Serving Registered Agents in Florida: The City-by-City Guide
Serving registered agents is how most Florida corporations and LLCs get sued. This guide covers the statutes, the Sunbiz check, and the verified Florida addresses of the big commercial agents, from CT Corporation in Plantation to CSC in Tallahassee. Golden Process Service is headquartered in Plantation and serves these offices for attorneys statewide.
Quick answer
Serving registered agents in Florida means delivering the summons to the agent the entity lists on Sunbiz, at its registered office, during the hours §48.091 requires the office to be open (10 a.m. to noon on business days, at minimum). Confirm the agent on Sunbiz the day you send the papers, then have a process server deliver and record who accepted.
On this page
- Florida law on serving registered agents
- The fallback order when the agent can't be served
- How to find the registered agent on Sunbiz
- Verified registered agent addresses in Florida
- Plantation: CT Corporation System and NRAI
- Tallahassee: CSC and Cogency Global
- North Palm Beach: Corporate Creations
- St. Petersburg: Registered Agents Inc. and Northwest
- Jacksonville: United States Corporation Agents
- What the return of service should say
- If the agent resigned or the entity is inactive
- How to send us a registered agent serve
- FAQ
Florida Law on Serving Registered Agents
Three sections of Chapter 48, Florida Statutes control serving registered agents. Read together, they tell you who to serve first, where, and when the office has to be open to take your papers.
§48.091: the duty to keep an agent
Every Florida corporation, and every foreign corporation qualified here, must designate a registered agent and registered office. The office must be open from 10 a.m. to 12 noon each day except Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, with an agent present who can accept process.
§48.081: corporations
Since the 2022 rewrite (effective January 2, 2023), a corporation is served through its registered agent first. Officers and directors become valid recipients only when there is no agent, or one good-faith attempt on the agent fails. Our §48.081 explainer walks the full text.
§48.062: LLCs and partnerships
Limited liability companies follow the same agent-first logic. If the LLC has no agent, or one good-faith attempt fails, service can move to a member of a member-managed LLC, a manager of a manager-managed LLC, or a person listed on its latest annual report. See how to serve an LLC in Florida.
An employee of the registered agent, at the registered office, can accept in the agent's place. That is why serving registered agents like CT Corporation or CSC works in practice: you hand the papers to intake staff, not to a named individual.
Service on a Sunday is void in Florida. Plan registered office deliveries for business days, and aim for the 10-to-noon window when a deadline is tight.
The Fallback Order When the Registered Agent Can't Be Found
Commercial agents rarely miss the statutory hours. Self-appointed agents do: an owner listed at a home address, a resigned accountant, a vacant suite. The statute then gives you a sequence to follow, in order.
- Registered agent, one good-faith attempt. Attempt service at the registered office listed on Sunbiz and document exactly what the server found.
- Officers and listed persons. For a corporation, §48.081 then allows service on the board chair, president, any vice president, secretary, treasurer, or a person publicly listed on the latest annual report. For an LLC, §48.062 points to members, managers, or listed persons.
- Secretary of State. If the entity has made itself unreachable after diligent effort, §48.161 allows substituted service on the Florida Secretary of State, with mailing and affidavit requirements of its own.
- Court-ordered alternatives. §48.102 lets the court authorize another method when the statutory routes fail.
Skipping a step is the classic ground for a motion to quash. Each rung opens only when the one above it has been tried and documented. Our guide to what to do when a registered agent can't be served covers the diligence record a judge will expect before you move down the list.
How to Find a Company's Registered Agent on Sunbiz
The Florida Division of Corporations keeps every entity's current agent on its public database. Checking it prevents the most common mistake in serving registered agents: sending papers to an agent the company replaced months ago.
- Go to search.sunbiz.org, the Division of Corporations search.
- Choose Search by Entity Name (or document number, if you have it from the contract or a prior filing).
- Open the entity whose name matches your caption exactly. Watch for near-duplicates such as "Holdings" and "Group" versions of the same brand.
- Check the Status line. Active, Inactive and administratively dissolved entities are all still servable, but an inactive status is a warning sign about the agent.
- Read the Registered Agent Name & Address block. That name and street address go on your work order.
- Scan the filing history for a recent agent change or resignation, and print or save the detail page for your file.
If the agent named is one of the commercial firms below, the address should match our table. If it doesn't, trust the Sunbiz record for that entity and tell us before dispatch.
Verified Registered Agent Addresses in Florida
Most commercial registered agent work in Florida runs through five cities. These are the Florida registered office addresses we verified on Sunbiz for the agents attorneys ask us to serve most often.
| Registered agent | Florida address | City |
|---|---|---|
| C T Corporation System (Wolters Kluwer) | 1200 South Pine Island Road, Plantation, FL 33324 | Plantation |
| National Registered Agents, Inc. (NRAI, Wolters Kluwer) | 1200 South Pine Island Road, Plantation, FL 33324 | Plantation |
| Corporation Service Company (CSC) | 1201 Hays Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301 | Tallahassee |
| Cogency Global | 115 North Calhoun Street, Suite 4, Tallahassee, FL 32301 | Tallahassee |
| Corporate Creations Network | 801 US Highway 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 | North Palm Beach |
| Registered Agents Inc. | 7901 4th Street N, Suite 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 | St. Petersburg |
| Northwest Registered Agent | 7901 4th Street N, Suite 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33702 | St. Petersburg |
| United States Corporation Agents | 476 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32202 | Jacksonville |
Still confirm each entity's current agent on Sunbiz. Companies switch agents, and the record for your defendant is what counts.
Plantation: CT Corporation System and NRAI
C T Corporation System and National Registered Agents, Inc. are both Wolters Kluwer companies, and both list the same Florida registered office: 1200 South Pine Island Road, Plantation, FL 33324. Our own headquarters is at 9715 W Broward Blvd in Plantation, a short drive away.
That makes Plantation the easiest city in this guide for us. Golden Process Service handles CT and NRAI serves same day with our own Plantation staff, not a subcontractor. Send papers early in the day and tell us the deadline.
Older records carry stale CT and NRAI addresses, including an NRAI "Suite 250" listing. The current Sunbiz address is 1200 South Pine Island Road, so fix any old template before the summons is issued.
For the details of each agent, see serving CT Corporation System in Florida, serving NRAI in Florida, and our page on 1200 South Pine Island Road. Local work around the agent office is covered on registered agent service in Plantation and Plantation process server. The Broward West Regional Courthouse at 100 N Pine Island Rd is on the same corridor.
Tallahassee: CSC and Cogency Global
Two of the large national agents keep their Florida registered offices in downtown Tallahassee. Corporation Service Company (CSC) is at 1201 Hays Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Cogency Global is at 115 North Calhoun Street, Suite 4, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Both are in Leon County.
Many national companies list CSC, so a Broward or Miami-Dade case against a national brand often ends with a serve in Tallahassee. The delivery happens where the agent is, wherever the case is pending.
Golden Process Service serves Tallahassee agents through our statewide network of Florida process servers, coordinated from Plantation. We confirm the agent, route the job to a Leon County server, and return the affidavit to you. Timing depends on when papers arrive and local scheduling, so we quote it per job rather than promising a turnaround.
Read serving Corporation Service Company (CSC) for the CSC-specific steps, and see registered agent service in Tallahassee, Tallahassee process server and Leon County process server for local coverage.
North Palm Beach: Corporate Creations
Corporate Creations Network lists its Florida registered office at 801 US Highway 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408. Some older pages place it in Palm Beach Gardens; the Sunbiz address is North Palm Beach.
Golden Process Service has an office in the same town, at 378 Northlake Blvd, Ste 405, North Palm Beach, FL 33408. Corporate Creations serves are handled from that office by our Palm Beach County team. Tell us your deadline when you send the work and we will tell you what is realistic for that day.
The full walkthrough is on serving Corporate Creations. For other work in the area, see North Palm Beach process server and Palm Beach County process server.
St. Petersburg: Registered Agents Inc. and Northwest Registered Agent
Two agents popular with online formation services share one St. Petersburg address: 7901 4th Street N, Suite 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33702. Registered Agents Inc. and Northwest Registered Agent both list it on Sunbiz.
Because they share a suite, read the Sunbiz record carefully and put the exact agent name on the summons and work order. Serving the right address under the wrong agent name invites an argument about whether the right agent was served.
Golden Process Service serves St. Petersburg through our statewide network, with the same Sunbiz check and return-of-service standards we use at home. We quote timing per job.
Jacksonville: United States Corporation Agents
United States Corporation Agents lists its Florida registered office at 476 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32202. It appears often on records for smaller companies formed online.
Golden Process Service handles Jacksonville serves through our statewide network. Send the Sunbiz printout with the papers; if the agent on the record has changed, we flag it before anyone is dispatched. Turnaround is quoted per job.
What the Return of Service Should Say
The return is the only part of serving registered agents a judge ever reads. Under §48.21, the server notes when the process came to hand, when and how it was served, and the name of the person served. When someone accepts in a representative capacity, as intake staff do at a registered agent office, the return should state their position.
For a registered agent serve, check that the return shows:
- The defendant entity's name exactly as it appears on Sunbiz.
- The registered agent's name and the registered office address served.
- The date and time of service, and the date and time the papers came to hand.
- The name and title of the person who accepted, and that they accepted for the agent.
- The server's name and certification or identification number.
Serving three affiliated companies at one agent office is three serves and three returns. See Florida return of service: what to check and how defective service gets quashed for the errors that cost cases time.
If the Agent Resigned or the Entity Is Inactive
A Sunbiz record can show an agent resignation, a blank agent field, or an inactive or administratively dissolved status. None of these makes the company immune from suit. They change the route.
- Agent resigned, no replacement: the entity has no registered agent, which opens the officer, member or manager options under §48.081 or §48.062. Use the latest annual report for names.
- Inactive or dissolved: a dissolved company can still be sued over its past conduct. Attempt the listed agent if one remains, then move down the statutory list.
- Agent listed but gone: one documented good-faith attempt at the registered office is what lets you use the alternatives. Our servers write down exactly what they found.
If no one on the list can be found, §48.161 service on the Secretary of State is the usual last stop. Our skip trace before filing guide shows how to find officers and members before you get there.
How to Send Us a Registered Agent Serve
A registered agent serve moves fastest when the work order answers every question up front. Send these with the papers:
- The issued summons and complaint (or subpoena, writ or notice), with a copy set for each defendant entity.
- The Sunbiz detail page for each entity, or at least the exact entity name and document number.
- The case number, court and your service deadline.
- Any prior attempt history, if another vendor already tried.
Upload through Send Work, email service@goldenprocess.com, or call (888) 766-7497. Pricing for registered agent serves is on our rates page. Golden Process Service has served Florida since 2018, covers all 67 counties plus a nationwide network, and holds a 5.0 rating across 156 Google reviews.
Note: Golden Process Service does not act as a registered agent and does not accept service for other companies. We serve process on registered agents for attorneys, paralegals and litigants.
Serving Registered Agents: FAQ
Where are the major registered agents located in Florida?
C T Corporation System and NRAI are at 1200 South Pine Island Road, Plantation. Corporation Service Company is at 1201 Hays Street and Cogency Global at 115 North Calhoun Street, Suite 4, both in Tallahassee. Corporate Creations Network is at 801 US Highway 1, North Palm Beach. Registered Agents Inc. and Northwest Registered Agent share 7901 4th Street N, Suite 300, St. Petersburg. United States Corporation Agents is at 476 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville.
What hours must a Florida registered agent office be open?
Section 48.091, Florida Statutes, requires the registered office to be open from 10 a.m. to 12 noon each day except Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, with an agent present who can accept service of process.
What happens if the registered agent cannot be served?
After one documented good-faith attempt on the agent, or if the entity has no agent, sections 48.081 and 48.062 allow service on specified officers, members, managers or persons listed on the latest annual report. If those fail after diligent effort, section 48.161 allows substituted service on the Florida Secretary of State.
Can Golden Process Service serve CT Corporation in Plantation the same day?
Yes. Golden Process Service is headquartered in Plantation, the same city as the CT Corporation System and NRAI registered office, and our own Plantation staff handle those serves the same day. Call (888) 766-7497 with your deadline.
How do I find a company's registered agent in Florida?
Search the entity by name or document number at search.sunbiz.org, open the matching record, and read the Registered Agent Name and Address block. Check the entity status and the filing history for a recent agent change before you send papers.
Does Golden Process Service act as a registered agent?
No. Golden Process Service is a process serving company. We deliver legal documents to registered agent offices for attorneys, law firms and litigants, and we do not accept service of process on behalf of other companies.
Can't Find the Defendant?
Golden Process Service locates evasive parties and prepares Affidavits of Diligent Search for service by publication.
Registered Agent Service by Florida City
Golden Process Service covers all 67 Florida counties. These cities have dedicated registered agent service pages with local courthouse and ZIP code detail.