Every business entity formed in Mississippi or registered to do business in the state must designate a registered agent with a physical street address in Mississippi. The requirement applies to domestic and foreign business corporations, limited liability companies, nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships. The Mississippi Secretary of State administers all registered-agent filings — including appointments, changes, resignations, and commercial-agent listings — through its online Business Services portal. Mississippi consolidated its registered-agent rules under a single statute, the Mississippi Registered Agents Act (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 79-35-1 through 79-35-19), which took effect January 1, 2013, and standardized the forms and procedures across all entity types.
What Is a Mississippi Registered Agent?
A Mississippi registered agent is the individual or entity officially designated to receive service of process, government notices, and legal demands on behalf of a business. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13, a registered agent is “an agent of the represented entity authorized to receive service of any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the entity.” Mississippi’s Registered Agents Act replaced the entity-specific agent provisions that previously appeared in the Business Corporation Act (Chapter 4), the Revised LLC Act (Chapter 29), and the Nonprofit Corporation Act (Chapter 11), channeling all agent-related rules into a single chapter of the code. The Act also created two categories of agents: commercial registered agents, who register with the Secretary of State and appear on a public list, and noncommercial registered agents, who serve informally by agreement with the appointing entity.
The distinction matters because a commercial agent’s consent to serve is implied by its listing, while a noncommercial agent must be contacted and must consent before the entity names it on any filing.
What Does a Mississippi Registered Agent Do?
A Mississippi registered agent accepts service of process and forwards legal documents to the business it represents. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-14, the only duties of a registered agent that has complied with the Act are to forward any process, notice, or demand to the represented entity at the most recently supplied address, to provide the notices required by the Act, and to keep the entity’s registered-agent filing current. A noncommercial agent keeps the information current under Section 79-35-5(a), while a commercial agent maintains its listing under Section 79-35-6(a).
In practice, when a lawsuit is filed against a Mississippi entity, the process server delivers the summons and complaint to the registered agent at the registered office. The clock for the entity’s response begins on the date of service. Beyond litigation, the agent’s address is where the Secretary of State directs annual-report reminders, dissolution notices, and other compliance correspondence. If a registered agent resigns or is otherwise unavailable, and the entity does not promptly replace the agent, service may be made on the entity’s governors — its officers or managers — and, if they cannot be found, on the Secretary of State directly.
Note: A person named as a registered agent without that person’s consent is not considered a registered agent under the Act and has no obligation to forward documents, but service on that person is still deemed service on the entity.
Mississippi Registered Agent Requirements
Mississippi requires every filing entity to appoint a registered agent and maintain a registered office with a physical street address in the state. Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-4 specifies that whenever the Act requires an address, the filing must include “an actual street address in this state” and, if different, a mailing address in the state. A P.O. box alone does not satisfy the requirement.
The agent must fall into one of the following categories:
- Individual — any individual with a physical address in Mississippi
- Domestic entity — a Mississippi corporation or LLC
- Foreign entity — a corporation or LLC authorized to transact business in Mississippi
Under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-5, the registered-agent filing must name either a commercial registered agent or, if the entity uses a noncommercial agent, the agent’s name, address, and email address. The filing itself is an affirmation that the entity has notified the agent and that the agent has consented to serve. Mississippi does not prohibit an individual owner from serving as the agent for their own entity, but the entity’s name alone cannot appear in the agent field — a natural person or a separate qualifying entity must be designated.
Is a Registered Agent Required in Mississippi?
Yes. Every domestic and foreign filing entity in Mississippi must designate a registered agent. The requirement appears in the formation and qualification statutes for each entity type and is reinforced by the Registered Agents Act. A corporation that goes without a registered agent for sixty days or more gives the Secretary of State grounds to begin administrative dissolution under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-4-14.20. The same sixty-day trigger applies to LLCs under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-29-821. Foreign entities face revocation of their certificate of authority for the same lapse. In short, continuous maintenance of a registered agent is not optional for any Mississippi business entity.
Why Do I Need a Registered Agent in Mississippi?
A business needs a Mississippi registered agent because the designation guarantees a reliable, known address where lawsuits and official state correspondence can be delivered during business hours. Without an agent, the entity risks missing service of process — a situation that can lead to a default judgment entered without the entity’s knowledge. Mississippi’s fallback rules allow service on the entity’s governors and ultimately on the Secretary of State when no agent is available, but each fallback introduces delay and the possibility that critical deadlines pass before the entity learns of the proceeding.
The registered-agent address is also the address to which the Secretary of State sends annual-report reminders and dissolution warnings. Failure to file the annual report within sixty days of its due date is an independent ground for administrative dissolution. A registered agent who monitors incoming mail and forwards documents promptly serves as the entity’s compliance safety net, catching filings that might otherwise be missed.
Who Can Be a Registered Agent in Mississippi?
A Mississippi registered agent may be any individual or any domestic or foreign entity that maintains a physical address in the state. The Commercial Agents page on the Secretary of State’s website confirms that “any individual, corporation, or LLC may act as registered agent for any Mississippi company provided the agent has a physical address in the state of Mississippi.” No professional license or state certification is required.
Mississippi distinguishes between two types of agents:
- Commercial registered agent — an individual or entity that files a Commercial Registered Agent Listing Statement with the Secretary of State, pays a $100 listing fee, and agrees to be available to any entity that selects it from the Secretary of State’s published list. Commercial agents who do not wish to act for a particular entity must file a Statement of Non-acceptance within fourteen days of selection.
- Noncommercial registered agent — any qualifying individual or entity that agrees privately to serve but does not register with the Secretary of State. Noncommercial agents do not appear on the state’s public agent list, and the appointing entity must obtain the agent’s permission before naming the agent on any filing.
Both types have identical duties once properly appointed.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Mississippi?
Yes. Any individual with a physical Mississippi address may serve as the registered agent for their own corporation, LLC, or other entity. An owner, member, manager, officer, or director may fill the role as long as the address listed is a street address in the state. The individual’s name and address will appear in the Secretary of State’s public business-entity database, visible to anyone who searches for the entity.
Self-appointment costs nothing beyond the standard formation or qualification filing fee. The trade-offs include public exposure of a home address if the individual works from home, the need to be reachable at the registered address during normal business hours to accept service of process, and a continuity risk if the individual relocates outside of Mississippi. If no one is present to accept delivery, a process server may attempt service on the entity’s officers or managers and, as a last resort, on the Secretary of State.
Benefits of a Professional Mississippi Registered Agent Service
A professional registered-agent service provides a staffed Mississippi street address where service of process and state correspondence are accepted during business hours and forwarded to the entity promptly. For business owners who do not want a personal address in public records, a commercial agent substitutes its own office address on all filings, shielding the owner’s home from the Secretary of State’s searchable database. Professional agents typically scan and transmit documents electronically the same day they arrive, reducing the risk that a deadline passes unnoticed.
Additional benefits include compliance-calendar reminders before the annual-report deadline, continuity when an owner relocates or changes roles, and centralized administration for entities registered in multiple states. Mississippi charges $10 per entity (up to a $1,000 cap) for a statement of change when switching agents, so changing providers later carries only a modest cost.
Hiring a Mississippi Registered Agent Before or After Formation?
An entity’s registered agent is named at the time of formation or foreign registration — before the filing is submitted. The online formation filing for a domestic corporation or LLC includes mandatory fields for the registered agent’s name and the registered office address. Foreign entities must designate an agent when applying for a certificate of authority. The Secretary of State will not process a formation or qualification document without a registered agent on file.
After formation, the entity may change its agent at any time by filing a statement of change under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-8. The change takes effect on filing and does not require approval by the entity’s interest holders or governors. While the agent must be chosen before the initial document is submitted, the entity is not locked into that choice permanently.
How to Appoint a Registered Agent in Mississippi
A Mississippi registered agent is appointed by naming the agent and providing a matching Mississippi street address on the entity’s formation or qualification filing. The following steps apply to new entities:
- Select an eligible agent: a Mississippi-resident individual, a Mississippi entity, or a foreign entity authorized to transact business in Mississippi. If using a commercial agent, confirm the agent appears on the Secretary of State’s list of commercial agents. If using a noncommercial agent, obtain the agent’s written consent before filing.
- Confirm the agent’s physical street address in Mississippi. This address becomes the entity’s registered office.
- Log in to the Secretary of State’s online filing system and select the appropriate formation type — Articles of Incorporation for a corporation or Certificate of Formation for an LLC.
- Enter the agent’s name, street address, and email address in the registered-agent fields.
- Pay the applicable formation fee.
The table below summarizes formation and agent-related filing fees. The complete schedule is published in the Secretary of State’s Business Documents Filing Fees.
| Filing | Fee |
| Articles of Incorporation (domestic business corporation) | $50 |
| Certificate of Formation (domestic LLC) | $50 |
| Certificate of Authority (foreign business corporation) | $250 |
| Certificate of Authority (foreign LLC) | $250 |
| Articles of Incorporation (domestic nonprofit) | $50 |
| Statement of change — agent or office (per entity) | $10 (cap of $1,000) |
| Statement of resignation | No fee |
| Statement of non-acceptance | No fee |
| Statement appointing agent for service of process (nonfiling entity) | $10 |
| Commercial Registered Agent Listing Statement | $100 |
| Commercial Registered Agent Termination Statement | $50 |
| Annual Report — domestic business corporation | $25 |
| Annual Report — domestic LLC | $0 |
| Annual Report — foreign LLC | $250 |
| Annual Report — nonprofit | $0 |
| Reinstatement — domestic corporation or LLC | $50 |
| Reinstatement — foreign LLC | $100 |
Note: All business filings may be submitted and paid for online using a credit card, e-check, or ACH. A $4 credit-card transaction fee applies. Forms may also be completed online, printed, and mailed with a check, but paper filings take significantly longer to process.
How to Choose a Mississippi Registered Agent
Choosing a Mississippi registered agent involves evaluating eligibility, reliability, privacy, and the agent’s responsiveness. The right agent maintains a physical Mississippi street address, accepts deliveries during standard business hours, and forwards documents without delay. Start by confirming that the prospective agent meets the statutory requirement — an individual with a Mississippi address or a domestic or authorized-foreign entity.
Consider whether you want your personal address in the public record. If not, a commercial registered agent substitutes its own office address. Evaluate whether the provider offers same-day document scanning and forwarding, a secure online portal for document retrieval, and annual-report reminders. For entities registered in multiple states, a provider with a multistate footprint can consolidate administration. Because Mississippi’s statement-of-change fee is only $10 per entity, switching agents later is inexpensive.
Consequences of No Registered Agent in Mississippi
A Mississippi entity that fails to maintain a registered agent faces administrative dissolution and the loss of its ability to conduct business or maintain legal proceedings. The consequences follow a statutory sequence.
Trigger: The entity is without a registered agent for sixty days or more, or it fails to notify the Secretary of State within sixty days that its agent has resigned or changed. For corporations, Section 79-4-14.20 lists being “without a registered agent in this state for sixty days or more” as an independent ground for dissolution. For LLCs, Section 79-29-821 contains the identical sixty-day trigger.
Notice: The Secretary of State serves written notice of its determination to dissolve, giving the entity sixty days to correct the deficiency.
Consequence if uncured: The Secretary of State issues a certificate of administrative dissolution. The entity continues to exist for wind-up purposes but may not carry on regular business. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-4-14.21, a dissolved corporation “may not carry on any business except as necessary to wind up and liquidate its business and affairs” and may not maintain any lawsuit until reinstated.
Reinstatement: A dissolved entity may apply to the Secretary of State for reinstatement under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-4-14.22 (corporations) at any time after dissolution. The applicant must show that the ground for dissolution has been eliminated, that the entity name still complies with naming requirements, and — for corporations — that all taxes have been paid as certified by the Mississippi Department of Revenue. The reinstatement fee is $50 for domestic entities. When effective, reinstatement relates to the date of dissolution, and the entity resumes operations as if the dissolution had never occurred.
On the litigation side, if an entity has no registered agent, Section 79-35-13 allows service on the entity’s governors at the address on file with the Secretary of State. If the governors cannot be found, service may be made on the Secretary of State, who charges a $25 fee for processing.
Is Mississippi Registered Agent Information Public Record?
Yes. The name and address of every entity’s registered agent appear in the Secretary of State’s publicly searchable Business Search database. The database displays the agent’s name and address, the entity’s officers, its formation date, and its filing history. The Secretary of State’s FAQ page confirms that an entity’s FEIN and telephone number are redacted from publicly displayed forms, but the registered agent’s name and address remain visible. There is no mechanism to suppress agent information from the public record, which is one reason many business owners use a commercial registered agent rather than listing a personal home address.
How to Search for a Mississippi Registered Agent
Anyone can look up the registered agent for a Mississippi entity through the Secretary of State’s free online search tool by following these steps:
- Visit the Business Search page on the Secretary of State’s website.
- Choose a search tab — Business Name, Business ID, Officer Name, or Registered Agent.
- Enter the search term and select a matching mode — Starting With, All Words, Any Words, Sounds Like, or Exact Match.
- Click on the entity in the results list to view its full record, including the registered agent’s name and address, the entity’s current status, and its filing history.
The Registered Agent tab allows searches by agent name, which returns every entity that has designated that agent — a useful feature for commercial agents tracking their represented entities.
How to Become a Mississippi Registered Agent
There is no license, state examination, or application required to become a noncommercial registered agent in Mississippi. Any individual residing in the state or any domestic or authorized-foreign entity with a Mississippi street address qualifies. A person becomes an agent simply by being named on an entity’s formation document or a statement of change and having consented to serve.
To become a commercial registered agent — listed on the Secretary of State’s website and available for selection by any entity — an individual or entity must file a Commercial Registered Agent Listing Statement and pay the $100 filing fee. The listing takes effect on filing. A commercial agent may later terminate its listing by filing a Commercial Registered Agent Termination Statement and paying a $50 fee. The termination takes effect on the thirty-first day after filing, at which point the agent ceases to represent every entity it had previously served and must notify each of those entities so they can appoint a replacement.
A single agent — commercial or noncommercial — may represent an unlimited number of Mississippi entities. If a noncommercial agent’s address or name changes, Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-9 requires the agent to file a statement of change for each represented entity and to notify each entity of the change.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can a limited liability company serve as its own registered agent in Mississippi?
No. An entity cannot list its own name as its registered agent. The agent field on formation and change filings requires the name of a natural person or a separate qualifying entity. However, a member or manager of the LLC who is an individual with a Mississippi address may serve as an agent in their personal capacity. The key restriction is that the entity itself and the agent must be different persons under the law.
Can the same individual or organization serve as registered agent for multiple Mississippi entities?
Yes. Mississippi places no cap on the number of entities a single registered agent may represent. A commercial agent, by design, agrees to accept appointment from any entity that selects it. A noncommercial agent may serve as many entities as it chooses. If the agent’s address changes, a statement of change must be filed for each represented entity at $10 per entity, subject to a $1,000 maximum.
What happens if my registered agent resigns in Mississippi?
A registered agent may resign at any time by filing a statement of resignation with the Secretary of State under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-11. The agent must certify that it sent written notice to the entity at least thirty days before filing. The resignation takes effect on the earlier of the thirty-first day after filing or the appointment of a new agent. There is no fee for the statement of resignation. After the resignation becomes effective, the entity must promptly designate a replacement; failure to do so within sixty days creates a ground for administrative dissolution.
Can I use a virtual office or P.O. Box as my registered office address in Mississippi?
No. Section 79-35-4 requires that any address in a registered-agent filing include “an actual street address in this state.” A mailing address may be added if it differs from the street address, but a P.O. box alone does not satisfy the statute. A virtual-office address that provides a physical street location where documents can be accepted in person during business hours may qualify, but a mail-forwarding-only arrangement does not.
What if my registered agent moves out of Mississippi?
The agent becomes ineligible because the Act requires a physical address within the state. The entity must file a statement of change under Section 79-35-8, naming a new qualifying agent and pay the $10 filing fee. Until a replacement is on file, the entity is at risk: being without a registered agent for sixty days or more gives the Secretary of State grounds to begin administrative dissolution. In the interim, service of process may be made on the entity’s governors or on the Secretary of State.
Is a registered agent liable for the debts or legal obligations of the business it represents in Mississippi?
No. Section 79-35-14 makes clear that a person named as agent without consent has no liability under any judgment, decree, or order “solely because of the person’s designation or appointment as registered agent.” The same principle extends to consenting agents: the agent’s role is limited to forwarding the process and keeping its filing current. Serving as an agent does not make the agent a guarantor of the entity’s debts, contracts, or legal obligations.
How do I change my registered agent in Mississippi?
The entity files a statement of change under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-8 through the Secretary of State’s online system. The filing requires the entity’s name and the new agent’s information. The change takes effect on filing and does not require approval by the entity’s interest holders or governors. The fee is $10 per entity. As noted in the Secretary of State’s FAQ page, registered-agent changes are handled as an amendment through the online filing system; there is no longer a separate paper form.
Does Mississippi require annual renewal of registered agent designation?
Mississippi does not require a standalone annual renewal of the registered-agent designation. However, every corporation, LLC, and nonprofit must file an annual report with the Secretary of State. Corporations and LLCs must file by April 15 each year; nonprofits must file by May 15. The annual report requires the entity to confirm its registered-agent information. Domestic LLCs pay $0 for the annual report, domestic business corporations pay $25, and foreign LLCs pay $250. Failure to file within sixty days of the due date is a ground for administrative dissolution, so while the agent designation itself does not expire, the annual report serves as the mechanism that keeps the agent information current and the entity in good standing.