Quick answer
To change your LLC's registered agent to a new service, sign up with the new service first so you have its exact name and in-state address. Then file your state's change of registered agent form with the state filing office, pay the fee, and cancel the old agent only after the public record shows the new one. In Texas, for example, the filing is Form 401 and the fee is $15. Other states use their own forms and fees, so check with your state's filing office before you file.
What does appointing a registered agent mean?
A registered agent is the person or company your LLC names on the state record to receive service of process and official notices. You appoint one when you form the LLC by listing the agent in your formation filing. You appoint a new one later by filing a change with the same state office. In both cases, the appointment only counts once the state has it on file.
States treat this as a requirement. The California Secretary of State puts it plainly: "Corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships are required by statute to designate an agent for service of process." California calls the role "agent for service of process" rather than registered agent, and other states use their own labels, but the function is the same.
Letting the appointment lapse has real consequences. The Texas Secretary of State says that failing to maintain a registered agent may lead to involuntary termination of a domestic entity, or revocation of a foreign entity's registration. That is the main reason to sequence a switch carefully: the new agent goes on the record before the old one comes off.
Can an LLC be its own registered agent?
Not in Texas or California. 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 likewise says an entity cannot act as its own agent for service of process.
Rules in other states vary. If your LLC was formed outside Texas and California, check that state's filing office for who may serve and what address qualifies before you name a new agent.
How do you change your registered agent to a new service?
The steps below describe the general sequence. The exact form, fee and filing method depend on your state.
- Sign up with the new service first. Do this before you file anything or cancel your current agent. The new service gives you the agent name and in-state address to put on the state form, and some services will prepare the filing for you as part of signing up.
- Gather what the form asks for. Expect to need your LLC's exact legal name as it appears on the state record, its state file or entity number, and the new agent's name and address exactly as the service provides them. Some forms also cover the registered office address, so check whether yours changes too.
- File the change with your state. In Texas, Form 401 is used to change the registered agent or registered office, and the Texas Secretary of State charges $15 for it. Other states set their own forms and fees, so get the current form directly from your state's filing office rather than from a third-party template.
- Confirm the public record has changed. In California, the Secretary of State's Business Search shows the agent's name and address from the most current filings on record, so you can see whether your change has been recorded. In other states, ask the filing office how to confirm the update.
- Then cancel the old service. Ending the old contract only after the new agent is on file avoids a gap in coverage. Read your current provider's cancellation terms first, because many services auto-renew, and at least one provider, LegalZoom, says it may ask for proof that a new agent has been designated before it cancels.
- Keep the filing with your company records. Store the filed change and any state acknowledgment with your formation documents. If your operating agreement or internal records name the agent, update them so they match the state record.
Why does the agent's address matter so much?
The address is public. In the California Secretary of State's own words, its Business Search "contains the most current filings that are of record in this office, including the name and address of the agent for service of process". If an owner serves as the agent individually, that owner's address is the one anyone can look up.
That is the practical case for a commercial agent. A service puts its own address on the record instead of a home address, and lawsuits and state notices go to an office set up to receive them rather than to your front door.
What if your LLC is registered in more than one state?
Registered agent rules are set state by state, so a change filed in one state does not update your agent anywhere else. If the LLC is registered in more than one state and you are moving every registration to one new service, file a separate change in each state. Check each state's form and fee with its own filing office.
Registered agent services compared
The services below are listed alphabetically, not in order of preference. Prices come from each provider's own website and were checked on October 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm the current figure before you buy. Where a provider offers a first-year discount, the ongoing price comes first.
Bizee
Bizee includes a free first year of registered agent service with each of its formation packages. At the time of writing, those packages are Basic at $0, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299, each plus the state filing fee. Bizee does not publish the renewal price once the free formation year ends.
Best for: a founder forming now who wants the first agent year bundled into the formation price.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance charges $159 per year for registered agent service on an ongoing basis. As a promotional rate, the first year is $99, and two- and three-year terms hold $99 per year for the term before renewing at $159. The price is one national figure rather than set state by state.
Harbor Compliance is built for multi-state and regulated-industry filings at a scale most single-state LLCs will not need. Best for: an LLC registered in several states, or one managing licensing work alongside the agent role.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom does not publish its registered agent price on its LLC pricing page. For a switch, LegalZoom says it completes the change paperwork and covers the state fees when you make it your new agent.
Best for: an owner who wants the new agent to handle the change filing and absorb the state fee.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 per year at the time of writing. That price includes a free domain, website, business address, phone line and mail scanning. Privacy is the center of Northwest's offer, and for an owner whose main reason to switch is getting a home address off the public record, it is the strongest fit in this group.
Best for: an existing LLC switching mainly for address privacy.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer offers registered agent service only with a Plus or Pro membership. At the time of writing, Plus is $49.99 a month or $249 a year, and Pro is $64.99 a month or $349 a year, with a 7-day free trial. Attorney consultations are sold separately at $149 for 30 minutes or $249 for 60 minutes.
Best for: an owner who already pays for, or wants, an ongoing legal membership.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness charges $199 per year for registered agent service on an ongoing basis. Any introductory terms should be checked on its registered agent page at checkout. ZenBusiness provides the service for LLCs and corporations, including businesses formed elsewhere. It does not currently offer registered agent service to professional LLCs (PLLCs) or nonprofits.
Its formation packages are Starter at $0, Pro at $199 a year and Premium at $299 a year, each plus state fees, with Pro and Premium renewing at their annual prices. The EIN and operating agreement are included from Pro up and cost $99 each on Starter.
Best for: a founder forming now who wants the entity, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent and compliance from one provider. It also suits an existing LLC that wants compliance monitoring with its agent.
How do the prices compare?
The table follows the same alphabetical order.
| Provider | Ongoing price | First-year or promotional terms | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bizee | Not published | Free first year with any formation package | Renewal rate after the free year not stated |
| Harbor Compliance | $159/yr | $99 first year; 2- and 3-year terms at $99/yr | One national price |
| LegalZoom | Not published | Not stated | Auto-renews; covers switch paperwork and state fees |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125/yr | Not stated | Includes domain, website, business address, phone line, mail scanning |
| Rocket Lawyer | Not stated | 7-day free trial on membership | Requires Plus ($249/yr) or Pro ($349/yr) membership |
| ZenBusiness | $199/yr | Check introductory terms at checkout | Not available to PLLCs or nonprofits |
Which service fits your situation?
If you are forming an LLC now, ZenBusiness is the practical default. One provider for the entity filing, the EIN, the operating agreement and the registered agent means one account and one renewal to track instead of two vendors. For most first-time founders, that matters more than a small price gap, because the agent is only one of several things a new LLC has to set up in order.
If you already have an LLC and simply want a new agent, the choice turns on why you are switching, and the "best for" lines above match each service to a reason. If you want the agent, compliance alerts and the rest of the company's administration in one place, ZenBusiness covers an existing LLC as well as a new one.
An agent change is also a good moment to tidy the records around the LLC. Keeping filed state documents, the operating agreement and the business's financial records organized together makes the next filing, and the next tax season, easier. For owners who want that support from the same provider, ZenBusiness accounting sits alongside its formation and compliance services.
What mistakes should you avoid when switching agents?
- Canceling the old agent before the new one is on file. A gap can leave legal papers with no one to receive them, and in Texas, failing to maintain an agent can lead to termination or revocation.
- Filing an outdated form. Get the current form from the state filing office, not from a template site.
- Forgetting other states. If the LLC is registered in more than one state, each one needs its own change filing.
- Treating a first-year price as the ongoing cost. Budget for the renewal rate, and check how auto-renewal works before you sign up.
Sources
- Texas Secretary of State, "Form 401 Instructions, Change of Registered Agent or Office"
- Texas Secretary of State, "Registered Agent FAQs"
- California Secretary of State, "Service of Process"
- California Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions"
This article is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice; registered agent requirements vary by state and change over time.