> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://dso.getlemma.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Choose registered agents across states
> Single national vendor versus per-state agents, what service of process means for you, and keeping registered agent records synchronized across a fleet of entities.
A **registered agent** is the person or company designated to receive service of process and official state correspondence on an entity's behalf. Every entity needs one in every state where it is formed or foreign-qualified. For a dental support organization (DSO) and its PCs, that means one per PC plus one for the DSO in each operating state.
## Prerequisites
* A list of every entity and every state it is registered in
* A decision on national vendor versus per-state
## Single national vendor vs per-state
| | National vendor | Per-state / local |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Cost** | \~$50–$300 per entity per state per year, often discounted at volume | Sometimes cheaper individually |
| **Consistency** | One portal, one renewal cycle, one contact | N relationships, N renewal dates |
| **Compliance calendar** | Most vendors provide annual report reminders | You track it |
| **Document delivery** | Scanned and emailed, centrally | Varies |
| **Scaling** | Add a state in minutes | New vendor search each time |
**For a multi-state dental group, use a single national vendor.** The per-entity cost difference is small; the operational difference at twelve entities is large. Common providers include CT Corporation, CSC, Cogency Global, Registered Agents Inc., and Northwest.
**Consolidate at state two, not state six.** Migrating registered agents across an existing fleet means a change filing in every state for every entity. Doing it while you have two entities costs an afternoon.
## Can you be your own registered agent?
Legally, usually yes, if you have a physical street address in the state and are available during business hours.
Practically, don't:
* **Service of process is delivered in person**, at your address, during business hours. A process server arriving at the practice's front desk is a bad experience for patients and staff.
* **Your address becomes public record**, searchable by anyone.
* **Missed service can result in a default judgment.** Evaluate the agent's intake, escalation, and proof-of-delivery process.
* **You must be present.** Vacations, closures, and moves create gaps.
* **It doesn't scale.** You need an address in each state anyway.
## Steps
Each PC in its state of formation. The DSO in its domicile plus every state where it is foreign-qualified. Build this list before you shop.
Ask about multi-entity and multi-state pricing, compliance calendar features, document scanning and delivery, and annual report filing services.
Name the agent in the formation documents. Changing later requires a separate filing and fee.
The registered agent forwards notices to an address you control. Assign a person or team to monitor that address. Missed annual reports, revalidation notices, and lawsuits often begin with mail sent to an unattended inbox or office.
Registered agent renewals are annual. A lapsed agent can lead to administrative dissolution. See [Set up your compliance calendar](/start/first-90-days/compliance-calendar).
Update the record when you add an entity or state or change a principal address. Include the update in the formation and address-change checklists.
## Keeping records synchronized
As the group grows, entity records can show different addresses, officers, or agents because different people update each state at different times.
Maintain one authoritative record, whether it is a spreadsheet or an entity-management system, with the following details for each entity:
| Field |
| --------------------------------------- |
| Legal name |
| Entity type |
| State of formation, and formation date |
| States foreign-qualified in, with dates |
| EIN |
| Registered agent and address, per state |
| Principal office address |
| Officers and directors |
| Annual report due date, per state |
| Franchise tax due date, per state |
| Good standing status, per state |
Reconcile it against the actual state records **annually**. Records drift, and the first time you discover it should not be during diligence.
## Verify it worked
* [ ] Every entity has a registered agent in every state it is registered in
* [ ] All agents are with one vendor, on one portal
* [ ] The correspondence address is monitored by a named person
* [ ] Renewal dates are on the compliance calendar
* [ ] The entity register exists and matches state records
## Common failure modes
| Failure | Consequence |
| ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Founder as own agent | Missed service; default judgment; public home address |
| Correspondence address unmonitored | Missed annual reports, missed Medicaid revalidation notices, missed lawsuits |
| Lapsed agent | Administrative dissolution risk |
| Agents scattered across vendors | No consolidated compliance calendar |
| Entity register never reconciled | Records drift; diligence findings |
**Administrative dissolution of a PC is a revenue event.** A dissolved entity's payer contracts and billing privileges are at risk, and reinstatement plus payer notification takes months. The registered agent is the mechanism that prevents the notices from being missed, which is why it is worth the annual fee.