Do you need a registered agent?
Almost every state requires an LLC to name one. Whether you need to pay for one is a different question, and for most people who live in their state the answer is no.
US Covers all 50 US states plus Washington DC
Updated October 11, 2026
What a registered agent actually does
A registered agent is the person or company named on your state filing to receive legal papers for the LLC: a lawsuit, a subpoena, and official mail from the state. Every state requires an LLC to have one, at a physical street address in that state, during normal business hours. That is the whole job. Three states do not insist on one: Minnesota (an office address is enough), New York (the Secretary of State accepts papers for you) and West Virginia (optional by law).
It can be you. In every state, an owner who lives there and has a street address there can serve. Most states require an individual agent to be a resident, so if you live elsewhere, an office address alone usually is not enough. Paying a company is optional. It is not a tax benefit, it does not make the LLC more legitimate, and the state does not treat you differently for using one.
The two honest reasons to pay for one
- You have no address in that state. If you formed in Wyoming or Delaware but live elsewhere, or you registered your LLC to do business in a second state, you need someone there. A friend or relative with an address in that state can do it. Otherwise, this is what the service is for.
- Privacy. Whoever is your agent, their address is public. If you work from home, being your own agent puts your home address on a record anyone can search, and on the mailing lists built from it. A service puts their address there instead.
A third, weaker reason: if nobody is reliably at your address on weekdays, a process server can fail to reach you. Missing a lawsuit can mean losing it by default, so if you travel a lot this one is worth taking seriously.
What happens if you have no agent at all
The state will not let you form the LLC without naming one. If your agent later resigns or moves and you do not replace them, the state can mark the LLC as not in good standing and eventually dissolve it administratively. Keep the agent on file current; it is a short form, and in many states it is free on your annual report.
What the services charge
Renewal prices, checked on each company's own pricing page October 11, 2026. The first year is often discounted or bundled with formation; the renewal is what you pay every year after. The "typical" price in the tool is the middle of this list, $179.
| Service | Per year, after year one | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125, or free if you form with them |
| Bizee | $149 | $149, or free if you form with them |
| Harbor Compliance | $159 | $99 |
| ZenBusiness | $199 | $99 |
| Registered Agents Inc | $200 | $200 |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 |
We are not paid by any company in this table. If that changes, the box below says so.
About these figures
State names for the role and the fee to change your agent come from each state's business filing agency, checked October 11, 2026. Where we could not confirm a fee from the state itself, the tool says so instead of showing a number. This is an estimator, not legal advice. If you are being sued, talk to a lawyer, not a calculator.