Northwest Registered Agent is a family-owned business and has been around since 1998. They pride themselves on their responsive customer service with over 200 “Corporate Guides” employed nationwide. Apart from that, they also give clients “Privacy by Default” which means you can use their business address on public forums and they won’t sell your information.
This company offers several online and legal services for business owners. Northwest Registered Agent offers services like hire a registered agent, start a new business, access free legal documents, form a corporation, and start an LLC.
They also offer other services like:
- Register an existing company in other states
- Wyoming Domestication
- Mail forwarding service
- Virtual office service
- FCC 499-A Telecommunications Registered Agent
- FMCSA BOC-3 Trucking Compliance
- VOIP business phone number
- Yearly business compliance filing
Their LLC formation service lets you form an LLC in one of three ways:
- Do your LLC filing yourself through a free online account
- Rorm an LLC with Northwest Registered Agent’s VIP service
- Pay them the full price upfront and let them handle your LLC formation for you
Now that you know a little bit about the company, it’s time to learn a bit more about the services they offer in this concise review.
In this Northwest Registered Agent review, you’ll discover their business formation packages, incorporation services, and whether or not this is the best LLC formation service for your company.
A short overview of what Northwest Registered Agent provides
Northwest Registered Agent promises LLC filing with privacy by default, responsive and helpful customer support, and more.
Here’s what you’re getting with Northwest Registered Agent’s LLC filing service:
- Annual Report Filing: Each state has reporting requirements for LLCs and corporations to keep a company active and in good standing with the state. These are due usually once per year or every other year. This feature ensures that you never have to worry about these compliance filing requirements.
- Excellent Customer Support: By far their best selling point, Northwest Registered Agent is backed by a quick and helpful customer support team.
- Registered agent service: Getting a registered agent is one of the ways to keep your LLC state compliant. Northwest Registered Agent offers VIP and full-paying clients a free year of registered agent services.
- Mail forwarding: Northwest Registered Agent provides a mail forwarding service. This service lets you choose the state where you want your mail sent, and the company provides an address and unique suite number for your business in that state.
- Get an EIN: Most banks require an EIN before they let you open a separate business account. This feature saves you the hassle of needing to get an EIN yourself.
- S Corp election: An S corporation enjoys significant tax benefits come tax season. Northwest Registered Agent prepares and obtains your S Corp election from the IRS for you.
- Virtual Office service: Northwest Registered Agent lets you receive your mail in Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Montana, Texas, or Wyoming and choose the delivery method whether it be a digital scan or physical forwarding.
- Certificate of Good Standing: A Certificate of Good Standing is an official document provided by the state that certifies your company’s existence. It’s most commonly used if you need to register your company to do business in another state as a foreign LLC.
These are just some of the services they provide. You’ll find more optional services once you form an LLC with Northwest Registered Agent.
How does Northwest Registered Agent Work?
Unlike other LLC formation services, Northwest Registered Agent lets you form an LLC in one of three ways: Doing it yourself, through their VIP service, or pay them the full price upfront and hiring them to form your LLC formation for you.
Doing it yourself requires you to sign up for a free account. Northwest Registered Agent provides guides on forming an LLC. You also get access to downloadable business forms (e.g., Articles of Organization, LLC Operating Agreement, state-specific documents). You’re also given the option to get add-on services such as the ones we’ve mentioned above.
It’s only when you sign up for their VIP service or hiring Northwest Registered Agent to form your LLC for you that their formation process acts similarly to other online LLC formation services:
- First, you select the type of business you want (LLC), which state you’re filing in, and whether you wish to pay upfront or monthly.
2. Next, answer some questions related to your new business. You’ll have to determine your business purpose, physical business address, and mailing address.
3. You then provide your contact details which include your name, mailing address, zip code, city, state, country, and phone number.
4. Then, choose the optional features your business needs.
5. Next, review your order, proceed with payment and you’re done.
Northwest Registered Agent Business Formation Packages
Northwest Registered Agent LLC offers 3 formation options (excludes state fee):
- Free
- Pay in Full
- VIP services
How much does Northwest Registered Agent charge to create your LLC? We’ll discuss each of the plans in detail below.
Here’s a detailed breakdown for each business formation package and pricing:
Free Account (Excludes State Filing Fees)
As we’ve discussed above, the Free Account lets you form your LLC through the guides and free document downloads on the Northwest Registered Agent website.
You have the option to get as many add-on services as you need.
Here’s what you’re getting with your free online account:
- Online client account: You get access to the Northwest Registered Agent online client account where you can access information as well as download and store important business documents.
- Northwest Registered Agent Customer Support: Get access to the company’s quick and helpful customer support.
Summary: This package is good if you’re confident in your ability and time to create your LLC yourself.
Click here to check out the free account.
Pay in Full ($225 plus State Fees)
Paying in full means you’re paying Northwest Registered Agent your state fees and their service fees upfront. You Get the same services from the free account plus two more.
Here’s what you’re getting by paying upfront:
- Registered Agent Service: You get the company’s registered agent services free for your first year after which you pay $125 per year.
- Limited Mail Forwarding: Northwest Registered Agent lets you choose the state where you want your mail sent, and the company provides an address and unique suite number for your business in that state.
Summary: The Pay-in-Full Package is good if you’re just looking to form your LLC and get some help keeping it state compliant.
Click here to check out the “Pay in Full” package.
VIP Service (Depends on Your LLC Location plus State Fees)
Signing up for the Northwest Registered Agent VIP Service means you’re getting them to start and maintain your LLC for you. You get all the services from the Free account and pay-in-full package plus six more.
Here’s what you’re getting with this formation package:
- State Filing Fees: You usually have to pay state filing fees upfront. With their VIP services, Northwest Registered Agent shoulders your state fee for you and you pay it back on a monthly basis.
- Business Formation: Northwest Registered Agent starts and finishes the whole LLC filing process for you.
- Free Business Address: Northwest Registered Agent lets you use their business address on your formation documents. This is helpful if your business doesn’t have a physical address yet.
- EIN Filing: Northwest Registered Agent files for your EIN so you won’t have to do it yourself.
- Annual, Biennial, or Periodic State Filings: Save yourself from the hassle of writing and submitting state compliance requirements yourself as Northwest Registered Agent does it for you.
- Premium-level Services: Get access to other Northwest Registered Agent services such as Secure Client Account, Free Limited Mail Forwarding, Operating Agreement or Bylaws, Banking Resolution, Corporate Guide Service, and Privacy by Default.
Summary: VIP services are great if you want Northwest Registered Agent to start and maintain your LLC while you focus on running your business — all while paying lower monthly fees.
Click here to check out the VIP service.
How long does it take for Northwest Registered Agent to form your LLC
Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast answer. Everything depends on your chosen state and the type of business entity you’re forming. It can take anywhere from just a few business days to a few months.
Popular Northwest Registered Agent LLC Alternative
If you feel like Northwest Registered Agent’s pricing packages don’t offer enough features by default or if you just want to check out other alternatives, we recommend checking out ZenBusiness (our top pick).
ZenBusiness provides advanced features (like an operating agreement and a registered agent) as part of their starting package by default.
They’re also cheaper with their starting package starting at just $49.
ZenBusiness also has more and better customer reviews — which we’ll be discussing next.
Northwest Registered Agent Customer Reviews
One critical part when looking for the best LLC formation services is to find out what customer reviews say about them. This is where customers’ online reviews become relevant. For this Northwest Registered Agent review, we looked to Birdeye.
So how does Northwest Registered Agent fare according to Birdeye?
Northwest Registered Agent gets 4.4 stars out of 5 from 258 customer reviews.
Most of the clients who loved Northwest Registered Agent praised its excellent customer support team and online LLC services.
Should You Use Northwest Registered Agent to Start Your LLC
Northwest Registered Agent has been around for over 20 years and prides itself on its privacy by default and customer support.
With its simple online LLC formation process, online office account, useful LLC services & add-ons, as well as excellent customer support, Northwest Registered Agent is perfect for anyone looking to start their LLC while also keeping it state compliant.
That said:
Their advanced features (registered agent service & annual report service) are locked behind their paid pricing packages. While their starting package is free, their VIP service comes at $225 plus state fees, which is a steep price considering their Pay-in-Full package can cost even more.
Final Verdict:
So, should you use Northwest Registered Agent to Start Your LLC?
No, there are more affordable choices out there.
While Northwest Registered Agent is great because of its customer support, one-year free registered agent services, and other LLC features, it loses points for its price point.
Instead, we still recommend ZenBusiness for its affordability, default features, and higher trust rating.
You can read our complete ZenBusiness Review here.
FAQS
Northwest Registered Agent vs ZenBusiness: Which is better?
ZenBusiness is more affordable, has more default features, and has a higher trust rating.
What Are Northwest Registered Agent’s Biggest Pros and Cons?
Northwest Registered Agent’s biggest pros are its simple business questionnaires, online office account, useful LLC services & add-ons, as well as excellent customer support.
Its biggest con is its price point.
If I Use Northwest Registered Agent, Which Features Should I Get?
You may want to get their Registered Agent Service and Annual Compliance Filing if you want total compliance.
Does Northwest Registered Agent offer a Publication Service?
No. They don’t offer that service.
Does Northwest Registered Agent Help With Ongoing Compliance Requirements?
Yes. They do this through their registered agent service and annual compliance service.
What Is Northwest Registered Agent’s Refund Policy?
No. Their Terms of Service page says: “Your VIP Service fees, once paid, are non-refundable and non-creditable for any reason whatsoever, including, without limitation, the cancellation of the VIP Service.”
Why Do I Need to Use a Business Formation Service?
Forming an LLC can be time-consuming, confusing, and costly — especially if you’re just starting a business. This service saves you from all of these problems (for a price) so you can focus more on growing your business.