Wisconsin Resident Agent Service

Why Wisconsin requires a resident agent

Every Wisconsin corporation must designate and keep both a registered office and a resident agent, which can be a resident individual, or an LLC, LP, LLP, corporation, or nonprofit or nonstock corporation, domestic or authorized foreign, and whichever it is, its business office must match the registered office, which has to be a physical street address rather than an answering service, mailbox service, or PO box. The agent also needs an e-mail address and must have a place of business or activity located in Wisconsin, and Wis. Stat. § 183.0115 sets parallel rules for LLCs. Wis. Stat. § 180.0501(1m)-(2m); § 183.0115

What happens if you lapse

• A corporation that goes at least one year with no resident agent or registered office, or goes a year without telling the department that its agent changed or resigned or its office was discontinued, may be dissolved administratively, with a 60-day cure period under § 180.1421(2). Wis. Stat. § 180.1420(3)-(4)
• LLCs can be dissolved administratively on the same grounds: a year without an agent, or a year without giving the required notice. Wis. Stat. § 183.0708(1)(c)-(d)
• Administrative dissolution costs the entity its exclusive right to its name, with the LLC parallel at § 183.0708(4m). Wis. Stat. § 180.1421(4)
• A foreign corporation that goes at least 6 months without a resident agent or office, or has let 6 months pass after a change or resignation without giving notice, may lose its certificate of authority, and § 183.09101(1)(c)-(d) is the matching termination rule for foreign LLC registrations. Wis. Stat. § 180.1530(1)(c)-(d)
• Without a required certificate of authority, a foreign corporation transacting business cannot maintain a proceeding in a Wisconsin court, and § 183.0902(2) is the foreign LLC parallel. Wis. Stat. § 180.1502(1)
• A foreign corporation doing business without authority must pay every back fee and charge, plus for each year the lesser of 50 percent of that amount or $5,000 (the foreign LLC parallel is § 183.0902(6)), and reinstating a revoked certificate within 6 months costs whichever is less: the fees or penalties owed under s. 180.1502(5)(a), or $5,000 (§ 180.1531(2)(c)1.b.). Wis. Stat. § 180.1502(5)(a)

Switching to us

We prepare and file the change of resident agent for you. Wisconsin charges $10 for an LLC Wis. Stat. 183.0122(2)(a)8. and $10 for a corporation Wis. Stat. 180.0122(1m)(j).

Official Wisconsin links

• Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions - (608) 261-7577
• Business entity search
• Statutes
• Forms
• Annual report filing

Frequently asked

Do I need a resident agent in Wisconsin?

Almost every state does, and the Wisconsin rule is set out above with its citation. Where the law leaves a choice, a resident agent is still the practical way to make sure service of process reaches you.

How much does Wisconsin resident agent service cost?

$129 a year, with no setup fee, the same price in all 50 states plus DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Service of process is received and scanned the same business day.

Can I switch my Wisconsin resident agent to ResidentAgents.com?

Yes. Order online and we prepare the change of agent filing for you; the state's filing fee is shown on this page.