Registered Agent for LLC: Costs & Options
Currently displayed: $299 for Wyoming formation, including the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service. EIN filing assistance is a separate purchase or included in the $485 package. Check the selected package and checkout total. Registered-agent renewal is separate. Contact LLC Class for the current renewal quote before ordering.
What a Registered Agent Does for Your LLC
A registered agent is the person or company your LLC appoints to receive legal documents on its behalf: lawsuits, subpoenas, state notices, and tax correspondence. Every LLC formed in the United States must have one, and it must be reachable during normal business hours at a physical address in the state where the LLC is formed. If you stop maintaining that agent, your LLC can lose good standing and eventually be administratively dissolved by the state. What is an LLC registered agent? covers the role in more detail.
The job is narrow but unforgiving: accept service of process, forward it to you promptly, and make sure the state always has a valid address on file. If your company is sued and the papers reach the agent, service is legally complete even if you never open them - so a registered agent is really a deadline-protection mechanism rather than a mailbox.
You can also appoint yourself or a family member in most states, but you need a real address in that state and someone who will be there during business hours. Non-resident and foreign owners rarely have either, which is why a paid agent is effectively mandatory for them.
How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost Per Year?
Most providers charge $50-$150 a year for a registered agent, with premium national services running $200-$300. The comparison that matters is the all-in first-year cost: a $0 formation package usually adds a $99-$299 agent fee at checkout, so the real starting price is rarely $0. Currently displayed: $299 for Wyoming formation, including the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service. EIN filing assistance is a separate purchase or included in the $485 package. Check the selected package and checkout total. Registered-agent renewal is separate. Contact LLC Class for the current renewal quote before ordering. The 'Free switch?' column shows who prepares and files the change-of-agent paperwork when you move to them; the state filing fee itself runs $0-$100 depending on the state. Prices change, so check each provider's own page before you buy. For a full cost breakdown, see how much an LLC costs.
| Provider | Annual Fee | Included in Formation? | Free Switch? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLC Class (this site) | Renewal quoted separately; ask LLC Class. | First year included in the displayed $299 one-time Wyoming formation package, including state filing. | Ask us | Owners who want one bill and one point of contact |
| Northwest | $39 first year with formation, then $125/yr | Yes - first year included with $39 formation | Yes - prepares and files it, covers the state fee | Lowest published renewal price among the providers here |
| ZenBusiness | $99 first year with formation, then $199/yr | Yes on paid tiers and the $99 Starter offer | Yes - helps with the change at no extra cost | Teams that want compliance tooling alongside the agent |
| LegalZoom | $249/yr | No - sold separately from formation | Ask - confirm before you buy | Buyers who want a broad legal-services ecosystem |
| Bizee (formerly Incfile) | $119-$149/yr renewal (first year often free with formation) | Yes - free first year with formation | Yes - helps with the change at no extra cost | Budget-first owners starting out |
| Firstbase | $299/yr per state | No - separate from the $399 formation package | Ask - confirm before you buy | Owners who also want a US address and tax filing |
| DIY - yourself or a family member | $0 (needs a physical address in the state) | Yes - you name yourself in the filing | You file it yourself - state fee $0-$100 | Owners who already have a real in-state address |
How to Compare Registered Agent Services
Currently displayed: $299 for Wyoming formation, including the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service. EIN filing assistance is a separate purchase or included in the $485 package. Check the selected package and checkout total. Later annual report or state taxes, registered agent renewals and tax-return preparation are separate from the initial formation price. Confirm the applicable amounts before ordering. Registered-agent renewal is separate. Contact LLC Class for the current renewal quote before ordering.
Then check the practical terms. Does the agent come bundled with formation or sit on a separate line, and who prepares the change paperwork if you switch? Do they mail-scan documents to you, and do they keep your address off public filings or sell your data to other marketers? Those answers cost you nothing to check and tell you more than the price does.
One more filter worth applying: ask whether the provider covers your state specifically, and whether the fee is the same everywhere. National services charge one national price, while some state-specific agents price each state separately. If you already have an LLC and only need an agent, that is a standalone purchase - see how much an LLC costs for how the agent fits into the full yearly picture.
Want the full provider-by-provider breakdown? See Doola vs LegalZoom vs ZenBusiness vs Northwest vs Bizee on formation, EIN support, and banking guidance, or Northwest Registered Agent vs the alternatives for the cheapest way to get an agent on its own.
How to Change Your Registered Agent
- Sign up with the new agent and get their exact legal name and street address. Do not cancel your current agent yet - your LLC must have an agent at all times, and a gap in coverage can put your LLC out of good standing.
- File the change with the Secretary of State. Most states use a Statement of Change of Registered Agent or an Amendment; Wyoming calls it the Appointment of New Registered Agent and Office. Filing fees run from $0 to $100 - Alabama is the most expensive at $100, Nevada charges $60, and Connecticut, Delaware and the District of Columbia charge $50, while about ten states including Oregon, Virginia and California charge nothing.
- Get the agent's consent. Commercial agents normally sign the consent for you, and Wyoming requires a signed Consent to Appointment by Registered Agent to accompany the filing. If you are appointing yourself, you sign it yourself.
- Confirm the change took effect. Most states process online filings within a few business days. Search your LLC in the state's business entity database and check that the new agent's name and address are the ones on record.
- Cancel the old agent and update everything else. Give the old provider the notice your service agreement requires - some contracts ask for 30 to 60 days - then update your bank records, state tax registrations, and any business mailing address that used to be the agent's.
- If the agent quit rather than you leaving, move fast. When an agent resigns or is terminated, most states give you 30 to 60 days to name a replacement; Georgia requires the filing within 30 days. Miss the window and the state can revoke your LLC.
- A change of agent does not change your liability shield, your contracts, or your tax elections. It only changes who receives legal mail.
- Changing agents is not the same as changing states. Moving the LLC to another state is a new formation there plus a foreign qualification in the old one - see which state to choose first.
- Ask your new agent whether the change filing is included. Northwest, ZenBusiness and Bizee all help with the paperwork at no extra cost when you switch to them.
- Keep the filing confirmation. It is your proof that you were never caught without an agent.
- If you are forming the LLC now, naming the right agent on the articles is cheaper than changing it later - and formation usually takes only a few days. How long does LLC formation take?
Can You Be Your Own Registered Agent?
Yes - in most states you can name yourself, a spouse, a member, or an officer as the registered agent, as long as you meet the state's conditions. Wyoming, for example, allows an individual who is at least 18, lives in the state, and has a physical Wyoming address, or a business entity authorized to transact business there. The role is genuinely open to individuals; it is not reserved for professionals.
The trade-off is rarely the money. It is attention. A commercial agent's entire job is to be at an address in the state during business hours, so a missed delivery cannot turn into a missed deadline. If you already have a legitimate address in that state and will check the mail, self-appointing can cost nothing and work fine.
If you are outside the state, self-appointment is not an option at all. That is why nearly every non-resident and foreign owner ends up paying for one.
Requirements
- A physical street address in the state - generally not a PO box, and most states will not accept a virtual office or mail-forwarding address.
- For an individual agent: at least 18 and a resident of that state. For a company agent: authorized to transact business in that state.
- Someone available during normal business hours who can accept service of process.
- A written consent to appointment, signed by the agent and filed with the formation or change documents.
- A way to forward or scan whatever arrives to the LLC promptly - and a way to prove who received what and when.
Risks
- A missed state notice. Annual report and franchise tax deadlines arrive by mail. Miss one and the state can revoke good standing or dissolve the LLC, and the penalties usually become the member's personal liability.
- Service of process counts the moment it is delivered to that address, even if you never open it. A default judgment can follow a lawsuit you did not know about.
- Your address goes on the public record, where data brokers scrape it. A professional agent puts their address there instead.
- No cover when you are unavailable. Travel, illness, or a busy month is enough to put a deadline at risk with no one watching for it.
- Reinstatement is not cheap. If the LLC is revoked, bringing it back requires filing every missed report and paying the reinstatement fee.
Why Non-Resident and Foreign Owners Need a Registered Agent
Because the law asks for an address you do not have. Every state requires the registered agent to keep a physical address in that state, and a non-resident founder usually has no legitimate address there - which means self-appointment is off the table and a commercial agent is the only option. This is the single most common reason non-residents buy agent service.
There is a second, quieter reason: the agent is where state and tax correspondence goes. If a notice reaches an address nobody is watching, the LLC can miss a filing deadline without anyone noticing until the company is already out of good standing. A professional agent forwards documents promptly and tells you what the deadline actually is.
Expect to budget for one agent per state, not one per company. If you qualify your LLC to do business in a second state, that state needs its own agent with its own in-state address. And a registered agent address is not always a business mailing address - if you are opening a bank or payment account, ask the provider separately for a commercial address. Formation itself is quick once the agent is set; how long does it take?
State Annual Fees: What Your Registered Agent Does Not Cover
A registered agent fee does not include your state's annual fee. Each state charges its own recurring report, franchise tax, or business licence, collected by the Secretary of State - not by your agent and not by us. We list them so you can budget, and we pass the state fee through at cost. Amounts below reflect published state fee schedules and are stated as of writing; several states change fees periodically, so confirm the current amount on the state's official website before you file, and check your total against how much an LLC costs.
| State | Annual Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50 | No Secretary of State annual report since 2024, but a name reservation ($25) is required before filing and the $50 minimum Business Privilege Tax is often fully exempt for small LLCs. |
| Alaska | $100 | No state income tax on wages; the report is biennial, so you file every other year. |
| Arizona | $0 | No annual report required at all; state income tax still applies, and foreign LLCs pay extra to register. |
| Arkansas | $150 | Cheap to open ($45 online), but a $150 annual franchise tax applies and the report is due May 1. |
| California | $800 | Highest ongoing cost in the country: the $800 franchise tax is due in year one, plus a $20 biennial Statement of Information. |
| Colorado | $25 | The periodic report rose from $10 to $25 in July 2024; state income tax applies and late filings add a $50 penalty. |
| Connecticut | $80 | Annual report due March 31; state income tax applies and you still need a sales tax permit if you sell in-state. |
| Delaware | $400 | No annual report to file, but the annual LLC tax is $400 for the 2026 tax year (it was $300 before); a Delaware Registered Agent is required. |
| District of Columbia | $300 | Biennial report every other year; the unincorporated business franchise tax starts at $250 above $12,000 of gross income. |
| Florida | $138.75 | No state income tax, and $25 of the $125 filing fee is the mandatory Registered Agent designation; late annual reports add a $400 penalty. |
| Georgia | $60 | Filing is $100 plus a $10 service charge; annual registration runs January 1 to April 1 with a $25 late penalty. |
| Hawaii | $15 | No state income tax on wages; a one-time $20 General Excise Tax license applies if you earn income in Hawaii. |
| Idaho | $0 | The annual report is free but still mandatory; state income tax applies to members' shares. |
| Illinois | $75 | No franchise tax on most LLCs; state income tax applies and local Chicago business licenses are separate. |
| Indiana | $30 | Biennial report, so roughly $15 a year; state income tax applies and a biennial franchise information report may be due. |
| Iowa | $30 | Biennial report in odd-numbered years; state income tax applies to members' shares. |
| Kansas | $90 | Filing dropped to $85 online in February 2026, and the report is biennial — $90 every other year, due April 15. |
| Kentucky | $15 | Cheapest filing fee in the country, but the $175 minimum Limited Liability Entity Tax makes year two cost more than Ohio. |
| Louisiana | $35 | Fees rose on October 1, 2026 (Articles of Organization $125, annual report $35); the franchise tax was repealed for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2026. |
| Maine | $85 | Annual report due June 1; state income tax applies and paper filings cost more than online. |
| Maryland | $300 | Annual report due April 15 with a $300 fee; state income tax applies. |
| Massachusetts | $500 | Most expensive state to maintain: $500 to form plus a $500 annual report; state income tax applies. |
| Michigan | $25 | Annual statement due February 15; state income tax applies to members' shares. |
| Minnesota | $0 | No annual report fee, but a free information report is still due each December; state income tax applies. |
| Mississippi | $0 | No annual report fee, though an information report is required; state income tax applies. |
| Missouri | $0 | No annual report required; state income tax applies and the rate changed for 2025. |
| Montana | $20 | Lowest filing fee in the country and no state income tax, but each additional member adds $50; the $20 report fee is currently waived for on-time filers and $35 if you file late. |
| Nebraska | $25 | The report is biennial and due in odd-numbered years only, but you must also publish a formation notice in a legal newspaper for three weeks and file proof of it. |
| Nevada | $350 | The Articles of Organization are only $75, but Nevada also requires an Initial List ($150) and a State Business License ($200), so year one runs $425; both renew every year. |
| New Hampshire | $100 | No tax on wages, though interest and dividends are taxed; the annual report is due April 1 with a $50 late fee. |
| New Jersey | $75 | The filing fee was cut to $100 in July 2026 (it was $125); state income tax applies and multi-member LLCs owe a per-member partnership filing fee. |
| New Mexico | $0 | No annual report at all and the state does not publish member or manager names — the strongest privacy option in this table. |
| New York | $9 | The biennial statement is cheap, but publication in two county newspapers plus an income-based LLC filing fee ($25-$4,500) can dwarf the state fees. |
| North Carolina | $200 | The $200 annual report is the most expensive report fee in the country; LLCs that elect corporate taxation file a cheaper report. |
| North Dakota | $50 | Annual report due November 15; state income tax applies. |
| Ohio | $0 | No annual report and no recurring state fee, only the $99 filing — the cheapest state to keep in good standing. |
| Oklahoma | $25 | Annual certificate due on the anniversary date; state income tax applies. |
| Oregon | $100 | Annual report is $100 and the corporate activity tax can apply to large sales; state income tax applies. |
| Pennsylvania | $7 | The $7 annual report replaced the old decennial report starting in 2025; state income tax applies. |
| Rhode Island | $50 | State income tax applies and a minimum tax can add on top; online filings carry a small access surcharge. |
| South Carolina | $0 | Default-taxed LLCs file no annual report with the Secretary of State; LLCs taxed as corporations report to the DOR instead. |
| South Dakota | $55 | No state income tax on wages; the annual report is due in the anniversary month and costs more on paper. |
| Tennessee | $300 | The $300 annual report (plus $50 per member over six) and a separate franchise and excise tax apply even with no profit; no income tax on wages. |
| Texas | $0 | No annual report fee, but a Public Information Report is due every May 15 and franchise tax applies above $2.65M of Texas revenue. |
| Utah | $18 | The annual renewal is only $18; state income tax applies to members' shares. |
| Vermont | $45 | Fees were raised in 2023, so older sources still quote $125 and $35; multi-member LLCs also owe a $250 minimum business entity tax. |
| Virginia | $50 | The $50 annual registration is a payment to the State Corporation Commission rather than a report; state income tax applies. |
| Washington | $70 | Online filing is $200 (the $180 state fee plus portal fees) and the annual report was raised to $70; no income tax on wages, but capital gains are taxed. |
| West Virginia | $25 | Annual report due July 1 with a $50 late fee; state income tax applies. |
| Wisconsin | $25 | Annual report is due in the quarter containing the anniversary date; state income tax applies. |
| Wyoming | $60 | No state income tax and a low report fee; the $60 is a minimum that scales with assets held in Wyoming. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a registered agent cost per year?
Most providers charge $50-$150 a year for a registered agent, with premium national services running $200-$300. The fee is separate from formation unless a provider bundles it - Northwest includes year one with its $39 formation package, then renews at $125/yr. Currently displayed: $299 for Wyoming formation, including the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service. EIN filing assistance is a separate purchase or included in the $485 package. Check the selected package and checkout total. Registered-agent renewal is separate. Contact LLC Class for the current renewal quote before ordering.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes, in most states - if you or a family member meet the conditions: a physical address in that state (not a PO box), and availability during business hours to accept service of process. Wyoming also requires the agent to be at least 18 and to sign a Consent to Appointment. The risks are attention rather than cost: a missed annual report notice can cost you good standing, and a lawsuit served at that address is served even if you never open it.
Do I need a registered agent for a single-member LLC?
Yes. Every LLC formed in the United States needs a registered agent, including single-member LLCs and disregarded entities. The requirement is about the state always having somewhere to deliver legal documents, so it does not scale down with the number of owners.
Can I change my registered agent?
Yes, at any time, and most states charge $0-$100 for the filing. Sign up with the new agent first, file the change with the Secretary of State, then cancel the old one - never the other way round, because an LLC without an agent can lose good standing. If your agent resigns or is terminated, most states give you 30 to 60 days to name a replacement; Georgia requires the filing within 30 days.
Is a registered agent required for an LLC in every state?
Yes - all 50 states and the District of Columbia require one. New York makes the Secretary of State the default agent for service of process, but you still need a registered agent on record. A few states such as Ohio and Missouri charge no annual report, but the agent requirement is unchanged everywhere.
How often do I need to renew my registered agent?
Annually. Agent subscriptions renew every year on or near your formation anniversary, and the renewal is a separate payment from the first year. Your state's annual or biennial report is a separate obligation on a separate schedule - in Wyoming the $60 minimum report is due on the first day of your anniversary month. Track both, because missing either one can put the LLC out of good standing.
What happens if I do not renew my registered agent?
The provider may stop serving you and resign, and state notices start going to an address nobody is watching. Most states then give you 30 to 60 days to appoint a new agent before they begin administrative dissolution proceedings, and reinstatement later requires filing every missed report plus a reinstatement fee. This is the single most common way a dormant LLC loses its good standing.
Is the registered agent's address public?
Yes. The agent's name and street address are on the state's public record, which is exactly why people hire one - it puts a commercial address on the filing instead of a home address. Your principal office address can usually be elsewhere, but the agent's address is the one that stays public and must stay current.
Next step: know when your annual report is due
Your registered agent receives the notices — but filing the annual report is still on you, and the deadline depends on your state and formation date. Use our free annual report deadline calculator to get your exact due date, the filing fee, and a calendar reminder.
Form Your LLC With the Agent Already Included
Currently displayed: $299 for Wyoming formation, including the state filing fee and first-year registered agent service. EIN filing assistance is a separate purchase or included in the $485 package. Check the selected package and checkout total. Registered-agent renewal is separate. Contact LLC Class for the current renewal quote before ordering.