Chapter 178

178.0908(1) (1) Each limited liability partnership and each registered foreign limited liability partnership shall designate and maintain a registered agent and registered office in this state. The designation of a registered agent is an affirmation of fact by the partnership or foreign partnership that the agent has consented to serve.

178.0908(1m) (1m) The registered office of a limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership may, but need not, be the same as any of the partnership’s places of business. The registered office must be an actual physical location with a street address and not solely a post office box, mailbox service, or telephone answering service. The registered agent of a limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership shall be any of the following:

178.0908(1m)(a) (a) A natural person who resides in this state and whose business office is identical with the registered office.

178.0908(1m)(b) (b) A domestic corporation, nonstock corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or registered limited liability partnership whose business office is identical with the registered office.

178.0908(1m)(c) (c) A foreign corporation, nonstock corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or registered limited liability partnership if that entity is authorized to transact business in this state and the entity’s business office is identical with the registered office.

178.0908(2) (2) A registered agent for a limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership must have an e-mail account and a place of business in this state.

178.0908(3) (3) The only duties under this chapter of a registered agent that has complied with this chapter are the following:

178.0908(3)(a) (a) To forward to the limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership at the address most recently supplied to the agent by the partnership or foreign partnership any process, notice, or demand pertaining to the partnership or foreign partnership which is served on or received by the agent.

178.0908(3)(b) (b) If the registered agent resigns, to provide the notice required by s. 178.0910 (3) to the partnership or foreign partnership at the address most recently supplied to the agent by the partnership or foreign partnership.

178.0908(3)(c) (c) To keep current the information with respect to the agent in the statement of qualification or foreign registration statement.

178.0908 History History: 2015 a. 295; 2021 a. 258.

178.0909 178.0909 Change of registered agent or registered office by limited liability partnership.

178.0909(1) (1) A limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership may change its registered agent or registered office as provided in s. 178.0913 (5) or by delivering to the department for filing a statement of change that states all of the following:

178.0909(1)(a) (a) The name of the partnership or foreign partnership.

178.0909(1)(b) (b) The information that is to be in effect as a result of the filing of the statement of change.

178.0909(2) (2) The partners of a limited liability partnership need not approve the filing of any of the following:

178.0909(2)(a) (a) A statement of change under this section.

178.0909(2)(b) (b) A similar filing changing the registered agent or registered office, if any, of the partnership in any other jurisdiction.

178.0909(3) (3) A statement of change under this section designating a new registered agent is an affirmation of fact by the limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership that the agent has consented to serve.

178.0909(4) (4) As an alternative to using the procedure in this section, a limited liability partnership may amend its statement of qualification.

178.0909 History History: 2015 a. 295.

178.0910 178.0910 Resignation of registered agent.

178.0910(1) (1) A registered agent may resign as an agent for a limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership by delivering to the department for filing a statement of resignation that states all of the following:

178.0910(1)(a) (a) The name of the partnership or foreign partnership.

178.0910(1)(b) (b) The name of the agent.

178.0910(1)(c) (c) That the agent resigns from serving as registered agent for the partnership or foreign partnership.

178.0910(1)(d) (d) The address of the partnership or foreign partnership to which the agent will send the notice required by sub. (3).

178.0910(2) (2) The resignation under sub. (1) is effective and, if applicable, the registered office is discontinued on the earlier of the following:

178.0910(2)(a) (a) Sixty days after the department receives the statement of resignation for filing.

178.0910(2)(b) (b) The date on which the appointment of a successor registered agent is effective.

178.0910(3) (3) A registered agent promptly shall furnish to the limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership notice in a record of the date on which a statement of resignation was filed.

178.0910(4) (4) When a statement of resignation takes effect, the registered agent ceases to have responsibility under this chapter for any matter thereafter tendered to it as agent for the limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership. The resignation does not affect any contractual rights the partnership or foreign partnership has against the agent or that the agent has against the partnership or foreign partnership.

178.0910(5) (5) A registered agent may resign with respect to a limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership whether or not the partnership or foreign partnership is in good standing.

178.0910 History History: 2015 a. 295.

178.0911 178.0911 Change of name or address by registered agent.

178.0911(1) (1) If the name or e-mail address of a registered agent changes or if the street address of a registered agent’s office changes, the registered agent may change the name or e-mail address of the registered agent or street address of the registered office of any limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership for which he, she, or it is the registered agent. To make the change under this subsection, the registered agent shall notify the partnership or foreign partnership in writing of the change and deliver to the department for filing a statement of change that recites that the partnership or foreign partnership has been notified of the change and states all of the following:

178.0911(1)(a) (a) The name of the partnership or foreign partnership represented by the registered agent.

178.0911(1)(b) (b) The name, e-mail address, and street address of the agent as currently shown in the records of the department for the partnership or foreign partnership.

178.0911(1)(c) (c) Any new name, new e-mail address, or new street address of the agent.

178.0911(2) (2) A registered agent promptly shall furnish notice to the represented limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership of the filing by the department of the statement of change and the changes made by the statement.

178.0911 History History: 2015 a. 295; 2021 a. 258.

178.0912 178.0912 Service of process, notice, or demand.

178.0912(1) (1) A limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership may be served with any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law by serving its registered agent. The department may serve any written notice required or authorized under this chapter by e-mailing it to the registered agent’s e-mail address on file with the department, and such notice shall be effective as provided in s. 178.0103 (6).

178.0912(2) (2) Except as provided in sub. (3), if a limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership has no registered agent, or its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served, the partnership or foreign partnership may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by similar commercial delivery service, addressed to the partnership or foreign partnership at its principal office, as shown on the records of the department on the date of sending. Service is perfected under this subsection at the earliest of the following:

178.0912(2)(a) (a) The date the partnership or foreign partnership receives the mail or delivery by the commercial delivery service.

178.0912(2)(b) (b) The date shown on the return receipt, if signed on the behalf of the partnership or foreign partnership.

178.0912(2)(c) (c) Five days after it is deposited in the U.S. mail, or with the commercial delivery service, if correctly addressed and with sufficient postage or payment.

178.0912(3) (3) If process, notice, or demand in an action cannot be served on a limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership pursuant to sub. (1) or (2), service may be made by handing a copy to the individual in charge of any regular place of business of the partnership or foreign partnership if the individual served is not a plaintiff in the action. If the address of the partnership’s or foreign partnership’s principal office cannot be determined from the records of the department, the partnership or foreign partnership may be served by publishing a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, in the community where the partnership’s or foreign partnership’s principal office or registered office, as most recently designated in the records of the department, is located.

178.0912(4) (4) Service of process, notice, or demand on a registered agent must be in a written record.

178.0912(5) (5) Service of process, notice, or demand may be made by other means under law other than this chapter.

178.0912 History History: 2015 a. 295; 2021 a. 258.

178.0913 178.0913 Annual report for department.

178.0913(1) (1) A limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership shall deliver to the department for filing an annual report that states all of the following:

178.0913(1)(a) (a) The name of the partnership or registered foreign partnership.

178.0913(1)(b) (b) The street address of its registered office in this state and the name and e-mail address of its registered agent at that office.

178.0913(1)(c) (c) The street address of its principal office.

178.0913(1)(d) (d) The name of at least one partner.

178.0913(1)(e) (e) In the case of a foreign partnership, the jurisdiction of its governing law and any fictitious name adopted under s. 178.1006 (1).

178.0913(2) (2) Information in the annual report must be current as of the date the report is signed by the limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership.

178.0913(3) (3) 

178.0913(3)(a) (a) A domestic limited liability partnership shall deliver its annual report to the department in each year following the calendar year in which the domestic limited liability partnership’s statement of qualification became effective, during the calendar year quarter in which the anniversary date of the statement of qualification’s effective date occurs.

178.0913(3)(b) (b) A registered foreign limited liability partnership shall deliver its annual report to the department during the first calendar quarter of each year following the calendar year in which the foreign limited liability partnership registered to do business in this state.

178.0913(4) (4) If an annual report does not contain the information required by this section, the department promptly shall notify the reporting limited liability partnership or registered foreign limited liability partnership in a record and return the report to it for correction. If the annual report is corrected to contain the information required by this section and delivered to the department within 30 days after the effective date of the notice under s. 178.0103 (6), the annual report is timely filed.

178.0913(5) (5) If an annual report contains a registered office or registered agent which differs from the information shown in the records of the department immediately before the report becomes effective, the differing information is considered a statement of change under s. 178.0909.

178.0913 History History: 2015 a. 295; 2021 a. 258.

subch. X of ch. 178 SUBCHAPTER X

FOREIGN LIMITED
LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP

178.1001 178.1001 Governing law.

178.1001(1) (1) The governing law of a foreign limited liability partnership governs all of the following:

178.1001(1)(a) (a) The internal affairs of the partnership.

178.1001(1)(b) (b) The liability of a partner as partner for a debt, obligation, or other liability of the foreign partnership.

178.1001(2) (2) A foreign limited liability partnership is not precluded from registering to do business in this state because of any difference between its governing law and the law of this state.

178.1001(3) (3) Registration of a foreign limited liability partnership to do business in this state does not authorize the foreign partnership to engage in any business or exercise any power that a limited liability partnership may not engage in or exercise in this state.

178.1001 History History: 2015 a. 295.

178.1002 178.1002 Registration to do business in this state.

178.1002(1) (1) A foreign limited liability partnership may not do business in this state until it registers with the department under this chapter.

178.1002(2) (2) A foreign limited liability partnership doing business in this state may not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it has registered to do business in this state.

178.1002(3) (3) The failure of a foreign limited liability partnership to register to do business in this state does not impair the validity of a contract or act of the foreign partnership or its title to property in this state or preclude it from defending an action or proceeding in this state.

178.1002(4) (4) A limitation on the liability of a partner of a foreign limited liability partnership is not waived solely because the foreign partnership does business in this state without registering to do business in this state.

178.1002(5) (5) Section 178.1001 (1) and (2) applies even if a foreign limited liability partnership fails to register under this subchapter.

178.1002(5m) (5m) 

178.1002(5m)(a) (a) A foreign limited liability partnership that does business in this state without registering to do business in this state is liable to this state, for each year or any part of a year during which it did business in this state without registration, in an amount equal to all of the following:

178.1002(5m)(a)1. 1. All fees and other charges that would have been imposed by this chapter on the foreign limited liability partnership had it properly filed a foreign registration statement as required by this section and thereafter filed all reports required by this chapter.

178.1002(5m)(a)2. 2. Fifty percent of the amount owed under subd. 1 or $5,000, whichever is less.

178.1002(5m)(b) (b) The foreign limited liability partnership shall pay the amount owed under par. (a) to the department, and the department may not file a foreign registration statement for the foreign limited liability partnership until the amount owed is paid. The attorney general may enforce a foreign limited liability partnership’s obligation to pay to the department any amount owed under this subsection.

178.1002 History History: 2015 a. 295.

178.1003 178.1003 Foreign registration statement. To register to do business in this state, a foreign limited liability partnership must deliver a foreign registration statement to the department for filing. The statement must state all of the following:

178.1003(1) (1) The name of the partnership and, if the name does not comply with s. 178.0902 (3), a fictitious name adopted pursuant to s. 178.1006 (1).

178.1003(2) (2) That the partnership is a foreign limited liability partnership.