Study guide
The registered agent for an Oregon LLC (step 2 of 6)
The main points of the lesson on one page, for review.
What a registered agent is
- Every Oregon LLC names a registered agent who can be handed legal papers for the company during business hours
- The agent can be an individual or a legal entity
- The agent's Oregon street address is the registered office; a PO Box does not qualify, because a process server has to reach a door
Being your own agent
- Allowed, and it costs nothing; simplest if you occupy an office with a street address during ordinary hours
- The address goes on a public record anyone can search; if your only Oregon street address is your home, your home is what gets listed
- For a clinician whose clients may include people in crisis, weigh that before filing
- The agent must be reachable: papers left at a locked door while you are in session may be missed, and a missed lawsuit is the worst delivery to miss
Hiring a commercial agent
- A company whose business is being the address: its Oregon street address goes on the filing, and it forwards anything served to you
- You pay a yearly fee; the state endorses no vendor
- One vendor, Northwest Registered Agent, listed $125 a year as of May 2026 (confirmed only from an archived page), with a per-document fee for optional extra forwarding
- Compare at least two and read what each includes
| Consideration | You as agent | Commercial agent |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | None | A yearly fee |
| Address on the public filing | Your office or home | The vendor's Oregon address |
| Who receives served papers | You, in person, in business hours | The vendor, who forwards them |
| Best fit | An office address you are comfortable publishing | Home-based or telehealth practices, or anyone keeping their address off the record |
Decide before step 3
- Write down every Oregon street address you could list: no PO Box, no mailbox store
- Ask whether you accept that address being searchable for as long as the LLC exists
- If not, price two commercial agents; then pick one, because the Articles ask for the agent's name and street address
Not a one-time decision
- An agent who has moved, or a service you stopped paying, leaves the company unable to receive what is served; step 6 covers keeping it current
Key terms
- Registered agent: the person or company that accepts legal papers for the LLC
- Registered office: the agent's Oregon street address, shown on the public filing
- Commercial registered agent: a paid service that supplies the address and forwards papers