If you’ve ever wanted to form an LLC or a corporation, odds are you’ve seen the term “registered agent” being thrown around. We here at YFFT look for this particular service as part of our LLC formation company review process.
But why?
What is a registered agent exactly?
A registered agent is a person who receives legal and other documents for your LLC or corporation. These can include correspondence, subpoenas, regulatory and tax notices, and even lawsuits.
Your registered agent uses their address in place of your own or that of your business. They make their name and address publicly available so people know whom to send documents to. No matter where those documents come from, they all get received by your registered agent.
So:
Now that you understand what a registered agent is, here’s a list of the top 10 registered agent services on the market.
1. ZenBusiness
At the top of our list is ZenBusiness.
This company is fairly new, taking root in the LLC formation industry just six years ago on March 12, 2015. That said, they have grown to be one of, if not, the best LLC formation services on the market.
Basically:
No other incorporation service offers the same value as ZenBusiness and that’s why we rate it so highly. ZenBusiness’s clients seem to think so as well as over 6000+ customers gave it an excellent 4.8 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
As one of the industry leaders, they offer a one-year free registered agent service as part of their formation features. They offer this service separately through their $99 Standard Coverage or $149 Complete Coverage.
Their $99 service includes their registered agent service along with online document access so you can access the documents your registered agent received any time and anywhere.
You get the same features from their $149 service but you also get their “Worry-Free Compliance” guarantee. Through this feature, ZenBusiness guarantees to take care of your business’s ongoing compliance, state requirements, and annual report deadlines so you can keep your business compliant while still focusing on running and managing it.
Both $99 and $149 services let you access ZenBusiness’s excellent customer support through phone calls or real-time chat.
ZenBusiness Registered Agent Standard Coverage — $99/year
- Registered Agent
- Online Document Access
- Expert Support
ZenBusiness Registered Agent Complete Coverage — $149/year
- Registered Agent
- Online Document Access
- Expert Support
- Worry-Free Compliance
ZenBusiness Registered Agent Pros
- High-quality registered agent services: Its highly qualified registered agent will manage your correspondence with your chosen state and alert you privately when they receive it.
- Great customer support: You’re getting ZenBusiness’s excellent customer support through calls or real-time chat.
- Customer feedback is great all around the web: Thousands of clients give ZenBusiness excellent ratings across various customer review sites such as Trustpilot.
ZenBusiness Registered Agent Cons
- Fairly new company: Being founded on March 12, 2015, ZenBusiness is a fairly new company and doesn’t enjoy the decades of experience possessed by its predecessors.
2. Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent (Northwest) has been around since 1998. The company started as a registered agent service which slowly grew into one of the best LLC formation and registered agent services today.
As such:
The company offers its registered agent service either as part of its LLC formation package or as a standalone service for $125.
Northwest’s registered agent service covers a total of 52 jurisdictions. This service includes Privacy by Default, Corporate Guides to answer your toughest business questions, Northwest’s custom-built, back-end software, business maintenance tools, state compliance notifications, access to every state form with pre-filled settings for fast and simple filing, and a secure online account where you’ll receive every document they accept on your company’s behalf minutes after Northwest receives them.
If you’re wondering what Privacy by Default means, it’s a promise from the company that they’ll never sell your data — ever. They don’t share your info with third-party marketers either. They list their business address on your public filings instead of yours to better keep your personal info private.
You don’t have to opt in or out to keep your data private since the company automatically practices Privacy by Default with every service and every client.
Their excellent customer service is extremely helpful and knowledgeable and is one of the best in the business. Their customers seem to agree as the company is currently rated 4.5 out of 5 stars from client reviews on Google.
Northwest Registered Agent — $125/year
- Registered Agent
- Privacy by Default
- Corporate Guides
- Custom-built, back-end software
- Business maintenance tools
- State compliance notifications
- Pre-filled state forms
- A secure online account where you’ll receive document receipt notifications minutes after Northwest receives them.
Northwest Registered Agent Pros
- They run their own servers so security/privacy is their strong point: Northwest has no investors or partners so they treat your personal data with the utmost respect.
- Best customer support in the industry: Their Corporate Guides have been lauded as being the best in the industry for being extremely helpful and knowledgeable specialists.
- Great customer reviews: Clients gave Northwest 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google.
Northwest Registered Agent Cons
- Price tag: Northwest’s registered agent service is just a little bit pricier than your average service provider (though it’s entirely worth it).
3. Inc Authority
Inc Authority has been around since 1989 (that’s 32 years ago) and does not show any signs of slowing down. This company’s clients give Inc Authority an excellent rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 (just like ZenBusiness) on Trustpilot.
They’re primarily an LLC formation service and that’s why they offer to be your registered agent for 1 year if you form your LLC with them. This means you only get them as a registered agent if you form your LLC with them. The company does let you start your business for free (not including state fees).
So:
If you’re looking for a registered agent so you can start your LLC, Inc Authority can be an affordable option.
However:
If you’re looking for a standalone registered agent service, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Inc Authority Registered Agent Pros
- 1-year registered agent: You get a free one-year registered agent service to represent and receive correspondence for your business in your chosen state if you form your LLC with them.
- One of the two cheapest LLC formation starting prices: There’s nothing cheaper than an LLC starting price of $0 + state filing fees.
- Excellent customer feedback: Clients give them an excellent 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
Inc Authority Registered Agent Cons
- No standalone registered agent service: You only get their registered service if you form your LLC with them.
- The platform isn’t the most user-friendly: Their website and software take some getting used to.
- They offer no refunds whatsoever: If you’re not 100% fully satisfied with their service, there’s no taking back what you paid.
4. IncFile
IncFile started business in 2004 and has been around for 15+ years, helping over 500,000 clients since then.
They offer a registered agent service if you sign up and form an LLC with them (they offer a $0 LLC formation service like Inc Authority). This registered agent service is free for your LLC’s first year then goes for $119 per year. They don’t have a standalone registered service.
Signing up for their registered agent service (by forming an LLC) means having a Registered Agent who’s always available to receive state and IRS mail correspondence, documents, and legal proceedings on your LLC’s or corporation’s behalf, you get an online dashboard to access, store and retrieve any information they’ve received for your business, Email and SMS notification whenever they receive documents for your business, and automatic mail forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation, and information directly to you.
The company usually receives great customer reviews on Trustpilot, however, they seem to have fallen from grace as of late. Presently, they have a poor rating of 2.8 stars out of 5.
IncFile Registered Agent — Free for first year then $119/year
- First Year Free
- Handling all of Your Documents
- Online Dashboard
- Tailored Notifications
- Automatic Mail Forwarding
IncFile Registered Agent Pros
- 1-year registered agent: You get a free one-year registered agent service to represent and receive correspondence for your business in your chosen state if you form your LLC with them.
- One of the 2 cheapest in the market when it comes to forming your LLC: You only pay state fees with their Silver package which comes at $0 + state fees.
- Ease of use is very good: Their sign-up and business information forms are easy to understand and fill up.
IncFile Registered Agent Cons
- Poor customer feedback: Unfortunately, clients have given them a poor 2.8 out of 5 stars as of writing this list.
5. LegalZoom
LegalZoom is one of the most well-known online legal service platforms today. Their service covers a wide range across the United States. They’ve helped over 2 million businesses making their experience in the industry second to none.
This company is quite popular with their customers. Clients give LegalZoom great reviews with 4.1 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
When it comes to their registered agent services, the first impression you might get is it’s quite expensive. Coming in at $299 per year, their standalone registered agent service is one of the pricier entries on this list.
There registered agent service includes alerts whenever they receive important mail on your behalf, email alerts for tax and annual report deadlines through their Compliance Calendar, $1M in identity theft protection, and credit monitoring for you and your business through Experian, unlimited cloud storage for all your business documents, and cover fees and handling of your papers with your state if you’re switching your registered agent.
LegalZoom Registered Agent $299/year
- Important mail alerts
- Email alerts for tax and annual reports
- $1m identity theft protection and credit monitoring
- Unlimited cloud storage for business docs
- Cover fees and handling of papers if you’re switching registered agent
LegalZoom Registered Agent Pros
- Has helped over 2 million businesses since 2001 which adds to their credibility: LegalZoom’s popularity comes from its many years of serving entrepreneurs.
- They have extended customer service hours: Their customer service is available 7 days a week to answer your formation-related questions.
LegalZoom Registered Agent Cons
- Steeper price: Their service price is may be higher than what you’re used to.
6. Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer is a legal service platform that offers various services. While Rocket Lawyer’s staff members aren’t attorneys, the company does offer clients access to legal advice and services from their exclusive attorneys as one of their offered services.
They’ve been around since 2008 and have enjoyed much popularity ever since. Clients give Rocket Lawyer an excellent rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
The company offers a registered agent service either as a standalone service ($149/year) or as part of its premium membership at a 25% discount. What you see is what you get with their registered agent service as it doesn’t come with any other feature.
Rocket Lawyer offers a 7-day free trial period for their premium membership.
Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent Pros
- They have helped launch over 20 million customers since 2008 and that is saying something: Despite not being the oldest legal service platform on the market, Rocket Lawyer has helped many business owners.
- Can help you in a variety of legal matters: Rocket Lawyer provides clients with legal advice on a variety of matters.
- 7 day free trial period: The company is so confident in their ability to satisfy your legal needs that they’ll let you try their premium membership for 7 days.
Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent Cons
- Pricy service with no other feature: Their registered agent service doesn’t come with other features.
7. MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks is an online business formation platform that has been around since 2001. Since then, they’ve helped over 60,000 businesses. Their customer service is quite responsive and you’ll typically get a reply within 20 minutes.
Their registered agent service comes at just $99 a year. While this service doesn’t come with other features, they do let you switch your existing registered agent(s) to their registered agent(s) quickly. MyCompanyWorks does this by including all necessary fees in their online forms.
Their services are available in all 50 states and DC.
While it’s important for us to check what customers think of a registered agent service, unfortunately, MyCompanyWorks doesn’t have any customer reviews on Trustpilot and similar sites.
MyCompanyWorks Registered Agent Pros
- Affordable Registered Agent service: At $99 a year, their registered agent service is quite affordable.
- Their customer service is highly responsive: You usually get an answer in 20 minutes which is very fast in the industry.
MyCompanyWorks Registered Agent Cons
- No other features: While their registered agent service matches ZenBusiness’s price, unlike the latter, MyCompanyWorks’s service doesn’t come with any other feature.
8. MyCorporation
MyCorporation has been around since 1998 and has helped over 1 million clients form and manage their businesses. The company is quite popular among its customers. Clients rate it an excellent 4.4 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
Their registered agent service comes in at $120 per year and is available in all 50 states. They offer this service as part of their LLC formation service or as a standalone.
Unfortunately:
Whether standalone or as part of an LLC formation package, their registered agent service doesn’t come with any other feature.
MyCorporation Registered Agent Pros
- Excellent customer feedback: MyCorporation impresses their clients enough to receive an excellent 4.4 stars out of 5 in Trustpilot.
- Great experience in the industry: Being around since 1998 means the company is one of the more experienced LLC formation services out there.
MyCorporation Registered Agent Cons
- No other features: MyCorporation’s registered agent service doesn’t come with any other features.
9. BizFilings
BizFilings is an online incorporation service platform that’s been around since 1996. Despite being around for decades now, they don’t seem to have many customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau.
When it comes to their registered agent services, BizFilings offers theirs for $199 per year. You can get this service as a standalone service or as part of their incorporation service. Note that in the case of the latter, you only get this service for free for 6 months, unlike the usual 1 year.
This service includes their BizComply management tool which lets you manage and schedule your business’ compliance requirements. This feature also notifies you of closing deadlines.
You also get their exceptional customer service available through chat, email, or phone to answer all your compliance questions.
BizFilings Registered Agent Pros
- BizComply management tool: Manage and schedule your business’ compliance requirements and get notified of closing deadlines.
- Good customer support: Their customer service is ready to answer your compliance questions 5 days a week from 8 a.m to 7 p.m through chat, email, or phone.
BizFilings Registered Agent Cons
- Relatively high pricing: While it does come with one interesting feature, their registered agent service is still quite pricey.
10. Harvard Business Services
When it comes to LLC formation services, you could say that Harvard Business Services is ancient. They’ve been around since 1981 (that’s 40 years ago) and have helped over 200,000 LLC and companies get started. If you’re wondering why such an old company has only served over 200,000 clients, it’s because Harvard Business Services only operates in Delaware.
Business owners in Delaware seem to love Harvard Business Services as they’ve given the company an excellent 4.9 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot. This rating is higher than even ZenBusiness.
When it comes to their registered agent services, Harvard Business Services offers theirs as part of their incorporation package or as a standalone service for just $50 per company per year. That’s the cheapest registered agent service we’ve ever encountered!
The company says it hasn’t changed this price since 1981. While it doesn’t offer other features along with this service, that $50 price tag makes up for it.
Unfortunately:
Harvard Business’s registered agent service is available only in Delaware. So, if you’re looking for a registered agent in Delaware, you’re in luck. Otherwise, you’d have to look for a different service provider.
Harvard Business Services Registered Agent Pros
- Great experience in Delaware: Harvard Business Services is, bar none, the best LLC formation service in Delaware.
- Great customer reviews: Clients rate it at an excellent 4.9 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot which is higher than even ZenBusiness.
Harvard Business Services Registered Agent Cons
- No other features: Harvard Business Services’s registered agent service doesn’t come with any other features.
- They only operate in Delaware: They’re the best in Delaware but they’re not available in any other state.
Why You Should Use a Registered Agent Service
Many states require a business to have a registered agent before it can be formed. Your registered agent has their own address where they receive legal and other documents addressed to your business.
As such:
Not everyone can be a registered agent since a registered agent has to have all the following qualifications:
- Physical address in the state where they’ve been appointed
- Always be available at that address during normal business hours.
- Be able to accept service of process on behalf of the business.
- Be able to promptly notify of and relay any legal documents to the right people at your business.
While you can be your own registered agent, remember that a registered agent has to always be available to receive documents at their address during business hours. You may not want this responsibility, especially if you usually need to leave your premises regularly.
You’d also be giving up a large part of your privacy as a registered agent is required to have their personal information and address publicly available.
It’s for these reasons that we highly recommend you get a professional registered agent instead.
And why not?
A professional registered agent doesn’t need to be expensive plus you’re getting quite a few advantages as well.
Your registered agent keeps your business compliant with state requirements. They take away the guesswork when it comes to keeping your business legally compliant and in good standing with the state.
A registered agent also makes sure you never miss any important documents and deadlines.
Since your registered agent receives legal and tax documents for you, you’re saved from the embarrassing experience of receiving them in front of your clients — even if you’re completely innocent.
A registered agent also lets you change your business address more smoothly. This usually involves having to send change of address letters to your state. Often you’d receive your letters and documents at your old address since it can take some time for the public to learn your new business address.
Having a registered agent means you can change your business’s physical address several times and still get your mail in one place since your mailing address remains the same.
Another use for a registered agent is to give your business a professional and credible shine. Using your personal address is fine but it can make your business look unprofessional — or even fraudulent.
Since your registered agent uses their address in place of yours, this helps keep your personal address private and helps you avoid junk mail.
Conclusion
A registered agent is a person who receives legal and other documents for your LLC or corporation. This comes with several advantages that you can only enjoy if you hire a professional registered agent.
The companies on this list are all good companies in their own right. In the end, the choice is yours as to which one is worth your business.
We prefer ZenBusiness and Northwest for their extra features and high customer ratings. Harvard Business Services can also be a contender if you’re looking for an affordable registered agent service in Delaware.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent is a person who receives legal and other documents for your LLC or corporation. For someone to be a registered agent, they must have the following qualifications:
- Physical address in the state where they’ve been appointed
- Always be available at that address during normal business hours.
- Be able to accept service of process on behalf of the business.
- Be able to promptly notify of and relay any legal documents to the right people at your business.
2. Do I Need a Registered Agent Required When Forming My LLC?
Yes.
Most states require you have a registered agent before you form your LLC.
3. Should I Be My Own Agent?
While you can be your own registered agent, remember that a registered agent has to always be available to receive documents at their address during business hours. You may not want this responsibility, especially if you usually need to leave your premises regularly.
You’d also be giving up a large part of your privacy as a registered agent is required to have their personal information and address publicly available.
4. Can My Accountant Be My Registered Agent?
Your accountant is certainly a better choice for a registered agent than yourself.
They’re usually at their offices during standard business hours and you already do business with them so you know you can trust them.
However:
You may have to pay higher rates for this additional service. They may also lack the required experience to serve as agents correctly. Lastly, you’re going to need a different registered agent if you’re expanding to other states as accountants usually only have their address in a single state.
5. Will My Registered Agent Help With My LLC’s Ongoing Compliance Requirements?
Usually.
Most registered agent services offer some form of ongoing compliance monitoring feature that keeps you up to date with approaching deadlines.
Some services also include an annual report feature which would take a load off your shoulders.
6. How Do I Learn More About These Service Providers?
If you’d like to learn more about the companies on this list, you can do so by checking out our full reviews.
- ZenBusiness review
- Northwest Registered Agent review
- Inc Authority review
- IncFile review
- LegalZoom review
- Rocket Lawyer review
- MyCompanyWorks review
- MyCorporation review
- Bizfilings review
- Harvard Business Services review
7. How Can I Change Registered Agents?
It varies from state to state.
You’ll usually need to file a “change or registered agent” form in the state you’re LLC is doing business in. This should be a simple form that you can fill up with no help from an attorney.
You then need to pay the fee.
Some states let you change registered agents by simply indicating the change in your LLC’s annual report or through an amendment in your articles of organization.