How to Change a Registered Agent in Florida: Form, Filing, and Fees

To change a registered agent in Florida, file a statement of change with the Division of Corporations through the Sunbiz portal and pay the filing fee: $35 for a corporation or $25 for an LLC.¹ The new agent must give written acceptance of the appointment before you file, and the change takes effect as soon as the Department of State processes it.²

Pick an Agent Who Actually Qualifies

Florida Statutes 607.0501 limits who can serve. The agent must be one of three things: a Florida resident whose business address matches the registered office, a domestic business entity authorized to operate in Florida, or a foreign entity authorized to do business in the state.³ The address on file has to be a physical Florida street address. P.O. boxes don’t count. The agent needs to be available there during normal business hours to accept lawsuits, tax notices, and government correspondence for your company.

You can name yourself, another officer, a friend, or a family member who lives in Florida, or you can hire a commercial registered agent service. Whichever you choose, get their written consent first. The filing itself requires it.

What Goes in the Statement of Change

Florida Statutes 607.0502 sets out what the filing must include:²

Your company’s name
The current registered agent’s name
The new agent’s name
The current registered office address
The new registered office address, if that’s changing too
The new agent’s written acceptance of the appointment

How to File

Work through these steps in order:

Confirm the new agent meets the statutory requirements and get written consent to serve.
Open the Sunbiz portal at dos.fl.gov and select the change-of-agent filing, or download the paper form. Enter the business name, current agent details, and new agent details including the Florida street address of the registered office.⁴
Pay the filing fee: $35 for a corporation or $25 for an LLC.¹
Submit online for faster processing, or mail the form with payment to the Division of Corporations.
Update your bylaws, operating agreement, or other internal governing documents so the agent named internally matches the one on file with the state.

Online filings generally clear faster than mailed ones. If your current agent is about to resign, or you’re approaching the 30-day deadline described below, file electronically.

Can You Just Change the Agent on the Annual Report?

Yes. Florida law lets you update the registered agent and office address directly on your annual report through Sunbiz, which can save you a separate filing.²

The catch: you must update the agent information within 30 days of the change, or you risk triggering administrative dissolution.⁵ If your annual report isn’t due within that window, use the standalone statement of change. Don’t wait.

Corporations and LLCs: Same Process, Different Fee

The mechanics are the same for both entity types. The qualifications for an agent are identical. The two differences worth tracking are the governing chapter (607 for corporations, 605 for LLCs) and the filing fee: $35 for corporations, $25 for LLCs.¹ If you run more than one entity, each one needs its own filing and its own fee.

What to Do If Your Agent Resigns

Sometimes the change is forced on you. An agent can resign at any time, even if your business is inactive or in bad standing.⁶ They deliver a signed resignation to the Department of State and mail a copy to your company’s current mailing address.

The resignation becomes effective on the 31st day after the Department files it, unless you appoint a new agent sooner, which ends the old appointment immediately.⁶ Use that 31-day window to file a statement of change naming the replacement. If day 31 arrives with no new agent on record, your business has no registered agent at all, which is exactly what the administrative dissolution statute is written to catch.

What Happens If You Don’t Update

The registered agent receives lawsuits, subpoenas, tax notices, and government correspondence on behalf of your business. If the address on file is stale, service on that address still counts as service on your company. A plaintiff can obtain a default judgment against a business that never actually saw the complaint, and the typical Florida response deadline is 20 days.

The state can also act on its own. Florida Statutes 607.1420 authorizes the Department of State to administratively dissolve a corporation that fails to maintain a registered agent or doesn’t file a statement of change within 30 days of a change in agent information.⁵ A dissolved corporation can only wind down its affairs — it can’t conduct normal business, enter contracts, or sue in court. Reinstatement is possible but expensive, and the practical damage from missed lawsuits during the gap isn’t something a reinstatement filing can undo.

After You File

Once the Department of State processes the filing, search your business on the Sunbiz website and confirm the new agent name and address appear correctly. If anything looks wrong, address it before it hardens into the public record of your next annual report.

Then take care of the private side. Notify your bank, insurance carrier, accountant, and any business partners who might send legal or financial correspondence to the old agent’s address. When annual report season arrives, double-check the pre-populated fields on the Sunbiz form. The system auto-fills from the last filing, and submitting an annual report with outdated agent information can quietly undo the change you just made.

1
Florida Department of State. Fees – Division of Corporations
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 607.0502 – Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 607.0501 – Registered Office and Registered Agent
4
Florida Department of State. Manage/Change Existing Business – Division of Corporations
5
Florida Senate. Florida Code 607.1420 – Administrative Dissolution
6
Florida Senate. Florida Code 607.0503 – Resignation of Registered Agent