Pennsylvania registered office or CROP
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Pennsylvania requires a registered office in the state. That is a Pennsylvania street address or rural route, or the name and county of a Commercial Registered Office Provider you already have a contract with. A post office box alone is rejected. If you live in Pennsylvania and have a business address that isn't your home, list that address and pay nothing. If you work from home or live anywhere else, hire a CROP. Northwest Registered Agent LLC is on the Department of State's provider list, at $125 a year. Changing the office later is a $5 filing.
Our recommendation
Be your own agent if you can. Otherwise, use Northwest.
If you have a non-home Pennsylvania street address, list it and skip the provider. If you work from home or live outside Pennsylvania, use Northwest at $125 a year and sign the contract before you file. Switching the office later costs $5.
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Pennsylvania registered office or CROP rules
What the state requires, from the statute and the Secretary of State.
- What Pennsylvania calls it
- A registered office, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP) in place of an address. 15 Pa.C.S. § 135 and § 109.
- Address rule
- An actual Pennsylvania street address or rural route box number. A post office box alone is not acceptable.
- CROP rule
- You may list a CROP and its county of venue instead of an address. Have a contract first. Listing a provider without a contract can mean civil and criminal penalties.
- Change of office
- $5, on the Department of State statement of change of registered office.
- Change filed by the provider
- Also $5. The provider has to give the company a copy. If that relationship ends, the old address stays the venue address until you file a new office.
- Where a CROP does not work
- A CROP cannot be used on a filing that requires a principal place of business, including a fictitious name registration.
- Who is on the list
- The Department of State publishes the CROP list. Northwest Registered Agent LLC is on it, at 502 West 7th Street, Suite 100, Erie, Erie County.
- Price
- Your own Pennsylvania street address is free. A CROP usually costs $49 to $300 a year.
Do you need a registered office or CROP in Pennsylvania?
The Department of State requires every association to keep a registered office on file. If you listed a CROP and that contract ends, the old address remains the address for venue until you file a new office. Lawsuits and official mail can still go to that old address. File the $5 change as soon as the provider drops you, or as soon as you move.
Can you be your own registered office or CROP?
Use your own address if you have a Pennsylvania street address or rural route that isn't your home, and someone there can receive mail. That address goes on the public filing. A post office box by itself does not qualify. You do not appoint yourself as a registered agent. You list the office.
What a paid registered office or CROP costs in Pennsylvania
Hire a CROP if you work from home, move often, or live outside Pennsylvania. Sign the contract before you put the provider's name on the certificate. A CROP usually costs $49 to $300 a year. Northwest charges $125 a year, and Northwest Registered Agent LLC is already on the state's provider list in Erie County. A CROP does not replace a principal place of business on filings that ask for one.
How to change your Pennsylvania registered office or CROP
File the statement of change of registered office. The fee is $5. If the provider is the one moving its office, it files its own $5 change and has to send you a copy. Name a new office before you rely on the old one. The old address stays the venue address until the new filing is accepted.
FAQ
Does Pennsylvania require a registered agent?
Pennsylvania requires a registered office. You list a Pennsylvania street address or rural route, or you list a Commercial Registered Office Provider and its county. The Department of State says a CROP is not the same thing as a registered agent.
Can I use my home address as the registered office?
You can if it is a real Pennsylvania street address or rural route. A post office box alone is rejected. The address is public. If you don't want your home on the filing, hire a CROP and sign a contract first.
How much does it cost to change a Pennsylvania registered office?
Five dollars. That is the fee for a change filed by the company and for a change filed by the provider. If the provider drops you, file a new office. The old address stays the venue address until you do.
What happens if I list a CROP without a contract?
The Department of State says listing a CROP address without a contract can subject the filer to civil and criminal penalties. Get the contract before the name goes on the certificate.
How much is a registered agent in Pennsylvania?
Your own street address is free. A Commercial Registered Office Provider usually costs $49 to $300 a year. Northwest charges $125 a year and is on the state CROP list.