Comparison
Registered agent services — head to head
All figures verified against official service websites as of 2026-05-06. Prices exclude state filing fees.
| Factor | Northwest Registered Agent | ZenBusiness | LegalZoom | Incfile / Bizee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formation service fee | Best | |||
| RA included year 1 | ||||
| Ongoing RA fee (year 2+) | Best | |||
| 3-year total cost (RA only) | Best | |||
| Privacy posture | Best | |||
| Filing method | Best | |||
| Processing speed | Best | |||
| Customer support channels | Best | |||
| Legal services beyond RA | Best | |||
| B-Corp / trust signal |
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Service profile
Northwest Registered Agent
- Formation service fee
- $39
- Registered agent — year 1
- Included (free year 1)
- Registered agent — year 2+
- $125/year
- Processing speed
- Same-day to 1 business day (hand-typed, not form-mill)
- Support channels
- Phone, Email, Live chat
- Trust signal
- Independent, privacy-first; publicly discloses ownership; no upsell playbook
- Key differentiator
- Only major formation service that hand-types every filing rather than using a form-mill workflow. Their address replaces yours on the public record — the strongest privacy posture in the category.
- Verdict
- Best overall for privacy and quality; modest premium after year 1
Service profile
ZenBusiness
- Formation service fee
- $0 (state fee only — Starter plan)
- Registered agent — year 1
- Included free year 1 (Starter plan)
- Registered agent — year 2+
- $199/year
- Processing speed
- Standard 7–10 business days (expedited available)
- Support channels
- Email, Live chat, Phone (premium plans)
- Trust signal
- Certified B-Corp; 4.7-star Trustpilot (100k+ reviews); strong SMB branding
- Key differentiator
- Best user experience in the category — polished onboarding, intuitive dashboard, and annual compliance reminders. B-Corp certification appeals to socially-conscious founders.
- Verdict
- Best UX and brand; year-2 RA fee ($199) is the highest among free-formation rivals
Service profile
LegalZoom
- Formation service fee
- $0 (state fee only)
- Registered agent — year 1
- $249/year from day 1
- Registered agent — year 2+
- $249/year
- Processing speed
- Standard 7–14 business days (30-day rush available)
- Support channels
- Phone, Email, Attorney network (paid consultations)
- Trust signal
- Founded 2001; largest U.S. online legal services brand; 4M+ businesses served
- Key differentiator
- Broadest legal-service portfolio in the category: trademarks, operating agreements, attorney consultations. The right choice if you expect to need on-demand legal help beyond formation.
- Verdict
- Highest brand trust; most expensive RA option ($249/yr, no free year); worth it if bundling legal services
Service profile
Incfile / Bizee
- Formation service fee
- $0 (state fee only)
- Registered agent — year 1
- Included free year 1
- Registered agent — year 2+
- $119/year
- Processing speed
- Claimed fastest standard processing (2–5 business days per brand)
- Support channels
- Email, Live chat
- Trust signal
- 1.2M+ businesses formed since 2004; rebranded as Bizee in 2023; strong price positioning
- Key differentiator
- Lowest ongoing RA fee ($119/year) after the free first year and fastest-processing claim. Best choice for cost-conscious founders who want to minimize year-2+ overhead.
- Verdict
- Most affordable year-2+ ($119/yr); fastest processing claim; lighter support options
Decision framework
How to choose the best registered agent service
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Decide if you need RA service at all (or can self-serve) If you have a physical in-state street address, are available during business hours, and are comfortable with your address on the public record, self-service is technically legal in all 50 states. For most founders — especially those who travel, work from home, or value privacy — a commercial RA is the better choice. Budget $39–$249/yr for the service.
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Prioritize: price, privacy, or legal add-ons? If minimizing year-2+ cost is primary: Bizee at $119/yr. If privacy and filing quality matter most: Northwest at $125/yr — their hand-typed filings and address shield are category-best. If you want the full legal ecosystem (trademarks, attorney consults): LegalZoom at $249/yr. If you want the best onboarding UX and B-Corp brand signal: ZenBusiness at $199/yr.
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Check if a free year 1 matters for your cash flow ZenBusiness, LegalZoom (no), and Bizee all include a free RA year with their Starter/$0 formation plans. Northwest charges $39 upfront but includes year-1 RA. If you're cash-constrained at formation, ZenBusiness or Bizee lets you defer the RA cost. But run the 3-year math: ZenBusiness's $199/yr year-2 fee is the most expensive ongoing cost among the free-formation trio.
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Verify the service covers all states you operate in All four services cover all 50 U.S. states. If your LLC is foreign-qualifying in multiple states (operating in TX but formed in DE, for example), you'll need RA service in each state. Northwest, ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, and Bizee all handle multi-state RA — pricing is per-state, per-year.
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Sign up and record the affiliate CTA for future reference After selecting your service, complete registration and save your login credentials and RA address. Update your LLC's registered agent information with your state's Secretary of State if you're switching from a prior RA. Most commercial RA services provide a compliance dashboard where you can monitor upcoming annual report deadlines — enable these reminders to avoid dissolution.
Pick a state to form in
LLC formation state comparisons
Choose the right state before you pick your registered agent — the state determines your annual obligations.
FAQ
Registered agent services — common questions
Do I need a registered agent?
Yes — every state requires LLCs and corporations to maintain a registered agent with a physical in-state street address. The RA is the legally designated recipient of service of process (lawsuits, IRS notices, state compliance mail). Operating without one puts your LLC at risk of administrative dissolution in most states. Using a commercial registered agent service ($39–$249/yr) is the practical choice for most owners — it shields your home address from public records and ensures legal mail is never missed while you're traveling or unavailable.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes, in most states — if you have a physical street address (no PO boxes) in the state where your LLC is formed, and you're available during normal business hours. The downside: your address becomes part of the public record on the state's business registry, indexed by search engines. If you use a home address, that address is public. Additionally, if you're served with a lawsuit in person at your registered address while clients or employees are present, the situation can be embarrassing. Most small business attorneys recommend using a commercial RA service specifically to avoid these scenarios.
What happens if my registered agent misses service of process?
Missing service of process is serious. If a lawsuit is served to your registered agent and they fail to forward it — or if your RA information is out of date — you may receive a default judgment without ever knowing you were sued. Default judgments can result in bank levies, wage garnishment, or liens on business assets. Commercial registered agent services maintain SLA obligations to forward legal mail within 24 hours and keep a documented receipt chain. If you self-serve as RA and miss your mail, there's no SLA protecting you. This is the core operational reason most formation attorneys recommend commercial RA services even when self-service is technically allowed.
Can I switch registered agents later?
Yes. Switching registered agents requires filing a Statement of Change of Registered Agent (or equivalent form) with your state's Secretary of State — typically a $0–$50 fee. Most commercial RA services handle this paperwork for you as part of a service transfer. You can switch at any time; the change takes effect upon acceptance by the state (usually 1–5 business days for online filings). There is no penalty for switching, and no disruption to your LLC's good standing as long as the new RA is properly filed before the old one is terminated.
Is the cheapest registered agent good enough?
It depends on your risk tolerance. The core function — receiving legal mail at a valid in-state address and forwarding it — is commodity work that a $39/yr service can fulfill. Where price differences show up: (1) Privacy: Northwest's model shields your personal address most thoroughly. (2) Reliability: A $19/yr discount RA with poor support may miss a service-of-process delivery when it matters. (3) Compliance reminders: Higher-tier services send automated annual report reminders, which can prevent dissolution. For most founders, Bizee ($119/yr) or Northwest ($125/yr) represent the sweet spot of cost and reliability. LegalZoom ($249/yr) is worth the premium only if you'll use their legal service add-ons.
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Disclaimer: Informational only — not legal advice. Registered agent service pricing changes frequently; verify pricing directly with each provider before purchasing. This page contains affiliate links; we earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.