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Written by: Coralee Bechteler
Coralee is a business writer with experience in administrative services, education, and software testing.
Edited by: David Lepeska
David has been writing and learning about business, finance and globalization for a quarter-century, starting with a small New York consulting firm in the 1990s.
Published on August 16, 2022
If you’re thinking of forming a limited liability company (LLC), you should know that in most states, you will need a registered agent to handle all of your government-related paperwork. The registered agent, which is also required for corporations, LLPs, and nonprofits, is a specific and crucial role you might want to learn more about to make sure you do it right.
In most states, you can be your own registered agent. Doing so, however, comes with a number of significant responsibilities, such as the need to always be present and available during business hours. As a result, many business owners choose to hire a registered agent service instead, which frees them up to run and grow their business.
The question then is, which are the best registered agent services? This article examines the top options, stepping into an entrepreneur’s shoes to help you choose the service that puts you on the road to success.
Best for New Businesses
Best Registered Agent Service
Best Legal Assistance
Best for Small Budget
Best for Multi-State Businesses
Registered agent services can be purchased a la carte from ZenBusiness for an annual renewal fee of $199. A change of agent state fee will also apply.
Alternatively, ZenBusiness also offers a joint service purchase of registered agent services and their Worry-Free Compliance service, which means they take care of your annual report filings and will handle up to two amendments per year. The fee is $199 every year.
With both options, you’ll have online document access and expert customer support.
Note that registered agent services are not included with their business formation plans but can be added.
We recommend ZenBusiness because they offer comprehensive registered agent services, bundling with Worry-Free Compliance at competitive rates, and providing swift customer support.
Northwest Registered Agent offers an a la carte price of $125 for registered agent services. If you have not formed your business entity yet, they offer a business formation plan for $39, which includes free registered agent services for one year, as well as an operating agreement and a few extras.
With their registered agent services, you’ll get same-day online document access, free mail forwarding, and annual report reminders. They also have dedicated Corporate Guides to help you and offer Privacy by Default.
Northwest Registered Agent offers reasonably priced services, protect your privacy by not reselling your data, and provide personalized customer support with prompt responses.
LegalZoom offers registered agent services for $199 annually, and they also cover your state’s fee for a change of registered agent filing.
Their services include alerts when correspondence is received, online document access, and a compliance calendar to remind you of annual report due dates and any other requirements.
None of LegalZoom’s business formation plans include registered agent services, but they can be added.
Not only has LegalZoom been in business for more than 20 years, they have also polished their customer service experience and maintained an excellent rating from the BBB. Though their prices are a bit higher, LegalZoom offers many additional services and resources their competitors lack.
Bizee offers registered agent services for $119 annually. If you have yet to form your business entity, Bizee offers three business formation plans, all of which include free registered agent services for one year.
Their services include online document access and automatic mail forwarding, as well as email and text alerts of correspondence received.
If you’re changing your registered agent to Bizee, they will handle the change of agent paperwork.
All of Bizee’s business formation packages include at least a year of free registered agent services — which none of its competitors can claim.
You can purchase registered agent services from Harbor Compliance a la carte for an initial, state-dependent fee between $89 and $99.
Customers also have the option to purchase registered agent services for multiple years at a time and receive a 5–10% discount, which suggests you could get three years of registered agent services for as little as $250. Multi-state registered agent services are also discounted. Harbor Compliance encourages customers interested in bulk registered agent services to contact them at 1-888-995-5895.
Harbor Compliance offers registered agent services for a good value and is overall an excellent choice for your business. If you do business in more than one state, you receive discounts on your services in each state.
A registered agent, also known as an agent for service of process, is a person or business authorized to accept and respond to legal, tax, and financial documents on behalf of your business. Some states do not require a registered agent, but in most states, your LLC will need to have a registered agent.
Essentially, the purpose of a registered agent is to ensure compliance with state laws and to make sure all official matters are handled in a timely manner. Having one person or entity handle state documents helps ensure nothing is missed, helping avoid potential potholes.
Documents that the agent may receive include:
A registered agent service is a professional service that will ensure all of your company’s official correspondence from government entities is handled on time and stored in secure files. They’ll also keep track of deadlines and send reminders when you need to file, such as for tax forms and annual reports.
A registered agent service will help keep you in compliance with the law and save you time by keeping track of key documents and filing deadlines. The agency will also offer support if any issues arise.
Using an agency enables you to have flexible hours. If you are your own registered agent, you must be personally available from 8am to 5pm at your registered agent address. If you use an agency, they are available during those hours, and you’re free to focus on profits and growth.
With so many registered agent services to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which is best for you. There are four essential elements that can help you make your decision.
You need a service that has an office in your state, but you may want to choose a national service so you have the flexibility to form LLCs in other states.
Your registered agent service should offer at least:
Be sure to take your time and choose a service that has everything you need to make starting and running your business as easy as possible.
Of course, you’ll want to get the best value for your money!
Compare the cost of each service. You also want to get good value and great customer service, so if you’re considering the cheapest service, check the reviews to see how people felt about it.
Here, we summarize our top five picks of registered agent services.
To learn about the quality of a service, it often helps to know what actual customers say about it. When we review business services we often look at reviews and ratings from the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot. It’s wise to look at both positive and negative reviews to find out what people love about the service and the issues they’ve encountered.
Keep in mind that fake reviews are common, so you should take some of them with a grain of salt.
As an entrepreneurial advisory site, we take our responsibilities seriously. We understand that countless entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs rely on our judgments and insights, particularly when it comes to managing their businesses.
As a result, our writers do their utmost to gain a comprehensive understanding of the services offered and the actual customer experience. In nearly every case, we:
Thanks to this full immersion in the actual customer experience, our reviewers are able to provide the most complete and insightful analysis of various registered agent services.
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