Short answer
Yes, in most states a nonprofit corporation needs a registered agent just like a for-profit entity. The nonprofit's incorporation names an agent with a physical in-state address to receive legal notices and official state mail. Tax-exempt status does not remove the agent requirement, which is a matter of state corporate law. A nonprofit operating in more than one state generally needs an agent in each.
Registered agent rules come from state corporate and entity statutes, and those statutes apply to nonprofit corporations as well as businesses. When a nonprofit incorporates, it lists a registered agent and a physical street address in the state, and that agent receives Service of process and compliance mail for the organization. Federal tax-exempt recognition is a separate matter and does not change the state-level agent obligation.
Nonprofits often run on volunteers or a small staff, which makes reliable receipt of legal notices a real concern. A board that meets occasionally or an office that is not always staffed can miss important mail. For that reason many nonprofits use a Commercial registered agent so notices are received and forwarded consistently, and so a volunteer's home address stays off the public record.
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