Process agent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A process agent is a representative upon whom court papers may be served. They typically represent carriers or freight forwarders, as a process agent can act to serve as a point of contact and a legal address for contract purposes in a country where the actual entity does not have an office.
In the U.S., every motor carrier registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) must have an agent for each state. Consequently, commercial firms can act as a process agent in any state for a fee to comply with the regulation.
Under English court procedure rules, it is necessary to serve papers to start proceedings correctly. If a party does not have an address within England, the procedure for serving these papers is lengthy and complicated. It is therefore customary to appoint a process agent and agree that service at the address of the agent will constitute proper service for the purpose of the court procedural requirements.
In the U.S., Process agent is more commonly referred to as agent for service of process, registered agent or registered agent for service of process, and occasionally as resident agent.
