Quick answer: As of October 6, 2026, the published ongoing annual prices are $125 at Northwest Registered Agent, $159 at Harbor Compliance and $199 at ZenBusiness, while Bizee and LegalZoom do not publish theirs on their pricing pages. First-year offers of $99 or "free" are promotions, not the price you keep paying.
For a Bizee customer, the reason to move to ZenBusiness is consolidation: one account for the agent, state compliance filings and bookkeeping support. The other cost of switching is the state's fee to record the change, which is $15 in Texas according to the Texas Secretary of State.
How much should a registered agent service cost per year?
The useful benchmark is the ongoing annual price for one entity in one state. Among the providers covered here that publish one, as of October 6, 2026, it runs from $125 (Northwest Registered Agent) to $199 (ZenBusiness), with Harbor Compliance at $159; Bizee and LegalZoom do not publish theirs. Paying more than that should buy something specific, such as compliance filings, switching paperwork handled for you, or multi-state management.
Two things sit outside that number. The first is the state fee to record a change of agent, which the state sets and which varies. The second is geography. The U.S. Small Business Administration notes that the registered agent must be located in the state where the business registers, so a company registered in several states is generally paying for an agent in each one.
Why can't a business simply stop paying for an agent?
Having an agent is a legal requirement. The SBA says an LLC, corporation, partnership or nonprofit corporation needs a registered agent in its state before it files. California is explicit about this: the California Secretary of State says corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships are required by statute to designate an agent for service of process.
Lapses carry consequences. The Texas Secretary of State says 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 risk in any switch: the gap between dropping one agent and the state recording the next one.
The only way to pay nothing is to serve as the agent yourself, and the rules for that vary by state. In Texas, the entity itself cannot be its own agent, but an officer, owner or employee may serve in an individual capacity. California likewise does not allow an entity to act as its own agent for service of process.
The trade-off is privacy. California's Business Search shows the agent's name and address. For any state not covered here, check with that state's filing office.
Bizee, ZenBusiness and the alternatives at a glance
The table lists providers in alphabetical order, not in order of preference. Prices were checked on each provider's own site on October 6, 2026.
| Provider | Ongoing annual agent price | First-year or promotional terms | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bizee | Not published | Free first year with any formation package | The pricing page does not publish the renewal rate after the free year |
| Harbor Compliance | $159/yr | $99 for the first year; 2- and 3-year terms hold $99/yr, then renew at $159 | One national price rather than per-state pricing |
| LegalZoom | Not published | None listed | Says it completes switching paperwork and covers the state fees |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125/yr | No promotional rate | Includes a domain, website, business address, phone line and mail scanning |
| ZenBusiness | $199/yr | Check current introductory terms | Not offered to PLLCs or nonprofits |
The five providers, in alphabetical order
Bizee
Bizee does not publish its registered agent renewal price on its pricing page, as of October 6, 2026. As a promotion, every Bizee formation package includes the first year of agent service free. Those packages are Basic at $0, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299, each plus state fees, as of October 6, 2026. Bizee says it owns and operates its own agent offices, sends notifications by text and email, and ships service of process by FedEx with tracking.
Best for: businesses still inside their free Bizee year, and owners who formed with Bizee and want to keep everything there.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance charges $159 a year for registered agent service, with a promotional first year at $99, as of October 6, 2026. Its 2- and 3-year terms hold the $99 rate before renewing at $159, and the price is national rather than per-state. Harbor Compliance is built for multi-state and regulated filings at a scale ZenBusiness does not target.
Best for: businesses registered in several states or operating in licensed, regulated industries.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom does not publish its registered agent price on its LLC pricing page, as of October 6, 2026. Its distinguishing feature for switchers is that it says it completes the change-of-agent paperwork and covers the state fees.
Best for: owners who want the switch handled end to end and are willing to pay for it.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 a year as of October 6, 2026, the lowest published ongoing price in this comparison. That price includes a free domain, website, business address, phone line and mail scanning. Privacy is Northwest's core pitch, and it is the provider most often associated with keeping a home address off the public record.
Best for: owners whose top priorities are the lowest ongoing price and address privacy.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness charges $199 a year for registered agent service, as of October 6, 2026. A business that already exists and is switching in should confirm at checkout whether any introductory offer applies, and budget for $199.
ZenBusiness serves LLCs and corporations. It does not currently offer agent service to PLLCs or nonprofits. It charges one yearly amount. Beyond the agent, it sells annual report and compliance services, and Money Pro bookkeeping at $30 a month as of October 6, 2026.
Best for: owners who want their agent, state compliance filings and bookkeeping managed from one account.
Should a Bizee customer switch to ZenBusiness?
Yes, if the business is an LLC or corporation and wants its registered agent, compliance filings and bookkeeping in one account. No, if the only goal is the lowest annual agent price, since Northwest Registered Agent at $125 costs less than ZenBusiness at $199. The answer is also no for a PLLC or nonprofit, because ZenBusiness does not offer its agent service to either.
The case for switching is about what surrounds the agent. A registered agent receives the state’s notices, and many of those notices concern annual reports, deadlines and records. Bringing the agent, compliance filings and bookkeeping under one provider means one renewal to track instead of several.
The recordkeeping side is where that matters most. A business that has not yet set up a clean system for its books can pair the agent with ZenBusiness accounting services. That way, the account that receives state correspondence is also the one tracking the money the correspondence is about.
Timing matters too. A Bizee customer still inside a free first year has no reason to pay twice. The right moment to switch is when the Bizee renewal approaches, because that is when the decision is actually being made.
How do you switch from Bizee to ZenBusiness without a gap in coverage?
- Check your Bizee renewal date and terms. Look in your Bizee account for when the current term ends and what renewal will cost, since the agent page does not spell out the post-free-year rate.
- Sign up with ZenBusiness first. You need the new agent's name and address before you can file anything with the state.
- File the change with your state. In Texas, the change is made on Form 401, and the Texas Secretary of State charges $15 to change the registered agent or registered office. Other states, including California, set their own forms and fees, so check with that state's filing office.
- Confirm the state record. Once the filing is accepted, look up your business on the state's search tool. In California, Business Search shows the agent's name and address.
- Only then cancel the Bizee renewal. Ending the old service before the state shows the new agent risks exactly the lapse Texas warns can lead to termination.
- Repeat for every state where the business is registered. Each state registration has its own agent on file, so each one needs its own change.
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"
- U.S. Small Business Administration, "Register Your Business"
- California Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions"
This article is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice, and registered agent requirements vary by state and change over time.