I'm setting up a Wisconsin LLC for my small online store, and I'll be operating entirely from my house. Do I legally need to pay for a registered agent if I'm always home? I'd rather not add another expense if it's avoidable.
LLC
Does a Wisconsin LLC need a registered agent if I work from home?
You can be your own registered agent in Wisconsin. You just need a physical street address where you can receive legal documents during business hours. If your home address is public, expect to get junk mail and maybe some weird visitors
Your home address becomes part of the public record. For some people that's a dealbreaker.
I used a registered agent service for the first year. Gave up and switched to my own address. Cheap, butt I still get debt consolidation letters with my LLC name. My toddler thinks they're his.
A registered agent's main job is receiving service of process. If you're always home, sure. But 'always' has a way of turning into a vacation.
Wait, does Wisconsin require you to be available during normal business hours, or just have an address? The statute says 'during normal business hours' for the agent, but if it's you, can't you just say you're available by appointment? Or does the state actually enforce that?
Enforcement is basically zero until someone tries to serve you and you're not around to accept it. Then you might get a default judgment.
I got the mail forwarding version. Five bucks a month. I told my spouse it's cheaper than a second filing address.
My wife started using a virtual address. Turns out they don't accept legal service. Fun.
I'm going to look up the Wisconsin statute on business hours and see if a PO box plus my home for service works. If I'm home most days it might just be my address. The public record part bothers me.