How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost?

What a Registered Agent Is, and Why the Cost Varies

Every state requires an LLC to name a registered agent: a person or company at a physical, in-state street address who can accept legal papers (like a lawsuit summons) and official state mail on the LLC's behalf. Because the requirement is about having a reliable, public point of contact rather than hiring a specific kind of business, states let the LLC's own member or manager fill the role, which is why the real cost question is less "what does a registered agent cost" and more "do you act as your own, or pay someone else to."

Serving as Your Own Registered Agent Is Free

In every state, an LLC member, manager, or other individual with a street address in the state of formation can serve as the registered agent at no charge. There is no state fee for naming yourself when you form the LLC. The trade-off is availability, not money: you have to be at that address during normal business hours, for as long as the LLC exists, to receive service of process and state notices.

What It Costs to Change Registered Agents Later

If you later want to replace your registered agent, whether to switch from yourself to a service, from one service to another, or because you moved out of state, you file a change-of-agent form with your state's filing office. That filing carries a one-time fee that varies widely:

Figures are drawn from each state's official registered-agent change form and fee schedule. Check your own state's filing office for its current fee before you file, since states update fee schedules periodically.

What a Paid Registered Agent Service Costs

If you do not want to be your own agent, perhaps because you do not keep regular hours at a single address, you move often, or you simply want your home address off the public record, you can hire a registered agent service instead. That is a recurring annual fee you pay directly to the service, separate from any one-time state change fee you paid to name them in the first place.

A $99-a-Year Option

LLC Register's registered agent service costs $99 a year. That price includes LLC formation in your first year and annual report filing, with state fees passed through to you at cost rather than marked up.

Weighing Free vs. Paid

There is no wrong answer between serving as your own agent and paying for a service; it depends on whether you can reliably staff a fixed address during business hours and whether you want that address to be the one published in the state's public business search. Either way, the state-level cost to simply have a registered agent on file is zero; the cost only shows up if you change agents (a one-time state fee) or choose to pay someone else to do the job (a recurring service fee).

When Paying for a Service Makes Sense

If you work from home, move between states, or travel for extended periods, being your own agent can mean missing a legal notice because nobody was at the listed address. A paid service exists specifically to guarantee someone is available at a fixed address during business hours, which matters most for single-member LLCs without a separate office.

Privacy Is a Real Trade-off, Not a Guarantee

Using a registered agent service keeps your personal address off the public registered-agent field, but your name may still appear elsewhere in the state's filing (as a member or manager, for example, depending on the state's disclosure rules). Check your own state's LLC filing requirements if keeping your address private is the main reason you are considering a paid agent.

A Lapsed Agent Can Cost More Than the Service Fee

If your registered agent resigns, moves, or otherwise becomes unreachable and you do not name a replacement, the state can eventually revoke the LLC's good standing or administratively dissolve it. Reinstating an LLC after dissolution typically costs more, and takes longer, than the agent fee you were trying to avoid. Treat the registered agent requirement as non-negotiable upkeep, not optional overhead.

Multi-State LLCs Need an Agent in Every State Where They're Registered

If your LLC is registered to do business as a foreign LLC in more than one state, you need a registered agent with a street address in each of those states, not just your home state. That can make a paid, multi-state service simpler to manage than coordinating several self-service addresses yourself.

Talk to a Tax Professional About How This Fits Your Structure

A registered agent is a legal and administrative requirement, not a tax decision, but how you staff it can affect recordkeeping and timely notice of state tax filings. If you are unsure whether self-service or a paid agent better fits your situation, a tax professional or business attorney can weigh in alongside your state's specific rules.