Virginia Law

Article 3. Registered Office and Agent; Principal Office.

A. Each domestic limited liability company and each foreign limited liability company registered pursuant to Article 10 (§ 13.1-1051 et seq.) of this chapter shall continuously maintain in the Commonwealth:

1. A registered office that may be the same as any of its places of business; and

2. A registered agent who shall be either:

a. An individual who is a resident of the Commonwealth and is (i) a member or manager of the limited liability company, (ii) a member or manager of a limited liability company that is a member or manager of the limited liability company, (iii) an officer or director of a corporation that is a member or manager of the limited liability company, (iv) a general partner of a general or limited partnership that is a member or manager of the limited liability company, (v) a trustee of a trust that is a member or manager of the limited liability company, or (vi) a member of the Virginia State Bar, and whose business office is identical with the registered office;

b. A domestic or foreign stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company, or registered limited liability partnership authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth, the business office of which is identical with the registered office; provided such a registered agent (i) shall not be its own registered agent and (ii) shall designate by instrument in writing, acknowledged before a notary public, one or more natural persons at the office of the registered agent upon whom any process, notice, or demand may be served and shall continuously maintain at least one such person at that office. Whenever any such person accepts service, a photographic copy of such instrument shall be attached to the return; or

c. A Virginia resident who is an officer of the limited liability company, provided that such a registered agent or a natural person designated by the registered agent shall be available during regular business hours at the registered office to accept service of any process, notice, or demand. Whenever any such person accepts service, a photographic copy of such instrument shall be attached to the return. As used in this subdivision, "officer of the limited liability company" means any employee of the limited liability company, other than a member or manager of the limited liability company, who has been designated by the limited liability company by instrument in writing as a person upon whom any process, notice, or demand may be served.

B. The sole duty of the registered agent is to forward to the limited liability company or foreign limited liability company at its last known address any process, notice, or demand that is served on the registered agent.

1991, c. 168; 1993, c. 113; 1994, c. 348; 1996, c. 265; 2000, cc. 162, 537; 2001, cc. 517, 541; 2004, c. 314; 2005, c. 255; 2016, c. 275.

A. A limited liability company or a foreign limited liability company registered to transact business in the Commonwealth may change its registered office or registered agent, or both, upon filing with the Commission a statement of change on a form prescribed and furnished by the Commission that sets forth:

1. The name of the limited liability company or foreign limited liability company;

2. The address of its current registered office;

3. If the current registered office is to be changed, the post-office address, including the street and number, if any, of the new registered office, and the name of the city or county in which it is to be located;

4. The name of its current registered agent;

5. If the current registered agent is to be changed, the name of the new registered agent; and

6. That after the change or changes are made, the domestic or foreign limited liability company will be in compliance with the requirements of § 13.1-1015.

B. A statement of change shall forthwith be filed with the Commission by a domestic or foreign limited liability company whenever its registered agent dies, resigns or ceases to satisfy the requirements of § 13.1-1015.

C. A domestic or foreign limited liability company's registered agent may sign a statement as required above if (i) the business address of the registered agent changes to another post office address within the Commonwealth or (ii) the name of the registered agent has been legally changed. A domestic or foreign limited liability company's new registered agent may sign and submit for filing a statement as required above if (a) the former registered agent is a business entity that has been merged into the new registered agent, (b) the instrument of merger is on record in the office of the clerk of the Commission, and (c) the new registered agent is an entity that is qualified to serve as a registered agent pursuant to § 13.1-1015. In either instance, the registered agent or surviving entity shall forthwith file a statement as required above, which shall recite that a copy of the statement shall be mailed to the principal office address of the domestic or foreign limited liability company on or before the business day following the day on which the statement is filed.

1991, c. 168; 2003, c. 597; 2009, c. 450; 2010, c. 434.

A. A registered agent may resign as agent for the domestic or foreign limited liability company by signing and filing with the Commission a statement of resignation stating (i) the name of the limited liability company or foreign limited liability company, (ii) the name of the agent, and (iii) that the agent resigns from serving as registered agent for the domestic or foreign limited liability company. The statement of resignation shall be accompanied by a certification that the registered agent will have a copy of the statement mailed to the principal office of the domestic or foreign limited liability company by certified mail on or before the business day following the day on which the statement is filed. When the statement of resignation takes effect, the registered office is also discontinued.

B. A statement of resignation takes effect on the earlier of (i) 12:01 a.m. on the thirty-first day after the date on which the statement was filed with the Commission or (ii) the date on which a statement of change to appoint a registered agent is filed, in accordance with § 13.1-1016, with the Commission.

1991, c. 168; 2010, c. 434; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 487.

A. A domestic or foreign limited liability company's registered agent is the limited liability company's agent for service of process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the limited liability company. The registered agent may by instrument in writing, acknowledged before a notary public, designate a natural person or persons in the office of the registered agent upon whom any such process, notice or demand may be served. Whenever any such person accepts service of process, a photographic copy of such instrument shall be attached to the return.

B. Whenever a domestic or foreign limited liability company fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent in this Commonwealth, or whenever its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office, then the clerk of the Commission shall be an agent of the limited liability company upon whom service may be made in accordance with § 12.1-19.1.

C. This section does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a domestic or foreign limited liability company.

1991, c. 168; 2001, cc. 517, 541.

A. A limited liability company or a foreign limited liability company registered pursuant to Article 10 (§ 13.1-1051 et seq.) may change its principal office upon filing in the office of the Commission a statement of change on a form supplied by the Commission that sets forth:

1. The name of the limited liability company or foreign limited liability company;

2. The address of its current principal office; and

3. The post office address, including the street and number, if any, of the new principal office.

B. A statement of change shall forthwith be delivered to the Commission for filing by a domestic limited liability company or a foreign limited liability company registered pursuant to Article 10 (§ 13.1-1051 et seq.) whenever the address of its principal office ceases to be the office at which the principal executive offices of the domestic or foreign limited liability company are located.

2009, c. 450; 2016, c. 288.