Featured Partners
1
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
Tailor Brands
$0 + state fee
Varies by State & Package
3
Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
Compare the Best Registered Agent Services of 2025
Methodology
To identify the best registered agent services, we evaluated the prices, services and other attributes of 14 vendors based on 19 decision factors. I took a closer look at the 11 registered agent services with the top scores to highlight each one’s strengths and weaknesses. From this in-depth examination, I awarded a superlative to each service that focuses on its area of excellence. Our lineup of best registered agent services meets the needs of every type of SMB: from the smallest startup to those further along their growth trajectory.
| Decision Factor | Scoring Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 35% | Seven features each contributed 5% to the service’s score: multi-state support, same-day document delivery, secure client portal, LLC filing services, corporation filing, nonprofit filing and DBA filing. |
| Value | 30% | The service’s annual subscription cost represented 10% of its overall score. Also factored in are cost when purchased month-to-month, long-term discounts and multi-state discounts. |
| Expert Score | 20% | The features of the service (8%) and its overall value (8%) were the primary sources of its expert score, along with the product’s ease of use (4%). |
| Service and Support | 15% | The availability of phone support, live chat, email support, a knowledge base for self-support and the number of states served each represented 3% of the overall score. |
How To Choose the Best Registered Agent Service
Choosing a registered agent service is all about freeing up time. These services allow businesses to focus on running their operation rather than on administrative paperwork. The small investment you make in the annual subscription (typically between $100 and $250) should pay for itself many times throughout the year. Many registered agent services are also LLC services that offer a free year of registered agent service when you form a business.
Before you sign up for a registered agent service, consider how you will access your important business documents, how quickly you’ll receive digital and paper copies and whether you will benefit by purchasing other legal services along with your registered agent package.
Essential Registered Agent Service Features
The one benefit all registered agents provide is enhanced privacy by allowing you to keep private information about your business private. States require that companies provide them with the name of a company official and a physical address so they can contact the business with legal and other correspondence during normal business hours.
Other considerations when choosing a registered agent include document management and access, notification of important correspondence and whether your business has a presence in more than one state.
- Document management and delivery. When a service of process (SOP) or other important legal document is sent to your registered agent service, you need to be made aware of it as quickly as possible to protect your business and yourself. Most registered agent services make documents and other correspondence available electronically the same day they arrive, although physical delivery of mail may require an additional fee. Harbor Compliance’s low-cost registered agent service comes with same-day document delivery as well as immediate online access to your registered agent address. InCorp sends SOP notices by express mail, fax and email within 24 hours of receipt.
- Timely notifications. A primary benefit of using a registered agent service is being notified whenever a compliance deadline is approaching. All states require that an LLC or corporation file an annual report. Other documents that may be necessary are a beneficial ownership information (BOI) report, permits and licenses, financial reports and tax reporting and filing. Bizee is noted for providing instant notifications by text and email of any state correspondence, in addition to offering lifetime compliance alerts.
- Multi-state operations. All the registered agent services in our rankings operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They charge for each state but may offer multi-state discounts. For example, Northwest Registered Agent reduces the price of its registered agent service from $125 to $100 when you purchase service in five or more states.
Value
At a price of about $10 a month, registered agent services represent one of the best bargains a business will find. The services protect the business owner’s privacy, ensure that the company meets all of its compliance requirements and protects your business’s vital records and other documents. Each of these services alone is worth $10 a month.
By combining registered agent service with other legal services, subscription-based offerings such as LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer extend the savings you can realize on your business’s administrative costs. However, small businesses and startups may pay for more services than they need when they sign up for a subscription with either of these companies.
Featured Partners
1
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
Tailor Brands
$0 + state fee
Varies by State & Package
3
Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
Which Registered Agent Service Is Best for Your Business?
The best registered agent options for startups and very small businesses are Northwest Registered Agent or Bizee due to the included one year of free registered agent service with their LLC formation plans. Both companies provide many other useful services for SMBs at added costs, including foreign qualification for doing business outside your home state and a business domain, website, email addresses and phone number.
Growing businesses and those with more legal matters to address can benefit from Rocket Lawyer or LegalZoom that allow them to have a single point of contact for all their official administrative tasks.
Companies willing to make a long-term commitment to their registered agent service can save money with InCorp’s multi-year discounts of 10% for two years to 33% for five years. The company provides service in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (though the annual price for service in the U.S. Virgin Islands is $389).
State Registered Agent Services Guides
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are registered agent services?
A registered agent is a person or company that provides a business with an address at which it can receive legal, tax and other official documents from the state it operates in, as well as from other entities and individuals. The service also sends notices when a compliance deadline is approaching and may offer additional business support, such as business document management and filing of official state forms.
How much do registered agent services cost?
Most registered agent services are priced between $90 and $250 a year. Our top choice, InCorp, charges $129 a year for its service but offers discounts of 10% to 33% for purchasing two to five years of service. Similarly, Northwest Registered Agent discounts its $125-a-year service by 20% when you purchase service for five or more states.
Can I serve as my own registered agent for my business?
Anyone can serve as a registered agent so long as they meet the state’s requirements:
- Have a physical address in the state
- Be physically present at this address during normal business hours
- Be at least 18 years old
There are slight variations between states. For example, Maine refers to registered agents as “commercial clerks,” and Wyoming mandates that registered agents sign a consent to appointment by registered agent form, although business owners can still serve as their own registered agent.
