To change your registered agent in Pennsylvania, file a Statement of Change of Registered Office (Form DSCB:15-1507/5507/8625/8825) with the Department of State and pay a $5 filing fee. One wrinkle first: Pennsylvania does not use the term “registered agent” the way most states do. State law requires every business entity to maintain a registered office address in the commonwealth, and you can either list your own Pennsylvania street address or hire a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP) to stand in for you.1Pennsylvania Department of State. Commercial Registered Office Providers Whichever situation applies, the form and fee are the same.
Registered Office and CROP: What You’re Actually Changing
Pennsylvania requires a registered office, not a designated agent. The office must be an actual street address or rural route box number in Pennsylvania; a P.O. box alone will not be accepted.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 15 – Section 135 If you would rather not list your own address, you can hire a CROP. A CROP is a business that maintains registered offices for other entities, and when you designate one, its name and county appear in state filings in place of your address.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 15 – Section 109 That’s the Pennsylvania equivalent of a registered agent service.
Three common scenarios all use the same filing: changing from one Pennsylvania street address to another, moving from your own address to a CROP, and switching from one CROP to another.
What to Gather Before You File
- Your entity’s exact legal name as it appears on file with the Department of State. If you’re not sure, look it up on the Department’s online Business Search tool.
- Your current registered office information: either the street address currently on file, or the name of your existing CROP and the county listed in your filing.
- Your new registered office information: the new Pennsylvania street address with county, or the name and county of your new CROP.
Every address, including the new one, must be a Pennsylvania street address or rural route box number with a county. P.O. box-only filings are rejected.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 15 – Section 135
Completing the Statement of Change of Registered Office
The correct form is DSCB:15-1507/5507/8625/8825. A single form covers corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and nonprofits.4Pennsylvania Department of State. Statement of Change of Registered Office
You’ll enter the entity’s legal name, the current registered office (or current CROP name and county), and the new registered office (or new CROP name and county). Corporations also need to include a statement that the board of directors authorized the change. An authorized officer, partner, member, or manager must sign.4Pennsylvania Department of State. Statement of Change of Registered Office
One field people overlook: the return mailing address or email for confirmation. Leave it blank and you won’t get anything back. An email address gets you the fastest confirmation.
Filing Methods and Fees
The domestic filing fee is $5 whether you submit online, by mail, or in person.5Pennsylvania Department of State. Fees and Payments
Online
Online filing runs through the PA Business One-Stop Shop Hub. Create a user profile, then go to the Department of State’s Business Filing Services system to submit the form.6PA Business One-Stop Shop. Operating Your Business Pay by credit card or e-check. This is the fastest standard option.
Mail or In Person
Send the completed, signed form with a $5 check or money order to:
Pennsylvania Department of State
Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations
P.O. Box 8722
Harrisburg, PA 17105-87224Pennsylvania Department of State. Statement of Change of Registered Office
Mail takes longer than online. If you need faster processing, the Department offers expedited service on top of the $5 fee:
- Same-day service: $100, received before 10:00 a.m.
- Three-hour service: $300, received before 2:00 p.m.
- One-hour service: $1,000, received before 4:00 p.m.7Pennsylvania Department of State. Expedited Services
For most businesses, filing online at standard speed is fine. Expedited service makes sense when a lawsuit deadline or a pending transaction depends on having the update on record.
Foreign Entities and Fictitious Names Use Different Forms
If your business was formed in another state and is registered to do business in Pennsylvania as a foreign entity, the $5 change of registered office form does not apply to you. You’ll file an Amendment of Foreign Registration Statement, which costs $250.8PA Business One-Stop Hub. Help Guides – Update a Business Address in Pennsylvania
Sole proprietors and partnerships operating under a fictitious name update the address on that registration with a Fictitious Name Amendment, which carries a $70 fee.8PA Business One-Stop Hub. Help Guides – Update a Business Address in Pennsylvania
What Happens if You Let It Lapse
If your CROP resigns or your listed street address stops being valid and you don’t file an update, the Department of State has no reliable way to reach your entity. You could miss service of process for a lawsuit, tax notices, or compliance correspondence.
Falling out of compliance puts your good standing at risk. Lenders treat a lapse in good standing as a red flag, and in many states an entity that isn’t in good standing cannot file lawsuits until it clears the issue. Repeated noncompliance can lead to administrative dissolution, where the state terminates your entity. Reinstatement is possible but involves additional filings and fees.
After the Filing Is Approved
Once the Department approves the change, update your own records. Your corporate minute book, operating agreement, and internal contact lists should reflect the new registered office or CROP. If your partnership agreement or bylaws reference a specific registered office address, those documents may need formal amendment.
The IRS
If the registered office change also involves a change to your business mailing address or physical location, file IRS Form 8822-B to update your address with the Internal Revenue Service. Changes to your “responsible party” (the person who controls or manages the entity’s funds) must be reported to the IRS within 60 days.9Internal Revenue Service. About Form 8822-B, Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business An outdated address on file with the IRS means you can miss important tax correspondence.
Other Agencies and Third Parties
Tell the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue about a business address change so tax notices reach you. If your business holds state licenses or permits, check whether the issuing agencies also need the updated address. Banks, insurers, and anyone else who sends you legal or compliance documents should get the update too. Businesses registered in the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov) for government contracting need to update their entity registration there as well.10SAM.gov. Entity Registration