shield_person RegisteredAgentHub

Find the right registered agent for your state

Independent guides and honest reviews to help you choose a registered agent and form your LLC the right way — without the hidden fees and upsells.

See our top picks for 2026 →
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One question, answered honestly

Which registered agent is right for the state where your business is formed? We compare the real options — including doing it yourself — state by state.

Your home address can become a public record

In most states, whatever address you list when you form an LLC goes on a free, searchable government database — permanently. Acting as your own registered agent usually means publishing where you live. Some states are far more private than others, and a commercial agent's address can stand in for yours.

How our top pick handles privacy →·The states built for anonymity →

How we rate registered agent services

We evaluate every provider the same way, so each recommendation is based on real value and protection — never on commercial relationships.

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Transparency

We show the real first-year and renewal price — service fee plus state fee — and call out the upsells.

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Reliability

We check requirements against official Secretary of State sources, and date every page so you can verify.

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Price Value

We weigh what's actually included against what it costs — and say when filing yourself is the smarter move.

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Support

We factor in whether you reach real US-based help or a script when something actually goes wrong.

Expert Guides

Everything you need to know about registered agents and LLC formation.

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Guide

Best Registered Agent Service (2026)

The best registered agent services in 2026 compared on renewal price, privacy, upsells, and support — with the best pick for each situation, including DIY.

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Colorado business entity search

How to search the Colorado Secretary of State business database by name, ID or registered agent — why there are two different search tools, what 'Delinquent' means, and how to lock your own record.

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Illinois business entity search

How to search the Illinois Secretary of State business database, check whether an LLC name is actually available under 805 ILCS 180/1-10, and read what the record tells you about a company.

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New Mexico business entity search

How to search the New Mexico Secretary of State business registry — and the honest explanation of why a New Mexico record shows less than any other state's, what its status line does not prove, and what to do when you need the owner.

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North Carolina business entity search

How to search the NC Secretary of State business registry by name, SOSID or registered agent — what each field on the record means, and what to do when the agent shown is wrong.

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Business insurance requirements by state

The one insurance states actually require — workers' comp — and exactly when: every state threshold verified against the official agency, from Texas's opt-out to the states where hiring employee #3 triggers the law.

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Can I Be My Own Registered Agent?

Yes, you can be your own registered agent if you meet the rules — but here's what it really costs you in privacy and risk, and when a service is smarter.

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How to Change Your Registered Agent

How to change your registered agent in any state: the steps, your state's exact filing fee, the 30-60 day deadline, and the cheapest, most private agent to switch to.

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Cheapest Registered Agent Service (2026)

The cheapest registered agent options in 2026 — from $0 DIY to the lowest-renewal paid services. What 'cheap' really costs you, plus the best value pick.

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The Cheapest Way to Start an LLC in 2026

The genuinely cheapest way to form an LLC in 2026 — what's actually unavoidable, what's free if you DIY, and the upsells to skip. Honest numbers, no fluff.

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Do You Really Need a Registered Agent?

Do you need a registered agent? Every US LLC does. Whether you can be your own, the states that forbid it, the privacy risk, and what a service really costs.

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How to Start a US LLC as a Non-US Resident

Form a US LLC from abroad with no SSN or visa. Step-by-step: state choice, registered agent, EIN timelines, remote banking, and the Form 5472 filing most miss.

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We fact-checked 5 popular LLC fee guides

We compared the LLC fee tables published by five widely-read sites against official state sources. 40+ figures were wrong — including two of ours. Every error listed, with the official source for each.

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An LLC for your Airbnb

Should your short-term rental be in an LLC? What the liability shield actually covers, why the property's state beats Wyoming hype, the mortgage clause to check first, and what an LLC won't do about permits.

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An LLC for your rental property

The landlord's LLC questions answered without the forum myths: what the shield covers, one LLC per property vs one for all, where series LLCs actually help, the due-on-sale trap, and why the property's state wins.

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Northwest vs Bizee: Which Cheap LLC Service Wins?

Northwest ($39) vs Bizee ($0) LLC formation compared: real pricing, privacy, upsells, TrustPilot scores, and 5-year costs — plus which one is right for you.

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Northwest vs LegalZoom: Which Should You Choose?

Northwest vs LegalZoom compared on price, registered-agent cost, privacy, speed, and attorney access — plus who should choose each (and when DIY wins).

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Northwest vs ZenBusiness: Which Is Better?

Northwest vs ZenBusiness on price, registered-agent renewal, 5-year cost of ownership, privacy, compliance upsells, speed, and support — and who each fits best.

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Registered Agent Cost (2026)

How much a registered agent costs in 2026: $0 DIY, $35–$60 local specialists, $99–$300 national services. Verified prices, renewal traps, and hidden add-ons.

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Sales tax economic nexus, state by state

When online sellers must register for another state's sales tax: the $100k default, the $500k exception states, New York's two-part test, Alaska's no-state-tax twist — each verified against the state tax authority.

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The Top Contenders

Two services we recommend most often. See the full breakdown in our reviews and comparisons below.

Affiliate disclosure: the provider links below are affiliate links — if you sign up we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See how we make money.

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Northwest Registered Agent

$39 + state fee · registered agent free for year one, then ~$125/yr.

  • donePrivacy by Default — their address, not yours
  • doneUS-based support, no upsell funnel
  • doneFree first year of registered agent
Read our full review → or go straight to Northwest

Bizee

$0 + state fee · the lowest upfront cost, with a free first registered-agent year.

  • done$0 formation service fee
  • doneUser-friendly compliance dashboard
  • doneLifetime deadline alerts
Read our full review → or go straight to Bizee

Pricing shown reflects each provider's advertised rates as of July 2026 and can change — confirm current pricing on the provider's site.

In-Depth Reviews

Independent, methodology-based reviews of the services founders ask about most.

Registered agent by state

Requirements, costs, and filing rules are tied to the state where your business is formed — start with yours. Want exact numbers first? Try the LLC cost calculator — every state's filing and annual fees, verified.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does a registered agent do?expand_more
A registered agent is the official person or company — at a physical address in your formation state — that receives legal notices (service of process) and government mail during business hours, then forwards them to you. Every US LLC and corporation is legally required to have one.
Can I be my own registered agent?expand_more
In most states, yes — if you have a physical street address in the state and are available during business hours. The trade-offs are privacy (your address goes on the public record) and the risk of missing a legal notice. See our full guide on being your own registered agent.
Is it worth paying for a registered agent service?expand_more
If you work from home, value privacy, travel, or form in a state you don't live in, a service (around $100–$125/year) keeps your address private and your filings on time. If you have a stable in-state office and don't mind the public listing, the DIY route at $0 can make sense — we walk through both in our cheapest registered agent guide.

Why trust RegisteredAgentHub

Our recommendations are written to be useful first. Here's the standard we hold ourselves to — read how we review and how we make money.

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Independent & reader-funded

We're not owned by any registered-agent or formation company, and commercial relationships never change our rankings.

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Sourced from official records

State requirements and fees come from Secretary of State and Division of Corporations sources, and every page is dated so you can verify.

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We'll tell you to skip it

When filing yourself or claiming a free EIN from the IRS is the smarter move, we say so — even when it earns us nothing.