regular correspondence | Mail, tax notices and general communications |
| State of formation | The state whose laws created the LLC | Legal formation and state registration |
These addresses may be the same, but they do not have to be. Delaware, for example, distinguishes the registered office from the company's principal place of business. A Delaware LLC can have a registered agent in Delaware even when the company operates somewhere else.
Can an LLC Be Physically Located in a Different State From Its Registered Agent?
Yes. An LLC can be formed in one state, use a registered agent there and operate from another state.
For example:
- The LLC is formed in Delaware.
- Its registered agent has a physical office in Wilmington, Delaware.
- The owner manages the business from a home office in Texas.
- The LLC's primary business location may be Texas, while its registered agent's address remains in Delaware.
If the LLC conducts enough business in another state, it may need to register there as a foreign LLC. The U.S. Small Business Administration says a business may need foreign qualification when it conducts business activities in more than one state.
What Address Should You Enter on a Form?
Use the address that matches the form's wording:
- "Registered agent address" or "registered office": Enter the registered agent's physical street address.
- "Principal office" or "principal place of business": Enter the LLC's main operating location.
- "Physical address of the business": Enter the LLC's actual primary physical location, not the registered agent's address unless the business operates there.
- "Mailing address": Enter the address where the LLC receives correspondence. This may differ from the physical business address.
For an EIN application, the IRS instructs businesses to provide the entity's primary physical location as its principal business location. It also asks for a physical street address when that address differs from the mailing address.
What If the LLC Is Home-Based or Online?
For a home-based or online LLC, the physical location is usually the home office or another place where the owner primarily manages the business.
That address is separate from the registered agent's address when the LLC uses a professional registered agent service. A virtual mailbox, P.O. box or registered agent address should not be listed as the LLC's principal physical location unless the business actually operates there and the form allows it.
How Can You Find an LLC's Addresses?
Search for the LLC in the Secretary of State's business database for the state where it is registered. Depending on the state, the records may separately list:
- The LLC's principal or executive office
- The LLC's mailing address
- The registered agent
- The registered agent's address
- The LLC's formation state and status
California, for example, distinguishes the entity's street and mailing addresses from the agent for service of process. The SBA provides a directory for finding each state's official business-registration office.
Bottom Line
The registered agent's address is the LLC's legal service address. The LLC's physical location is its principal office or primary place of business.
Use the registered agent's address when a form asks for the registered agent or registered office. Use the LLC's actual operating location when a form asks where the business is physically located.