Business Formation

Best Registered Agent Services

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Appointing a registered agent is a requirement for business entities in all 50 states. After conducting in-depth research on more than 50 registered agent services, we narrowed down the top five options on the market today. Northwest Registered Agent is our top pick for most companies due to its exceptional service and emphasis on compliance.

The Best Registered Agent Service for Most

Northwest Registered Agent logo

Northwest Registered Agent

Best for Most

Local corporate guides assist with compliance and bureaucracy tips at the state level. Document scanning and access to your mail from an online account. Starts at $125 per year with discounts available for multi-state organizations.

Northwest Registered Agent offers its services to LLCs and corporations in all 50 states. In addition to all of the basic registered agent requirements that must be fulfilled, Northwest Registered Agent goes above and beyond to make your life easier. They scan every document received on your behalf, so you can easily view your mail from an online dashboard.

You’ll also have access to local corporate guides who can help you navigate the waters in terms of compliance and bureaucracy in your specific state. The registered agent service starts at just $125 per year, with discounted rates for businesses operating in multiple states. Overall, the service is an exceptional value.

The Best Registered Agent Service Options to Consider:

  1. Northwest Registered Agent — Best for Most
  2. ZenBusiness — Best for LLCs
  3. MyCompanyWorks — Best for Changing Registered Agents
  4. Harbor Compliance — Best for Managing Multiple Business Entities
  5. Rocket Lawyer— Best for Ongoing Legal Services

When it Makes Sense to Invest Into a Registered Agent Service

Aside from a sole proprietorship, any legal business entity registered with a state in the US must appoint a registered agent. Registered agents must be available during regular business hours to accept service of process and government correspondence on behalf of your company.

Technically, you could be your own registered agent and not pay for this service. But then you’d need to be physically present at the address listed during business hours. That’s not realistic for most business owners, especially ones who work remotely or are always on the go.

Let’s say you own a restaurant or a small business, and you know that you’ll always be around during business hours at that location. You should still invest in a registered agent service to save yourself from embarrassment in the event of a lawsuit. If you’re listed as the registered agent for your business in this scenario, you could get served with a court order in front of your employees and customers.

Protecting your privacy and home address is another reason to invest in a registered agent service. If you’re running an online business from home without any physical office space, then your home address would become a public record. You can’t list a PO box as your registered agent’s address. 

The annual fee for a registered agent service is affordable, typically ranging from $99 to $150 per year. If you haven’t launched your business yet, you can often get a free year of registered agent services when using an online business formation service. 

#1 – Northwest Registered Agent — The Best for Most

Northwest Registered Agent logo

Northwest Registered Agent

Best for Most

Local corporate guides assist with compliance and bureaucracy tips at the state level. Document scanning and access to your mail from an online account. Starts at $125 per year with discounts available for multi-state organizations.

While the name might imply regional bias, Northwest Registered Agent is a top consideration for all business types across the country. It’s affordable, easy to get started, and the level of service offered is second to none.

Northwest Registered Agent does significantly more than the bare minimum required by registered agent services. They offer features and services like:

  • Lifetime corporate guide service to help with compliance and maintaining your business
  • Privacy by default (business address, mail forwarding, and never selling your data)
  • Online service with pre-filled state forms
  • Annual report reminders
  • Document scanning and storage
  • Same-day local scans

All of these features are included as part of the flat-rate registered agent service—no additional charges or upsells required.

This registered agent service costs just $125 per year. The rate drops to $100 if you use the service in five or more states.

#2 – ZenBusiness — The Best for LLCs

ZenBusiness logo

ZenBusiness

Best for LLCs

Affordable and secure registered agent services. Quick notifications for legal paperwork and government correspondence. View, download, or print your documents online at any time.

ZenBusiness offers business formation packages and registered agent services to all entity types nationwide. But they typically work with smaller businesses and LLCs.

ZenBusiness makes life easier for small business owners who don’t want to be bothered with legal correspondence, government documents, or service of process at their home or business address. 

ZenBusiness landing page for registered agent services

With ZenBusiness, you’ll be informed quickly in the event of a lawsuit, which will help you avoid potential fines and non-compliance issues.

Another useful feature of ZenBusiness is the online dashboard. All of your important legal documents are available online for you to view, download, or print—anytime. 

If you’re forming an LLC and want to get your registered agent service under one roof, ZenBusiness will be a top option to consider.

Business formation packages start at just $0 plus state fees. The registered agent service is available as an add-on to their business formation packages–the exact price varies depending on the state.

Manage everything in one place with ZenBusiness.

#3 – MyCompanyWorks — Best For Changing Registered Agents

MyCompanyWorks logo

MyCompanyWorks

Best for Changing Registered Agents

Registered agent services and business formation packages for LLCs and corporations. MyCompanyWorks makes it easy to switch your registered agent using a simple online form. Plans start at $99 per year, and purchases are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

MyCompanyWorks is best known for its LLC formation and incorporation services. But they also offer registered agent services in all 50 states. 

The service provider recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in business, so you know it’s a reputable company that you can rely on.

What makes MyCompanyWorks unique compared to other registered agent services is its simple process for switching registered agents. So for those of you who are currently operating as your own registered agent or you’re using another service that you’re unhappy with, this will be a top choice for you to consider.

The simple online forms contain all the necessary fees and requirements to make a clean switch from your existing registered agent to MyCompanyWorks. This ensures you remain compliant with your state regulations without having to deal with headaches and extra paperwork. 

Registered agent services from MyCompanyWorks start at just $99 per year. A 100% satisfaction guarantee backs all purchases. 

#4 – Harbor Compliance — The Best For Managing Multiple Business Entities

Harbor Compliance logo

Harbor Compliance

Best for Managing Multiple Business Entities

Built for multi-state businesses and large organizations. Pre-filled state forms, annual report notices, and custom notifications. Registered agent plans start at $99 per year, with bulk business and additional volume discounts available.

Harbor Compliance helps organizations across all 50 states remain compliant with registered agent services, annual reports, business licensing, and more. This will be a top option to consider if you’re running a large operation or multiple businesses across state lines.

This registered agent service is powered by advanced compliance software. It’s designed to help multi-state organizations save time and money while improving efficiencies.

You’ll enjoy features like pre-filled state forms, user-friendly online tools, custom notifications, annual report notices, and more—all included with no extra fees. 

Harbor Compliance offers registered agent services starting at a low flat rate of $99 per year. But you can save an additional 5-10% on your plan by paying for two or more years upfront. 

Furthermore, Harbor Compliance offers bulk business rates and volume discounts to organizations operating multiple entities and companies that need registered agent services in more than one state. 

Reach out to a Harbor Compliance representative for a custom quote to consolidate your registered agent needs.  

#5 – Rocket Lawyer — Best For Ongoing Legal Services

Rocket Lawyer logo

Rocket Lawyer

Best for Ongoing Legal Services

Get 25% off Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent service when you sign up for a premium membership. In addition to registered agent services, members get free legal documents, free legal questions, and discounted attorney services. Registered agent plans are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Rocket Lawyer is one of the most trusted names in the online legal service space. But it’s also an excellent option for any business seeking a registered agent service. 

Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent service provides state compliance, convenience, and confidentiality. It’s easy to register, and you’ll have access to everything online. All documents are scanned and emailed to you, so you never miss an important legal notification.

The unique part about Rocket Lawyer is that a premium membership gives you access to affordable legal services. So if you want free legal documents, attorney consultations, free legal questions answered, and discounted rates for attorney services, becoming a Rocket Lawyer member is well worth the investment.

Rocket Lawyer’s premium membership costs just $39.99 per month, which is the cost of a single legal document for non-members.

Registered agent services from Rocket Lawyer start at $149.99, but your premium membership knocks 25% off this price.

The registered agent service is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Try a Rocket Lawyer premium membership for free with a seven-day trial.

Methodology For Choosing The Best Registered Agent Service

There are certain factors that we looked for when narrowing down the top options listed above. You can use these considerations as well when determining the best registered agent service for your specific business.

The following elements should be used as a buying guide for registered agent services. Continue reading below to determine what matters and what doesn’t as you’re shopping around. Then you can weigh these considerations according to your personal needs.

Entity Formation Services

Some of the best registered agents double as online business formation services. So you can appoint the service provider as your registered agent during the entity formation process. 

This is a top feature to consider for those of you who haven’t officially formed your business and filed formation paperwork with your state just yet. Rather than doing all of this on your own, you can have an online formation service handle everything for you. This ensures that all your papers have been filed appropriately and error-free. 

In many cases, you’ll get a free year of registered agent services when you use the same formation service as your registered agent. All of this can be managed in a few simple steps when you’re signing up and getting started.

Ignore this consideration if you already have an existing business. This doesn’t apply to you.

State Compliance

Lots of registered agents out there just offer the bare minimum service. They’re available at a physical office location to receive government correspondence and service of process on your behalf, and that’s where the service ends. You’ll only hear from them if something comes up or when it’s time to renew the service.

But the best registered agent services go above and beyond to help you remain compliant. Some will even send you reminders about upcoming deadlines, annual reports, and other state-specific requirements that you need to comply with. 

Many of the top registered agent services are even available for state-specific compliance questions that would normally be outside the scope of a registered agent. 

If your business is small and the requirements are straightforward, this service is more “nice to have” than a need. But these services are typically offered at no additional cost with the right registered agent.

Business Type and Location(s)

The type of business you’re operating or forming will also play a role in your decision here. 

Some registered agent services are better for small businesses, LLCs, and companies with a single location in one state. Others are designed for larger organizations and corporations operating in multiple states. 

Let’s say you have a corporate enterprise with various subsidiaries, each with its own business. It would make your life easier to consolidate all of these entities into a single registered agent so that you can manage all of the companies from one central account. 

A local dry cleaner, pizza shop, or online consultant wouldn’t care about this capability. 

Online Account Access

The type of mail, paperwork, and documents sent to your registered agent is usually quite important for your business. It could be official government correspondence or legal documents.

Fast access to this mail is an important factor to consider. The best registered agents will notify you when they receive paperwork. Some will even scan and upload those documents for you to access online.

This is crucial if you’re not located near your registered agent’s office. Otherwise, you’d be forced to drive there and pick it up or wait for the registered agent to forward everything to another address.

If your registered agent’s office happens to be within a couple of miles of your home or office and you don’t mind stopping by to pick up documents in person, then this feature won’t matter as much to you.

Northwest Registered Agent logo

Northwest Registered Agent

Best for Most

Local corporate guides assist with compliance and bureaucracy tips at the state level. Document scanning and access to your mail from an online account. Starts at $125 per year with discounts available for multi-state organizations.

Summary

What’s the best registered agent service? Based on our extensive research, Northwest Registered Agent is the best choice for the vast majority of businesses. 

But in some cases, you might want to consider an alternative option if you fall into a specific category.

If you want to switch registered agents, MyCompanyWorks will make your life much easier. For small businesses and LLCs, ZenBusiness offers registered agent services tailored to your business type. 

For larger organizations and those of you managing multiple businesses throughout the country, Harbor Compliance can consolidate your registered agent services into a simplified solution. If you want access to ongoing legal services and legal documents in addition to your standard registered agent service, look no further than Rocket Lawyer.

Regardless of your business type or unique needs, you can find what you’re looking for based on the recommendations in this guide.


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