The appointment and maintenance of an in-state registered agent is required

Known for its dairy industry and football, Wisconsin also offers many opportunities for entrepreneurs. A low cost of living and business tax credits have helped boost business activity in the state -- today, small businesses account for 99% of businesses in Wisconsin. However, doing business in Wisconsin requires compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

CT Corporation's reliable, professional Registered Agent services ensure that you won’t miss a critical filing and endanger your business’ good standing and its right to defend itself in court. You'll benefit from monitoring tools and services that ensure insight into your business compliance so you’re always in control. With a professional Registered Agent, you can have the confidence of knowing that you’re aware of and on top of your compliance obligations.

I strongly recommend CT Corporation as a reliable corporate compliance partner.
Walters-Morgan Construction, Inc.
Responsive, great, and knowledgeable customer service.
Children International

Safeguard your business with America's most reliable registered agent service

Registered Agent package options:

Products

Registered agent services

Easily appoint your registered agent online within 10 minutes

Order Online - $337*

  • Registered agent services - includes a registered agent location within the state to receive legal and critical business communications and a dedicated team to receive and route all service of process legal notifications

  • Online portal - compliance portal to keep your business compliant 24/7

  • Name availability check - verification and reservation of desired business name within the state

    Not included

  • Incorporation services - completion and filing of all legal documents and Articles of Incorporation with the state

    Not included

  • Qualification services - preparation and filing of all qualification documents with the state

    Not included
Registered agent and incorporation filing

Our incorporation experts are here to help you start your business with a solid and smart foundation

Order Online - $788 +state fees*

  • Registered agent services - includes a registered agent location within the state to receive legal and critical business communications and a dedicated team to receive and route all service of process legal notifications

  • Online portal - compliance portal to keep your business compliant 24/7

  • Name availability check - verification and reservation of desired business name within the state

  • Incorporation services - completion and filing of all legal documents and Articles of Incorporation with the state

  • Qualification services - preparation and filing of all qualification documents with the state

    Not included
Registered agent and qualification filing

Legally register an existing business in another state

Order Online - $808 +state fees*

  • Registered agent services - includes a registered agent location within the state to receive legal and critical business communications and a dedicated team to receive and route all service of process legal notifications

  • Online portal - compliance portal to keep your business compliant 24/7

  • Name availability check - verification and reservation of desired business name within the state

  • Incorporation services - completion and filing of all legal documents and Articles of Incorporation with the state

    Not included

  • Qualification services - preparation and filing of all qualification documents with the state

Products

Roadmap to compliance
What to look for when choosing a Wisconsin Registered Agent

A registered agent should be reliable, accurate, and consistent.  They must always be available and physically present at the registered office during normal business hours. This ensures any hand-delivered legal documents get proper attention. 

 

They must also know all business entity and compliance rules, have professionally trained staff with expert knowledge on how to properly handle and forward SOP papers, have state-of-the-art processes in place to deliver crucial documents to you, and to follow-up with you regarding delivery. 

 

It is also important to have a registered agent that has the coverage and expertise to support your business as it expands into other states where additional registration is often necessary.  
Select the best registered agent in your state
The importance of having a Wisconsin Registered Agent

Having a professional registered agent ensures that things such as personal emergencies, vacations, business trips, and meetings never leave your company without this physical presence. Keep in mind, a lawsuit can proceed against you, even if your registered agent is not available to receive service. You may lose the opportunity to defend yourself in court or incur extra legal fees.

 

In addition to the registered agent’s statutory responsibilities of receiving and forwarding documents, professional service companies often provide a full range of services for LLCs, corporations, and other types of business entities to help them with their compliance needs. The right professional services company can help you stay in compliance and make sure all of your documents are handled correctly.
Foreign qualification requires expert support
You can rely on CT Corporation to:
  • Record your registered agent information with the state—essential to keep your business in good standing
  • Receive state documents and legal notices, including Service of Process and wage garnishment notices, and promptly relay them to your designated contacts—so nothing gets overlooked
  • Monitor laws and regulations—to make sure you aren’t caught off guard by changes
  • Designate a specific team to serve as your go-to resource for answers to your questions—you won’t get the round around
  • Customize your registered agent services if you wish to include alerts of upcoming deadlines and forwarding of business documents—so you’ll have less to manage

Legislative updates

Senate Bill 566 enacts new limited liability company and limited partnership laws. The new laws are effective for newly formed LLCs and LPs on January 1, 2023. The new laws are effective for pre-existing LLCs and LPs on January 1, 2023 unless (1) they file a statement before January 1, 2023, electing not to be subject to the new law or (2) file a statement electing to be subject to the new laws before January 1, 2023, in which case the new law is effective on the effective date of the statement. For more information about the new LLC and LP laws see our article “Wisconsin Enacts New Limited Liability Company and Limited Partnership Laws” here.

Assembly Bill 897, effective June 1, 2018, amends provisions of the corporation law relating to the fees for the certificate of authority, withdrawal, and annual report of a foreign corporation that qualifies as a qualified new business venture that is certified under Sec. 238.15 (1).

Senate Bill 298, effective February 26, 2018, creates a new category of business corporation identified as a benefit corporation. A benefit corporation shall have a purpose of creating general public benefit. A general public benefit is a material positive impact on society and the environment through activities that promote some combination of specific public benefits.

Case summaries

Shareholder Suit
Arrowhead Systems, Inc. v. Grant Thornton LLP, No. 2019AP2268, decided October 15, 2020. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals held that the rule that denies standing to shareholders to bring direct claims seeking redress for injuries to the corporation applies even where the corporation was an S corporation with a sole shareholder who was claiming harm due to the corporation’s accountant’s tax strategy.

Other notices

On March 30, 2023, the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions announced the launch of its new website dfi.wi.gov as the go to source of information for the agency. The announcement states that “[t]he new website features a mobile-responsive design and streamlined navigation for faster access to key information, as well as a new look that is cohesive with Wisconsin.gov and other state agency websites… The new website features a new homepage design with a search feature for corporate records and new top-level navigation that organizes the agency’s services into seven categories, including about the agency, business services, consumer services, educational services, financial institutions, financial services, and securities”. The announcement can be read in its entirety here.

On March 2, 2021 the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) issued a news release warning businesses about solicitations designed to look like an invoice from the Secretary of State that requests payment of $72.50 for a “Certificate of Status.” The news release calls the solicitation “misleading” and states that it is not being sent by DFI. The news release can be read in full from the DFI’s website.

Business compliance requires global expertise. Expect more.
Trust CT Corporation to navigate compliance anywhere you do business.
Contact CT Corporation Today
*State fees are mandatory fees imposed by the state. Price includes online discount automatically applied at checkout. Discount is for new customers only.
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