Short answer
A registered agent is the person or company you name to receive legal notices and official state mail for your business at a physical address during business hours. Every state requires a registered agent for an LLC or corporation, in each state where the business is registered. You can act as your own agent, but many owners appoint a service for privacy and reliability.
When you form or register a company, the state needs a reliable point of contact for lawsuits, tax notices, and compliance mail. That is the registered agent, and the role requires a physical street address in the state, not a P.O. box, staffed during normal hours.
You can name yourself, an owner, or a commercial registered agent service. Owners often use a service to keep a home address off the public record, to avoid being served in front of customers, and to make sure nothing is missed when they are out of the office. If you register in more than one state, you need an agent in each.
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