Both kinds do the same job. They take lawsuits and official notices for your LLC at an Indiana street, and send them to you. The difference is in how the state records them and what happens when they change. The Indiana scorecard grades the commercial agents that serve Indiana, with the price after year 1.
| Question | Commercial agent | Noncommercial agent |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is | Anyone who filed a commercial listing statement | Anyone else allowed to serve, often an owner, a relative, or a lawyer |
| What your filing lists | The agent’s name only | The agent’s name and Indiana street address |
| If the agent moves | The agent updates its listing, and your record follows | The street on your record changes only when a change is filed |
| If the agent stops serving | 31 days after it resigns or files a termination of its listing | 31 days after it files a resignation, or sooner if you name a new agent |
What the statute says
The rules are in IC 23-0.5-4. The parts that matter to an owner:
- Who must have one. Section 1 says a domestic filing entity and a registered foreign entity must designate and maintain a registered agent in Indiana. An Indiana LLC and an out-of-state LLC registered in Indiana both count.
- A street in Indiana. Section 2 says an address on the record must be a street address in Indiana. The state’s FAQ adds that a post office box is not acceptable as a registered office.
- Who can serve. Section 3 allows an individual, a general partnership, a domestic filing entity, or a registered foreign entity. The state’s FAQ says a business cannot serve as its own registered agent.
- Consent. The filing must state the agent’s consent, or a representation that the agent consented. Ask before you list anyone.
The commercial listing
Section 4 is the listing itself. A person becomes a commercial registered agent by filing a signed statement that it is in the business of serving as a commercial registered agent in Indiana. The statement gives an Indiana address where process may be delivered, names the entities it represents, and gives an email for electronic service.
Here is the part that helps you. When an agent files or updates that listing, the statute says it amends the filing of each entity it represents. So when a commercial agent moves to a new Indiana office, it updates one listing, and the agent line for every client follows. You do not file anything. With a noncommercial agent, a move means your LLC files a change.
What you owe your agent
Section 3 also puts a duty on the company. Each entity must give its registered agent, and keep current, the name, business address, and business phone number of a person who can receive messages from the agent. That person can be an officer, a director, an employee, or a designated agent.
If you do not give the agent that contact, the statute lets the agent resign. That is a quiet way to end up with no agent. When you sign up with an Indiana agent, fill in the contact, and update it when the person leaves.
What the agent owes you
Section 11 lists the agent’s duties, and the list is short:
- forward any process, notice, or demand to the address the entity most recently gave it,
- give the notices the chapter requires, and
- keep its own information current: the listing for a commercial agent, the name and address for a noncommercial one.
Scanning ordinary mail, alerts by text, a dashboard, and reminders about the state report are product features. They are not in the statute. If you want them, check that the company says it offers them, and in writing. What is a commercial registered agent? covers what to check in any state.
Section 12 adds a limit many people ask about. Naming an Indiana agent does not by itself give Indiana courts personal jurisdiction over the company, and the agent’s address does not decide venue.
When the agent stops serving
Two clocks in the chapter both run 31 days.
- A commercial agent ends its listing. Section 5 says a termination takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the 31st day after it is filed. The agent must promptly tell each entity it represents.
- An agent resigns. Section 9 says a resignation takes effect on the 31st day after it is filed, or when a new agent is designated, if that comes first. The agent must promptly tell the entity. It can resign whatever the entity’s status with the state.
If your LLC is left with no agent, section 10 sets the backup. A lawsuit can be served by registered or certified mail, or a similar delivery service, addressed to the principal office. Service counts on the earliest of the day you receive it, the date on a signed return receipt, or five days after it is mailed. If that fails, the papers can be handed to whoever is in charge at a regular place of business. What happens if you don’t have a registered agent covers why that path goes badly.
Switching to or from a commercial agent
Section 6 lets an entity change its agent by filing a statement of change. The statement must include the new agent’s consent. The members do not have to approve the filing itself. You can also make the change by amending your most recent filing that names the agent.
The Indiana scorecard notes the fee side: the statute sets no fee for the change, and a 2025 rule adds $1 on the electronic path. How to change a registered agent covers the order of steps, so the old agent does not drop off before the new one is on the record.
How to tell which kind you have
Look up your LLC on the Secretary of State’s business search, linked from the Indiana scorecard. If the agent line shows a company name you pay each year, it is very likely a commercial agent. If it shows a person and a street, that person is your agent, and the street is public. Can I be my own registered agent? covers what that means for a home address.
Next step
If you are choosing an Indiana agent, start with the listing test: has the company filed one? Then compare the price after year 1 and what it says it does with a lawsuit the day it arrives. The Indiana scorecard has those for each company we grade.
Short answers
What is a commercial registered agent in Indiana?
A person or company that filed a commercial registered agent listing statement with the Secretary of State under IC 23-0.5-4-4. Any other agent is noncommercial.
Do I need a commercial registered agent in Indiana?
No. An individual or an eligible company can serve as a noncommercial agent. A business cannot be its own agent, and the agent needs an Indiana street.
How long do I have if my Indiana agent quits?
A resignation or a listing termination takes effect on the 31st day after it is filed. Name a new agent before then.
Sources
Pages below were read November 1, 2026.
- IC 23-0.5-4, Indiana registered agents. Section 1, who must keep an agent. Section 2, Indiana street address. Section 3, who may serve, consent, and the communications contact. Section 4, the commercial listing and its effect on represented entities. Section 5, termination at 12:01 a.m. on the 31st day. Section 6, statement of change with consent. Section 9, resignation on the 31st day or when a new agent is named. Section 10, service by mail when there is no agent. Section 11, the agent’s duties. Section 12, no jurisdiction or venue from the agent alone.
- Indiana FAQ, What is a registered agent and why do I need one. The agent receives service of process, notice, or demand. A registered agent and registered office kept continuously in Indiana. No post office box. A business cannot serve as its own registered agent.