How to Change Your LLC Address

If your Limited Liability Company (LLC) has outgrown its space or you’ve been operating from your home and are ready to move the business to another location, you’ll need to notify certain parties of your address change and update your operating agreement.

Changing your business address doesn’t sound like a big deal, but not doing so correctly could make it a big deal in terms of consequences. Tax and licensing agencies need to keep track of where businesses are operating and don’t look kindly on those that fail to report address changes. In fact, not reporting a change of address could result in the loss of your LLC operating license.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the steps of changing the address of your LLC. But first, let’s look at when an address change is necessary.

When Do You Need an Address Change?

If you move your LLC from one address to another, you’ll need to report it. If you’re opening an office in a different location but continuing to run your operations from your current location, it’s likely that you won’t need to report an address change.

Basically, your business address is the place where your LLC is physically present. If you were operating from a business location but decided you’d rather run the business from home, you’d need to notify relevant parties and update your governing documents regarding the change. Likewise, if you were running the business from your home and decided to move somewhere else, you’d have to report and the change and update your documents.

A recent trend is a move toward virtual offices, which provide a physical address and services such as phone answering and mail forwarding for businesses that don’t want to lease space and hire staff to tend to it. Essentially, they enable an entrepreneur to have a prestigious business address while running an LLC from their home. If you’re operating your LLC from home or another location and decide to go with a virtual office, that also would necessitate updating your address information.

Agencies You’ll Need to Contact

There are number of agencies and departments you must notify when your business address changes:

• The IRS – You can inform the IRS of your address change using IRS Form 8822-B (Change of Address or Responsible Party – Business). The same form is used to let the IRS know if you change your registered agent. If you have an Employer Identification Number (EIN), Form 8822-B takes care of updating that information. You’ll need to download the form, complete it, and mail it back to the IRS, which does not allow you to submit it electronically. Make sure you keep a copy of the form in your business records.
• State and Local Tax Agencies – If you pay state or local taxes, you’ll need to update your address with those agencies, as well. The process of doing so varies from state to state and municipality to municipality, so you’ll need to check out the specifics of your state and county or city. If your LLC conducts business in more than one state, be sure to notify the applicable agencies in all of them.
• The Postal Service – The U.S. Postal Service has a form available online that makes it easy to notify it of an address change. Log in to the USPS official change-of-address page and follow the prompts. If your business address and your home address are changing, you’ll need to fill out two different forms.
• Secretary of State – When you registered your LLC with your state, you went through the office of the Secretary of State or corresponding agency to do so. You’ll need to contact that agency about updating your Articles of Organization, which is the formation document a state requires to start a business. The process, regulations, and fees vary from state to state, so you’ll have to see what is applicable where your business is located.
• Licensing Agencies – If your business is required to have state, federal, or local business licenses and permits, you’ll need to inform the agencies that issued them of your address change.
• Your Registered Agent – Every LLC must have a registered agent, which is either an individual or a company responsible for accepting legal and tax correspondence and other important mail for the company and forwarding it to the proper parties. Obviously, it’s important for your registered agent to be informed of an address change so they know how to contact you and forward correspondence.
• Your Bank – Even if you conduct your banking online, you should notify your financial institution of your address change in case certain statements or correspondence get sent to your physical address.
• Lenders and Credit Card Companies – If you have any business loans, you must inform lenders of your address change. And be sure to notify your credit card company, even if you receive and pay your bills online. This is very important because the physical location of your business can affect the type of insurance you need and how much you’ll pay for it.
• Vendors and customers – Don’t delay in contacting vendors and customers, as doing so could disrupt payments and shipments to you. It’s recommended that you start this process at least a month in advance of your address change. And be sure to check whether any agreements or contracts will need to be updated to reflect the change of address.

Update Your Online and Physical Presence

Keeping your website and social media accounts up to date is important, so be sure to note your address changes on all sites where it’s listed.

If you have business cards, brochures, stationery, signs, or other marketing materials that contain your address, you’ll need to update those, as well. And you might consider using some sort of signage at your previous location to let customers know where you’ve gone. You can’t assume that everyone will have heard that you’ve moved, and without signage customers could assume your business has closed.

Moving to a Different State

An address change to another state is a more involved process than an in-state change, although you’ll still need to notify all the parties and take all the steps  mentioned previously. How you’ll change your address when moving your business depends on the circumstances and conditions of the move.

Some states, but not all, allow an LLC to move from one state to another through domestication, which is a process that transfers your company’s charter while allowing it to retain its original formation date, existing bank accounts, licenses, permits, and federal tax identification number.

If your state doesn’t enable your LLC to domesticate to the new state, you’ll need to file Articles of Dissolution, sometimes called a Certificate of Termination, with the office of the Secretary of State of the state you’re leaving, completing all the necessary steps for closing the business.

Once your LLC has been dissolved in the old state, you can start fresh by getting it registered in the new state. As you know, that will involve getting your business name registered, filing Articles of Organization, and getting any business licenses and permits you need.

Whether you domesticate your LLC or close it down and reopen in the new state, you’ll have to appoint a registered agent there and obtain any necessary tax IDs, licenses, and permits to operate legally.

If you plan to move your company’s headquarters to a different state but continue to conduct business in the current state, you’ll need to register as a domestic LLC in the new state and file as a foreign LLC in your current state. Laws for doing so vary depending on the state, so you’ll have to find out what is required by both states.

Regardless of the process you use to relocate your LLC, make sure all addresses are correct and applicable to where you are currently located and conducting business.

Before Changing Your LLC’s Address

As I’m sure you’ve gathered, changing the address of your LLC is more complicated than you might think it would be, and the consequences of not doing it properly can be severe. Please take time to understand all that’s involved and make sure you take all necessary steps to complete the process.

If you’re unsure about how to do that, it’s a good idea to contact a qualified professional to make sure your address change is complete and satisfies all legal requirements. This is particularly true if you’re changing the address to a different state.

Moving your LLC is exciting but can be stressful when you’re trying to continue with business operations as you do so. Getting professional help can free you up to keep your business running smoothly while assuring the address change is done properly.