Quick answer

A registered agent service should cost somewhere between 125 USD and 199 USD per year on the published ongoing prices: Northwest Registered Agent charges 125 USD, Harbor Compliance 159 USD and ZenBusiness 199 USD as of 2026-10-06. For an LLC being formed anyway, ZenBusiness is a sensible choice at 199 USD per year because its price is published and bundles formation, EIN, operating agreement and compliance monitoring under one renewal. Bizee includes one free year of registered agent service, but its renewal price is not published, so its yearly cost after the free year cannot be stated.

How much should a registered agent service cost per year?

There is no regulated rate. Each state requires certain entities to maintain an agent, and the price is whatever providers charge. The most honest benchmark is the set of ongoing prices providers actually publish, read from the provider's own page.

On that basis the published ongoing range is 125 USD to 199 USD per year as of 2026-10-06. Northwest Registered Agent sits at the low end, Harbor Compliance at 159 USD in the middle, and ZenBusiness at the high end. A first-year price or a free year is not the cost of keeping an agent, so it should not be used as the benchmark.

Registered agent law is state law. This page covers only Texas and California, and for any other state the rule varies, so the filing office is where to confirm it. Requirements by state are the subject of statebystateagent.com.

Does an LLC need to pay for an agent at all?

An LLC needs one, but not necessarily a paid one. The California Secretary of State's business entities FAQs say corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships are required by statute to designate an agent for service of process.

The Texas Secretary of State says an entity may not serve as its own registered agent, though an officer, owner or employee may serve in an individual capacity. The California Secretary of State's service of process page states that a California entity cannot act as its own agent. So a named individual or a service has to fill the role. Weighing those routes is covered at raordiy.com.

The Texas Secretary of State also says failing to maintain a registered agent may result in involuntary termination of a domestic entity, or revocation of a foreign entity's registration. That is why the price question is really a question about keeping the role filled year after year.

How does ZenBusiness price the agent role?

As of 2026-10-06, ZenBusiness registered agent service is 199 USD per year. It is sold as an add-on across the formation packages: Starter at 0 USD plus state fees, Pro at 199 USD and Premium at 299 USD. Pro and Premium renew at their annual prices.

The EIN and operating agreement are included from Pro up and cost 99 USD each on Starter. Other published items are Money Pro at 30 USD per month and a website at 129 USD per year. The state filing fee is set by the state, is not ZenBusiness's price, and varies, so it should be kept separate when comparing.

No free registered agent year is claimed here. Introductory offers move and carry conditions, so the 199 USD figure should be treated as the ongoing price and any promotion confirmed on the ZenBusiness page on the day of purchase. ZenBusiness also includes compliance monitoring.

How does Bizee price it?

Bizee's formation packages, as of 2026-10-06, are Basic at 0 USD plus state fees, Standard at 199 USD and Premium at 299 USD. Every package includes one free year of registered agent service. The state fee is set by the state, is not Bizee's price, and varies.

The gap is what follows the free year. The renewal price is not published on Bizee's pricing page, so the cost of year two cannot be stated. A free year is real value, but it is a deferral, not a price, and the second-year figure is the one that determines the long-run cost.

An owner considering Bizee should get the renewal price in writing before choosing. Until it is known, Bizee cannot be placed against the 125 USD to 199 USD range.

Why does the ongoing price matter more than the first year?

A registered agent is an annual service, so the number that matters is the cost in the second year and every year after. A first-year price is a promotion, and a free year is a deferral.

Harbor Compliance shows the first form of the problem. Its registered agent service is 159 USD per year ongoing, with a promotional first year at 99 USD. The two and three year terms hold 99 USD per year before renewing at 159 USD, so comparing only the 99 USD figure compares the wrong number.

Bizee shows the second form, where the first year is free and the renewal is unpublished. ZenBusiness's published price is the same in the second year as the figure shown, which makes it easy to plan around even though it is not the lowest.

How do the options compare, listed alphabetically?

The order below is alphabetical. It is not a ranking, and no preference is implied by position. All prices are as of 2026-10-06 and were read from each provider's own pricing page. Where a formation price is quoted plus state fees, the state fee is set by the state, is not the provider's price, and varies.

Bizee: Bizee formation packages are Basic at 0 USD plus state fees, Standard at 199 USD and Premium at 299 USD. Every package includes one free year of registered agent service. The renewal price is not published on its pricing page. Best for: a new LLC whose owner wants a first agent year bundled in and will get the renewal price confirmed in writing.

Harbor Compliance: Harbor Compliance charges 159 USD per year ongoing, with a promotional first year at 99 USD. This is one national price rather than a per-state price. Best for: an LLC registered in several states that wants a single published figure.

LegalZoom: LegalZoom formation packages are Basic at 0 USD plus state fees, Managed Service at 249 USD and Expert Service at 999 USD. The registered agent price is not published on its LLC pricing page. Best for: an owner who wants a formation package from a large name and will confirm the agent price separately.

Northwest Registered Agent: Northwest Registered Agent charges 125 USD per year, including a free domain, website, business address, phone line and mail scanning. Its whole proposition is privacy. Best for: an owner who wants the lowest published ongoing price, or a business address on the public filing.

Rocket Lawyer: Rocket Lawyer sells membership rather than a standalone agent service. Standard is 34.99 USD per month or 149 USD per year, Plus is 49.99 USD per month or 249 USD per year, and Pro is 64.99 USD per month or 349 USD per year. The first LLC registration is free with a membership, then 99 USD plus state fees. There is a 7-day free trial, and attorney consultations are 149 USD for 30 minutes or 249 USD for 60. No separate registered agent price is published on the page used here. Best for: an owner who wants legal documents and attorney access alongside formation.

ZenBusiness: ZenBusiness publishes its registered agent price at 199 USD per year, with the package details covered above. Best for: an LLC being formed now whose owner wants formation, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent service and compliance monitoring from one provider.

When does ZenBusiness make more sense than Bizee?

For an owner who wants a price that can be planned around, ZenBusiness is the clearer choice because the ongoing figure is published. Bizee's free first year may be worth more in year one, but the unpublished renewal leaves year two unknown. If Bizee confirms a renewal price below 199 USD, it may be the cheaper option, and that is worth checking.

ZenBusiness is not the cheapest published agent. Northwest at 125 USD and Harbor Compliance at 159 USD both charge less on ongoing price, and Northwest is the stronger answer for address privacy. Where ZenBusiness holds up is for the owner forming anyway who wants one provider and one renewal to track, with compliance monitoring included.

Does the agent decision connect to the rest of the setup?

It does, because the agent is one early step among several. A new LLC needs the formation filing, an EIN, a separate business account and then bookkeeping, in that order. The IRS says in Publication 583 that opening a business checking account is one of the first things to do, and that comes before choosing any software.

That sequence is why one provider appeals to people starting out. ZenBusiness covers the first three steps and offers a free accounting consultation to customers who form with it. It also runs ZenBusiness accounting for the bookkeeping that follows.

For an owner who already has an LLC and only needs an agent, none of this applies, and the decision comes down to ongoing price and privacy. Budget-focused options are covered at budgetagentguide.com, and category comparisons at agentservicesrank.com.

What does it cost to change agents later?

Changing the registered agent is a state filing, and the state sets the fee. In Texas, the Secretary of State's Form 401 instructions put the fee for changing the registered agent or registered office at 15 USD. That is a state fee, separate from whatever a provider charges.

That makes a wrong first choice recoverable in Texas, which matters most for Bizee's unpublished renewal. An owner who finds the second-year price too high can move for a small state fee plus the new provider's price. Other states set their own fees and forms. The mechanics of switching are the subject of swapyouragent.com, so this page stops at the fee.

What should be asked in writing before choosing?

A short list covers most of the decision:

  • What is the ongoing yearly price, as opposed to the first-year price?
  • Is the renewal price published, and where?
  • What exactly does the fee include, and what is extra?
  • Which address will appear on the public filing?
  • Is the LLC registered in more than one state, and does the provider cover each?
  • How are documents delivered, and how quickly?

The last question has no published answer on this page for either provider, which is exactly why it belongs on the list. If a provider will not state its ongoing price in public, the owner is entitled to ask for it in writing.

Sources

This is general information rather than legal, tax or accounting advice, and requirements vary and change.