If you are looking for the best LLC registered agent service to help your business stay compliant with state law and meet all required filing deadlines, you’ve come to the right place.
Our team has analytically reviewed the best registered agent services of 2023, examining factors such as eminence, price, and reliability.
Best Registered Agent Services Online
In this article, we provide a comparison of the best registered agent services of 2023.
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Best LLC Registered Agent Services |
|---|---|
Northwest
4.7/5 |
BEST OVERALL PREMIUM SERVICE
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ZenBusiness
4.2/5 |
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LegalZoom
3.6/5 |
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Incfile
4/5 |
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Rocket Lawyer
3.8/5 |
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There are many different registered agent services available online. All of them will serve as your registered agent for a fee. Our goal was to find which of the most popular providers offered the best combination of price, features, accessibility, and more.
1. Northwest Registered Agent – $125/year
Our favorite registered agent service is Northwest Registered Agent. With great customer service and a state-specific business knowledge base in the form of Corporate Guides, Northwest goes above and beyond many other similar services. You get someone to receive and scan your state and legal mail, but you also get full access to corporate experts in your state.
Northwest charges a premium for its services. For that premium, you get a more full-featured service. It protects your privacy by default, never selling your data. It also scans and forwards other business mail, not just state communications and legal documents. To access your scanned documents, you use Northwest’s convenient online dashboard. It’s easy to navigate and allows you to see all important communications immediately. That’s a feature not everyone offers.
Includes:
- Privacy by Default®
- Same-day local document scanning
- Free scanning and forwarding of up to five non-state or legal documents
- Lifetime support from Corporate Guides with state-specific expertise
- Notifications when it’s time to file your annual report with the state
Northwest Registered Agent services start at $29 + state fees.
Northwest Registered Agent Service
Northwest is our recommended registered agent service for small businesses. It offers top-tier customer service, transparent pricing, and a variety of privacy protections.
Its premium document scanning feature can also go a long way in ensuring that you always file your annual report on time as an LLC owner.
Read our full Northwest Registered Agent Review.
2. ZenBusiness – $199/year
ZenBusiness is another popular registered agent service that we can easily recommend. The company is well-respected, and its registered agent service gives you everything you need.
You have two options if you choose ZenBusiness for your registered agent service. It offers a basic service for $199/year and a Complete service for $149/year. The main addition to the Complete plan is “Worry-Free Compliance,” which is essentially a reminder service of upcoming state deadlines like filing your annual report. Their Worry-Free Compliance service is free for the first year. When you renew, it will be offered at $199/year to ensure all customers are covered with ongoing compliance and filing requirements from the state.
Included in both plans:
- State and legal document scanning
- Online document access
- Customer support
Included in Complete service:
- Alerts and notifications of upcoming compliance events (filing your annual report)
- Two free amendments and additional filings (such as changing your business name)
- Good standing guarantee (if you fall out of good standing for missing a state-required filing, ZenBusiness will help you get back in good standing)
ZenBusiness offers Registered Agent services for $199 per year, regardless of package. also includes a free year of registered agent service if you use its LLC formation service.
Customer reviews for ZenBusiness are generally good, stating that the company is quick to provide support and resolves most issues satisfactorily.
If you are looking for a less expensive service than Northwest and only need basic registered agent service, ZenBusiness is a good choice.
ZenBusiness services start at $0+ state fees.
ZenBusiness Service
This registered agent service offers great value for basic LLC setup, ongoing support, and compliance filing, as well as additional packages and services.
This is perfect for the business owners who want great service at a reasonable price. ZenBusiness services start at $0 for formation + state fees.
Read our full ZenBusiness Review.
3. LegalZoom – $79/year
LegalZoom is a well-known and respected source of business formation and business legal services. Its pricing reflects its reputation. If you use the company to form your LLC, you can pay less for registered agent service — $79/year.
Included:
- Scanning of state and legal documents
- Online platform to access documents
- Unlimited cloud storage of documents
- $1 million in identity theft protection through Experian
- Compliance Calendar (notifies you of important filing deadlines)
LegalZoom is quite popular, claiming to have helped over two million businesses. It has solid reviews and is a reliable source for business legal advice. If you are using its other services, such as LLC formation or legal services, it might make sense to choose the company for your registered agent.
However, if you are not using its other services, the cost of its registered agent service is too high for what it offers. You can get most of these features from Northwest for nearly a third of the price.
LegalZoom services start at $79 + state fees.
LegalZoom Service
LegalZoom is the most reputable provider in our list, operating for over 20 years and having helped millions of businesses get started.
LegalZoom offers access to a variety of addons, such as unlimited cloud storage, identity theft protection, and online legal services.
Read our full LegalZoom Review.
4. Incfile – $119/year
Incfile is one of our favorite LLC formation services. It offers a free year of registered agent service when you use its LLC formation service. After that, it costs $119/year to have Incfile serve as your registered agent. Or, you can purchase the registered agent service on its own.
This company has been around since 2004 and has an extensive Learning Center that can prove helpful if you need information on doing business. It includes an online dashboard for registered agent clients and sends email and SMS notifications whenever you get a state or legal document.
Included:
- Scanning and forwarding of state and legal documents
- Email and SMS notifications for received documents
- Online dashboard
The services offered by Incfile are good quality and reliable. We like Incfile, but it’s important to note that Northwest offers more with its service, including compliance notifications and Corporate Guides, for only $6 more per year.
Incfile services start at $0 – $299 + state fees.
Incfile Service
Incfile’s registered agent service can be great for the business owners that are operating with a limited budget, but who want a variety of added features.
Read our full Incfile Review.
5. Rocket Lawyer – $149.99/year
Rocket Lawyer offers a wide variety of legal services for businesses, as well as things like registered agent service. If you think you will need legal services for your business and want to sign up for Rocket Lawyer membership ($39.99/month), you get 25% off of the registered agent service.
Included:
- Scanning of state and legal documents
- Online dashboard to access documents
- Email notifications of received documents
The company has a 100% satisfaction guarantee for its registered agent service, so you can use the service with peace of mind.
The registered agent service offered by Rocket Lawyer is pretty basic. We think that the best way to utilize the service is if you are already a member of the company’s legal services. With the 25% discount, the registered agent service is about $112.50/year, which is less than some of the other services on here.
Rocket Lawyer services start at $149.99 + state fees.
Rocket Lawyer Service
With a 100% satisfaction guarantee, online dashboard, and affordable pricing, Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent service leaves little to be desired as a small business owner.
Benefits of Using Registered Agent Services
It can be tempting to save money and act as your own registered agent. We think that the benefits of using a registered agent service more than justify the cost, though. This is especially true if you use a reasonably-priced service like Northwest.
Some of the benefits of using a registered agent service include:
- Legal compliance. You need a registered agent that’s available during normal business hours with a physical address in the state – things that a registered agent service reliably provides.
- Flexibility. Trying to act as your own registered agent means being stuck at your place of business Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., perpetually. Hiring a service lets you choose your own schedule instead.
- Privacy. The public record lists your registered agent’s address. Using a service means it’s their address listed, not yours.
- Peace of mind. Focus your energy on running your business and let a service sit around waiting for your mail.
Registered Agent Review Methodology
When considering which registered agent service to use, there are three things to think about:
- Your business type
- The needs of your business
- Any additional services you might need
Our team used the following criteria to evaluate the best registered agent services:
- Pricing: Are the services priced reasonably for what you get?
- Features: Do the features provided meet the needs of businesses searching for a registered agent – like scanning vital documents and making them available as quickly as possible.
- Customer Support: Can you get help when you need it from knowledgeable, friendly professionals?
- User Reviews: Do other customers express satisfaction with what the company delivers?
- Accessibility and Transparency: Is it easy for small business owners to understand what the company offers and what it costs? Does the checkout process go smoothly without hidden fees and deceptive behavior?
The goal of these criteria is to ensure that our readers get the best value for their money and services they can depend on.
Ready to Hire a Registered Agent Service?
Northwest Registered Agent, our top recommendation for registered agent services, starts at $29 for formation and $125/year for registered agent services after the first year + state fees.
Best Registered Agent Services FAQ
What does a registered agent do?
A registered agent accepts state and legal documents on behalf of a business. They must have a physical address in the state where the business operates and be available during normal business hours. Some states call registered agents statutory agents, resident agents, or service of process agents.
Is a registered agent really necessary?
A registered agent is required by law to ensure that businesses receive legal documents, like service of process, in a timely manner.
Can I be my own registered agent?
You can be your own registered agent as long as you are over 18 and meet the above criteria. However, it’s usually a better use of your time and energy to hire someone else and focus on growing your business.
Should I hire a registered agent service?
We believe that a registered agent service is a cost-effective way to ensure your business meets state requirements for having a registered agent. If you want the peace of mind that comes from knowing someone is there to receive your state and legal documents, a registered agent service is the way to go.
What is the best registered agent service?
Our favorite registered agent service is Northwest Registered Agent service. All of the services listed above are good, but we think Northwest is the best.