Every U.S. state requires businesses to designate and maintain a registered agent (sometimes called a resident or statutory agent). This applies to startups, small businesses, LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits alike.
Registered agents must be available during standard business hours to receive service of process, state notices, and tax correspondence on your behalf, then forward or upload those documents promptly. Using a professional service helps you stay compliant, protect your privacy, and avoid missing deadlines that could put your company at risk.
The Top 5 Best Registered Agent Services
- Northwest Registered Agent – Best overall
- ZenBusiness – Best for LLCs
- Bizee (formerly Incfile) – Best free registered agent services
- MyCorporation – Best for small businesses
- MyCompanyWorks – Best for switching registered agents
After extensive research, we’ve narrowed down the top five registered agent services on the market today. Below, you’ll find what each provider does best, key features, pricing notes, and situations where one option may be a better fit than another.
Northwest Registered Agent — Best Overall
Northwest Registered Agent combines “privacy by default” practices with fast document handling and a clean online dashboard, making it a strong choice for both new and existing businesses.
Northwest is known for reliable, transparent pricing and responsive support from its Corporate Guides. Whether you’re forming a fresh LLC or managing a multi-state corporation, Northwest is a top pick for registered agent service.
The plan includes the essentials most businesses care about:
- Pre-filled state forms
- Annual report reminders
- Document scanning and storage
- Self-service online access
- Free mail forwarding
- Local, same-day scans of incoming documents
You’ll also get lifetime support from Northwest’s Corporate Guides—business specialists who answer compliance questions and help you avoid filing mistakes that can cost you time and money.
Business formation starts at $39 plus state fees and includes the first year of registered agent service. Registered agent renewals are $125 per year, with volume discounts for multi-state coverage (currently $125/year for 1–4 states and $100/year for 5+ states).
Get started with Northwest Registered Agent today.
ZenBusiness — Best Registered Agent Services for LLCs
ZenBusiness is a popular, beginner-friendly formation platform. While it’s best known for LLC formation, the company also offers a capable registered agent add-on with compliance reminders and secure digital delivery of documents.
If you’re forming an LLC with ZenBusiness, adding its registered agent service keeps everything in one place and streamlines annual compliance.
ZenBusiness receives, scans, and uploads your official mail to a secure dashboard so you can view, download, and share time-sensitive documents anytime. You can also opt into additional compliance support if you want the company to file routine reports on your behalf.
Registered agent service is offered as an add-on to formation or as a standalone service. Current pricing is $99 for the first year (promotional rate) and renews at $199 per year.
If you’re starting an LLC and need a registered agent, you can get a convenient bundle with ZenBusiness.
Bizee (Formerly Incfile) — Best Free Registered Agent Services
Bizee offers business formation and compliance tools used by hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs. One of its biggest draws is the free first year of registered agent service when you form an LLC or corporation through Bizee.
That’s a real savings for new businesses on a tight budget—especially because you can start with Bizee’s $0 Silver formation package (you only pay the state fee) and still get the free registered agent for year one.
After the first year, Bizee’s registered agent renews at a competitive rate (typically $119 per year). Formation packages step up from the free Silver plan to Gold and Platinum tiers if you want extras like an EIN or faster filing.
Here’s what you get with Bizee’s registered agent service:
- Acceptance of IRS and legal correspondence on your behalf
- Email and SMS alerts the moment documents arrive
- 24/7 online access
- Simple, organized dashboard
- Automatic mail forwarding
Bizee’s online dashboard is straightforward and fast, and the notifications help you act on time-sensitive notices without guesswork.
If you already have a business, Bizee can also file your registered agent change paperwork for you for a modest service fee (state filing fees still apply).
Take care of formation and get a free registered agent through Bizee.
MyCorporation — Best for Small Businesses
MyCorporation has been helping entrepreneurs since 1998 and has supported over a million filings nationwide. Its registered agent service is straightforward, and the company’s packages make it easy to bundle the agent with other compliance tools.
Registered agent service is available for LLCs and corporations and pairs well with MyCorporation’s annual report reminders and document organization tools.
Getting started is simple—answer a few questions online and MyCorporation will handle the rest. If you’re forming a new business, the Deluxe and Premium formation packages include the first year of registered agent service.
What you get with MyCorporation’s registered agent:
- Acceptance of official and legal documents on your behalf
- Organized digital copies of important paperwork
- Timely forwarding so owners receive critical notices
- Added privacy (your home/office address stays off the public record)
- Service of process handling during legal actions
Standalone registered agent service is competitively priced and renews annually. The Deluxe and Premium formation packages bundle the first year, so new businesses can save by choosing one of those tiers.
Need an EIN or other post-formation filings? MyCorporation can handle those too, and the company frequently runs promotions that discount add-ons.
MyCompanyWorks — Best for Switching Registered Agents
MyCompanyWorks provides registered agent coverage in all 50 states and makes it painless to switch from your current agent. The service also integrates with its formation packages for LLCs, C-corps, and S-corps.
Since 2001, more than 60,000 businesses have used MyCompanyWorks. If you’re changing agents, the company can handle the agent-change filing for you (you’ll still pay any state filing fee required to update your agent).
What you can expect from MyCompanyWorks’ registered agent service:
- Help maintaining statutory compliance
- Receipt and forwarding of official mail
- Simple online updates when your info changes
- Instant notifications when service of process or state forms arrive
- An extra layer of privacy between your personal address and public filings
Pricing is competitive for both new formations and existing businesses that only need an agent, and plans are backed by a 90-day satisfaction guarantee.
If you’re forming a company from scratch, the Complete package includes registered agent service for the first year. You can also add registered agent to lower-tier formation packages as needed.
MyCompanyWorks plans are backed by a 90-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.
How to Find the Best Registered Agent Services for You
Not every registered agent service is the same. Beyond basic mail acceptance, the best providers offer fast scanning, clear dashboards, proactive reminders, and straightforward renewal pricing. Use the criteria below to decide what matters most for your business.
Keep these elements in mind as you evaluate options:
Business Entity Type
Are you forming an LLC, corporation, or nonprofit—or updating an existing entity? Most services support all major entity types, but some emphasize LLC workflows and others cater to corporations with more complex filings.
Check that your provider has experience with businesses like yours (including your state). If you expect to expand to multiple states, confirm multi-state coverage and ask about volume discounts.
Compliance
Great services do more than accept mail—they help you stay in good standing. Look for automated annual report reminders, compliance calendars, and options to file routine reports for you. Clear SLAs for document scanning and notification speed are a plus when time-sensitive notices arrive.
Privacy and Security
Your registered agent’s address appears on public records, shielding your home or office address. Prioritize providers that scan documents locally the day they arrive, use secure portals for uploads, and offer limited, purposeful data collection (“privacy by default”).
Consider whether you need mail forwarding for non-legal mail, not just uploads, and whether you can add a separate business address if you don’t want your own listed publicly elsewhere.
Business Formation Services
If you’re starting a new company, bundling formation with a registered agent can save time and money (many providers discount or include the first year of agent service). If you’re only switching agents, focus on easy transfer steps and whether the provider will file the change for you.
Also note add-ons you may need in year one—like an EIN, operating agreement/bylaws, or annual report filing—so you can compare true, all-in costs across providers.
Value
Expect most registered agent services to land roughly around the $100–$200 per-year range. Beware of rock-bottom teaser rates that jump at renewal, or bundles that lock you into pricey extras you don’t need.
Using an attorney as your agent often costs more than a specialized service. For many small businesses, a dedicated registered agent provider delivers the best mix of price, speed, and reliability.
Bundling your registered agent with a formation package (especially when the first year is included) is usually the best overall value for new companies.
Support
When legal mail hits your account, speed and clarity matter. Look for knowledgeable support by phone and email, plain-language help articles, and an account dashboard that makes it obvious what to do next.
Before you decide, read recent customer reviews for patterns about responsiveness and transparency. It’s one of the best ways to separate providers that do the bare minimum from those that go the extra mile.
The Top Registered Agent Services in 2025
Our top picks are Northwest Registered Agent and Bizee. Northwest stands out for privacy, local same-day scans, and hands-on support. Bizee shines for affordability thanks to its free first year with formation and simple dashboard. ZenBusiness is a smart fit if you want an LLC-first workflow with add-on compliance help. MyCorporation and MyCompanyWorks are solid choices if you prefer to bundle your agent with other filings or you’re switching agents and want a smooth transfer.
Whichever provider you choose, keep your agent current, read each renewal notice, and set reminders for annual filings. Lapsing on registered agent coverage can lead to penalties or even administrative dissolution—issues that are easy to avoid with the right service.