What Is a Registered Agent?
Every LLC must have one: a person or company in the state that receives legal papers and official notices for the business. Here is what the job actually involves, who can do it, and what it costs to hire it out.
The job, in one paragraph
A registered agent (some states say statutory agent or resident agent) is your LLC's official point of contact for the state and for anyone serving legal process. If your business is sued, the papers are delivered to your agent. If the state sends a notice about your annual report or your standing, it goes to your agent. The agent's job is to receive those documents reliably and get them to you fast. That is the whole job, and getting it wrong has outsized consequences, which is why the role exists in law.
What the state requires
- A physical street address in the state where the LLC is formed. A P.O. box does not qualify. Every state we cover states this requirement on its filing site, and our state guides quote each state's version.
- Availability during normal business hours. Process servers do not make appointments. Someone must be there to sign.
- An individual 18 or older, or a company authorized to serve as agent. The LLC itself cannot be its own agent, though an owner or employee can serve personally.
- Consent. You are expected to name someone who has agreed to serve. Listing an address you do not control is a filing error and, worse, a silent failure waiting to happen.
Your three options
| Option | Cost | What you give up |
|---|---|---|
| Be your own agent | $0 | Your address goes on the public record, and you must be at that address during business hours, every business day. |
| Name another person (partner, trusted employee, family member in-state) | $0 | Their address is public, and your legal deadlines now depend on their reliability and their forwarding habits. |
| Hire a commercial registered agent service | $125 to $249 per year on the providers we track | Nothing structural. The service's address is the public one, documents are scanned and uploaded, and reminders come with it. |
The real risks of being your own agent
Being your own agent is legal, common, and fine for many owners. The risks are specific, not theoretical. If a process server delivers a lawsuit and you are traveling, the case does not wait for you. Courts can enter a default judgment against a defendant who was properly served and never answered. Owners also underestimate the privacy side: the agent address is public record, searchable by anyone, and for home-based businesses that means the home address. Finally, if you move, the agent address must be updated with the state, sometimes for a fee, and a stale address is the same as no address.
What a commercial agent costs
Prices checked on the providers' own sites, November 2026. Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 a year for standalone agent service and includes the first year when it forms your LLC for its $39 filing service. ZenBusiness lists registered agent service at $199 a year as an add-on. Bizee includes the first year free with its formation packages, then renews at $149 a year. Tailor Brands lists agent service at $199 a year. LegalZoom lists $249 a year, the highest of the five providers we track. What you are paying for at any of them is the address, the scanning, and the reminders, so compare on those, not on brand. The same five prices, split into first year and renewal and re-checked against the providers' own pages, live on our registered agent price tracker.
Renewal price is the real price
Almost every provider discounts year one. The renewal is what you will actually pay every year you own the LLC, so our comparison page ranks providers by the renewal number, not the teaser.
Changing your agent later
You are never locked in. Every state has a change-of-agent filing, done online in most states, sometimes free and sometimes for a small fee. Owners commonly switch when they move, when a do-it-yourself arrangement gets shaky, or when a renewal price jumps. When you switch, file the change with the state before the old arrangement lapses, so there is no gap in coverage.
What an agent does not do
The agent's job is narrow, and owners overestimate it. An agent does not receive your ordinary business mail, does not give legal or tax advice, and does not file your annual report for you unless you bought a separate compliance service. What arrives at the agent is official: lawsuits and subpoenas, state notices about your standing and reports, and occasionally tax or regulatory process. Everything else still comes to your business address. One more limit that surprises people: the agent belongs to one state. If your LLC registers to do business in a second state, that state requires its own agent with an address there, as our foreign qualification guide explains. And if you stop paying a commercial agent, the agent can resign with the state after notice; an LLC with no agent on record is out of compliance until you name a new one, so replace before you cancel.
Common questions
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes, if you have a physical street address in the state and are available there during normal business hours. An owner or employee can serve personally. The LLC itself cannot be its own agent.
Can my registered agent address be a P.O. box?
No. Every state requires a physical street address in the state of formation. A P.O. box does not qualify.
Is my agent's address public?
Yes. The agent address is public record, searchable by anyone. For a home-based business, being your own agent usually means your home address is the public one, which is the main reason owners hire a service.
What happens if a lawsuit is delivered and I never see it?
The case does not wait. If you were properly served at your agent's address and never answered, a court can enter a default judgment against the business. Reliable receipt and fast forwarding are the entire point of the role.
How much does a commercial registered agent cost?
Across the five providers we track, $125 to $249 a year. Northwest charges $125 a year, Bizee renews at $149 after a free first year, ZenBusiness and Tailor Brands list $199, and LegalZoom lists $249. Compare renewal prices, not first-year teasers.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes. Every state has a change-of-agent filing, done online in most states, sometimes free and sometimes for a small fee. File the change before the old arrangement lapses so there is no gap.
General Information Only
LLCForming publishes general information about forming and running an LLC. It is not legal, tax, or accounting advice, and it does not create an attorney or advisor relationship. Rules vary by state and by your situation. For a decision that matters, talk to a licensed attorney or tax professional in your state.