Registered agents; directing the Secretary of State to collect and disburse registration fee. Effective date.
Summary
SB580 amends Oklahoma’s corporate filing-fee statute to transfer responsibility for collecting and enforcing the annual registered agent fee from the Oklahoma Tax Commission to the Secretary of State. The bill revises Section 1142 of Title 18 to state that the Secretary of State, rather than the Tax Commission, will collect the $100 annual fee for acting as a registered agent, and it updates related enforcement language so delinquent corporations are suspended and forfeited through the Secretary of State’s procedures. The measure also directs that money collected under this paragraph be paid to the State Treasurer for deposit in the General Revenue Fund.
Beyond the registered-agent change, the bill largely preserves the existing schedule of filing and service fees for corporate and business filings, including fees for incorporations, amendments, mergers, foreign qualifications, withdrawals, name reservations, certificates, and bulk registered-agent address changes. It also retains provisions on county clerk certificates, court filing costs, payment methods, and convenience fees for electronic or telephonic payments. The act is set to become effective November 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill would shift administrative and enforcement duties for the registered agent fee from the Oklahoma Tax Commission to the Secretary of State, requiring conforming changes to the corporate fee collection process and delinquency enforcement references in state law. It would not materially change most fee amounts, but it would alter which agency audits, collects, and processes the annual registered agent payment and related forfeiture actions, while continuing to route the revenue to the General Revenue Fund.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history provided for SB580, so no direct legislative debate or opposition is available in the materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and technical in nature, with a narrow focus on agency responsibility rather than a policy change to fee levels or corporate regulation.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the transfer of authority from the Oklahoma Tax Commission to the Secretary of State, including who will collect, audit, and enforce the registered agent fee and related forfeiture procedures. Any concerns would likely center on administrative workload, implementation, and whether the Secretary of State has the capacity to assume these duties, but no explicit objections or support statements are included in the provided record.