Designating a registered agent is mandatory for forming a business entity in all states. Finding a person or service to carry out this duty is a necessary step, regardless of whether you choose to go a DIY route or work with an LLC website to create your company.
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A registered agent is also known as a statutory agent, Agent for Service of Process or resident agent depending on the state of operation. Despite the difference in names, all of these are essentially the same and act as an intermediary between the state and the company.
Registered agent services are tasked with the following:
All of this points to the registered agent’s role as being one of the utmost importance for the smooth and effective operation of any entity. It’s also a safe way to ensure the state can always reach you at any time so you won’t miss any important state notices.
The state requirements for a registered agent are outlined rather broadly. The job can be carried out by a sole trustee as long as they meet certain qualifications, so it could be an attorney, an accountant, a family member, and even the owner themselves. Still, your best choice is to hire a professional service provider who deals with company formations and their maintenance.
Your company’s reputability is directly tied to the competence of a registered agent, so it’s vital to do your hiring responsibly. Here you can learn more about the 6 best registered agent services online to choose the most suitable option for your company.
Northwest is one of the major registered agent service providers with over twenty years of experience to back them up. In the past two decades, the company has seen steady development, offering an entire range of benefits. Let’s look at some of their strong points:
Their representatives will get back to you as soon as possible, offering premium support via phone and email. Northwest is less likely to make you wait until one of the call centre’s operators is available. Instead, they assign a professionally trained corporate guide to each client individually who will be your personal assistant ready to provide support any time.
The majority of formation agencies scan only legally required documents, whereas Northwest goes all the way and scans absolutely everything they receive on your behalf. This is done to keep the client aware of all important proceedings regarding their company.
Northwest can also help you form an LLC, including a free registered agent, for $225 total plus state fee. Purchasing their registered agent service separately costs $125 per year. These rates are a bit higher than average for registered agent service, but Northwest is inarguably one of the best providers in terms of quality of service.
Northwest’s full package includes other features like:
Want to learn more about Northwest Registered Agent? Read our review.
Established in 2015 by a team of like-minded entrepreneurs, ZenBusiness is a relatively new company providing good registered agent services online.
Unlike the services offered by its competitors, ZenBusiness’ registered agent service focuses mainly on speed through the automatization of several steps. Even though they don’t provide extensive business consultation as well as certain legal and executive features, they will be able to form your company faster than any other service.
Some of their other stand-out features include:
ZenBusiness support team provides help via phone, email, and online chat. Their responses are fast, informed, and comprehensive.
It’s hard to compete with ZenBusiness when it comes to customer feedback given their impressive track record of 97% of all reviews being overwhelmingly positive.
ZenBusiness is a rather attractive option in terms of pricing, charging only $39 for their starter package. Their other advantage is the inclusion of a year of free registered agent services as a bonus.
They also charge $99 per year for registered agent service if bought separately, so it’s entirely affordable even for small business owners.
Some of the more popular features offered by the company are:
Want to learn more about ZenBusiness? Read our review.
IncFile has been steadily rising to the top ever since their establishment in 2004, becoming one of the most popular online business formation services thanks to their affordable prices that don’t impact their service quality. The company holds a notable section in the industry, having helped over 250 000 customers. So why do people come to IncFile?
If you place a high value on customer feedback, then IncFile is a good option to consider given their reputation among customers;
Their extensive educational resources include comparative tables for different business entities, lists of company formation and maintenance requirements in various states and much more.
IncFile’s representatives are knowledgeable, prudent, and ready to answer your questions in a timely fashion;
Some companies tend to employ marketing tricks by selling their product at a low price while adding upsells during the primary order placement; Incfile is one of the more transparent options in this regard.
IncFile offers a range of templates for conducting online business operations which can help increase your company’s productivity;
IncFile’s LLC formation service is rather unique: their LLC formation packages, which start at $0, are fairly transparent and don’t feature many upsells, discounting mandatory state fees. All in all, their plans are much more affordable compared to other formation companies.
In addition to their formation services, IncFile offers a number of features including a registered agent. With their $119 base rate for registered agent service, IncFile is a rather appealing option indeed.
Even though they are not the top registered agent service in the industry, IncFile remains one of the most popular companies for LLC formation and management due to the accessibility and reliability of their services.
The company’s registered agent subscription includes other features like:
Want to learn more about IncFile? Read our review.
According to their website, Rocket Lawyer has served over 20 million customers since their establishment in 2008. Such an impressive output speaks of the company’s experience and reliability, making it one of the most popular and recognizable names in the industry. Let’s take a look at some of their strongest features.
If the company’s services fail to satisfy your needs for some reason or other, Rocket Lawyer offers a 30-day refund guarantee.
Anyone who purchases their $39,99 monthly subscription will also get legal support, including business lawyer consultation, a year of free registered agent service, and a 25% discount on several other features.
Given their extended experience, Rocket Lawyer is one of the highest-volume service providers in terms of review count, most of which are positive.
Those who seek additional legal services on top of the general help with entity formation are likely to benefit by subscribing to Rocket Lawyer for registered agent service. There is a catch, though: when purchased separately without a subscription, their formation services cost $99,99, and they sell a registered agent as a standalone feature for $149.99—quite a substantial sum.
Available services for premium members and non-members alike include:
Want to learn more about Rocket Lawyer? Read our review.
Since the beginning of their operations in 1999, LegalZoom has established themselves as true industry giants in online business services by growing their brand power and reputability. So what are their key selling points?
LegalZoom has served more than 4 million customers since their inception.
If somehow their services do not meet your requirements, it’s possible to claim your money within the first 60 days after the purchase, and the company will refund all fees paid to LegalZoom no questions asked.
Their website offers plenty of useful educational resources for new business owners that can come in handy;
Even their cheapest formation package costs $79, and that’s not including some vital features like registered agent service which can be purchased on top of the base plan for $159. If you want to purchase a registered agent service for an already existing company, be prepared to pay $299 annually.
There are naturally more affordable registered agent service providers on the market, so LegalZoom’s customer reviews available online tend to be somewhat ambivalent.
Other features offered by LegalZoom include:
Want to learn more about LegalZoom? Read our review.
Another good LLC service with a track record of servicing over 100 000 customers, CorpNet are known for several strong points, including:
CorpNet receives excellent customer reviews and boasts one of the best customer satisfaction reputations in the industry which is exactly why they’re rated so high.
The company will refund your service fees as soon as they receive your application. You can claim your refund in the first 30 days after your purchase.
CorpNet are highly renowned for a more personal touch and the individualized approach they practice with their customer support services lacking in other service providers.
CorpNet’s base plan for LLC formation is priced at $108 plus state fees. This includes a registered agent service, though this feature is only free for 60 days as opposed to one year offered by many competitors. The company also offers registered agent service separately for $149 per year.
All in all, they offer well-balanced formation packages for an average market price. Combined with their strong customer service, CorpNet comes with a range of potential benefits.
Other services the company provides include:
You might have already made your choice at this point, but if you still can’t decide on the right registered agent service, let’s narrow your choices down to the 2 most favorable: Northwest Registered Agent and ZenBusiness. Both offer cheap registered agent services and are considered to be among the leaders of the industry.
Those looking for the best stand-alone registered agent services online and not much else should definitely consider Northwest. With over 20 years of operation under their belt, the company offers one of the best services in their field.
If you are looking for the lowest stand-alone prices with no quality loss or for fast LLC formation services, ZenBusiness will be the best option. The company can also provide you with a free registered agent service for the first year. If you’re looking for the lowest stand-alone prices and fast , ZenBusiness offers both without cutting down on quality.
Visit their website to learn more about their features and services.
Although most states have fairly flexible requirements for registered agent candidates, it is preferable to trust a registered agent service.
Despite most states having rather lenient requirements for registered agents, it would still be a better idea to use a registered agent service for a few major reasons.
Yes. Unlike some competitors, InCorp has its own professional team. They don’t send clients to a large call center, so you don’t have to wait very long for a response.
Other advantages of InCorp Customer Support are:
– The opportunity to have service in Spanish;
– They offer extended support hours (9 am-9 pm ET M-F).
To consult with InCorp Customer Support by phone, call 1–800–2INCORP.
If you prefer email, use the Contact Us page on the company’s website. Note that on the same page you can find web chat to ask your question to an InCorp specialist.
Timelines vary from state to state, so processing times can range from a few days to a couple of weeks.