Quick answer
Keep a registered agent after the free year ends, because the role itself is not optional. The U.S. Small Business Administration says LLCs, corporations, partnerships and nonprofit corporations need one in the state where they register. What is optional is the provider, and the weeks before the first renewal are the cheapest time to change it.
For a business with LegalZoom, which does not publish its registered agent price on its LLC pricing page, ZenBusiness at $199 a year as of October 6, 2026 is a published alternative. It also keeps the agent with a company that handles compliance filings. The switch itself is a state filing, and in Texas it costs $15.
Do you have to keep a registered agent after the free year?
Yes. The SBA's registration guidance says an LLC, corporation, partnership or nonprofit corporation needs a registered agent before it files, and that the agent must be located in the state where the business registers. The SBA also notes that many owners prefer to use a registered agent service rather than take on the role themselves.
The specifics come from state law. The Texas Secretary of State says an entity may not serve as its own registered agent, although an owner, officer or employee may serve in an individual capacity. Texas also warns that failing to maintain a registered agent may lead to involuntary termination of a domestic entity, or revocation of a foreign entity's registration.
California takes a similar line. The Secretary of State's service of process guidance says corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships are required by statute to designate an agent for service of process. Its business entities FAQs add that an entity cannot act as its own agent. For every other state, the rules vary, and that state's business filing office is the place to check.
Some owners consider naming themselves as the agent once the free year ends. Where a state allows it, as Texas does for an individual owner, that saves the fee but puts the owner's address in a public field and makes the owner responsible for receiving legal papers.
Why the end of a free year is the moment to decide
A free first year is a sensible formation perk, but it ends with a renewal at the provider's ongoing price. That figure is rarely the one advertised at signup. Deciding before the renewal date avoids paying for a year of service that would be canceled anyway.
The useful question is not whether the current agent has done anything wrong. It is whether the renewal price buys more than the alternatives charge at their ongoing rates, and whether it helps to have the agent sit with the same company that tracks annual reports and other filings.
What does the agent's address have to do with privacy?
The registered agent's name and address are a matter of public record. California's Secretary of State says its Business Search shows the most current filings on record, including the name and address of the agent for service of process. If an owner serves as agent from home, that home address is searchable by anyone.
That is the practical case for a paid agent. It puts a commercial address in that field and gives process servers somewhere to go that is not a living room or a shop counter.
Registered agent prices compared
The providers below are listed alphabetically, not ranked. Each ongoing price comes first, with any promotional rate shown separately. Figures come from each provider's own pages on the dates shown.
| Provider | Ongoing price | Promotional or introductory terms | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bizee | Not published (Oct 6, 2026) | Free first year with every formation package | Page does not state the renewal rate after a free formation year |
| Harbor Compliance | $159/yr (Oct 6, 2026) | $99 first year; two- and three-year terms hold $99/yr, then renew at $159 | One national price, not per state |
| LegalZoom | Not published (Oct 6, 2026) | None listed | Registered agent price not shown on the LLC pricing page |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125/yr (Oct 6, 2026) | No first-year rate noted | Includes domain, website, business address, phone line and mail scanning |
| ZenBusiness | $199/yr (Oct 6, 2026) | Check current introductory terms | Not offered to PLLCs or nonprofits |
The five providers, in alphabetical order
Bizee
Bizee includes one free year of registered agent service with every formation package: Basic at $0, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299, each plus state fees, as of October 6, 2026. Its pricing page does not publish the renewal rate after a free formation year, so a Bizee customer should confirm the figure in their account before the renewal date.
Best for: a cost-focused owner who formed with Bizee and is happy with the service.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance charges $159 a year for registered agent service after a promotional first year at $99, as of October 6, 2026. It quotes one national price rather than pricing per state, and its two- and three-year terms hold the $99 rate before renewing at $159. Harbor is built for multi-state and regulated filings at a scale ZenBusiness does not target.
Best for: a business registered in several states, or one in a regulated industry.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom does not publish its registered agent price on its LLC pricing page, as of October 6, 2026. It also says that on cancellation it may require proof that a new registered agent has been designated with the state, which sets the order of steps for anyone leaving.
Its current LLC packages, Basic at $0, Managed Service at $249 and Expert Service at $999, each plus state fees as of October 6, 2026, do not list registered agent service among their inclusions on the pricing page.
Best for: an owner who already relies on LegalZoom's attorney plans and values keeping everything in one account more than the price difference.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 a year as of October 6, 2026, and that price includes a free domain, website, business address, phone line and mail scanning. For a home-based owner whose priority is keeping a residential address off public filings at the lowest price, Northwest is the stronger fit.
Best for: privacy-first owners, especially home-based businesses.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness charges $199 a year for registered agent service as of October 6, 2026. Any introductory offer should be confirmed before counting on it. The service covers LLCs and corporations, but it is not offered to PLLCs or nonprofit organizations. The agent address is for legal and government mail only and cannot double as a business address.
Against LegalZoom specifically, the comparison is simple: a published $199 a year against a registered agent price LegalZoom does not publish on its LLC pricing page, with compliance monitoring included. Its page does not say whether it covers the state fee, so that is worth asking at signup.
Best for: a LegalZoom customer who wants a published renewal price and wants the agent and compliance tracking with one company.
Is one provider for the agent, compliance and books worth it?
For a recently formed business, the registered agent is one of several recurring obligations: annual reports, state notices and keeping business money separate from personal money. Each one tends to land with a different vendor and a different renewal date. That is where most owners lose track.
ZenBusiness sells these alongside its agent service, including Money Pro bookkeeping at $30 a month as of October 6, 2026, and ZenBusiness accounting for owners who want help with the books. One dashboard and one account is a real convenience for an owner who is short on time. An owner who already has a bookkeeper and a compliance calendar gains less from bundling, and the $199 agent price should then be judged on its own.
How to switch from LegalZoom to ZenBusiness without a gap
- Find the renewal date. Check the LegalZoom account for when the next renewal charge is due. Starting well before that date leaves room to complete the remaining steps before the charge lands.
- Sign up with ZenBusiness as the new agent. Provide the business name, state and current agent details. Confirm whether any promotional rate applies and whether ZenBusiness will file the change and cover the state fee.
- File the change with the state. In Texas, the filing is Form 401, and the Secretary of State charges $15 to change the registered agent or registered office. In other states, the form and fee are set by the state's filing office, so check there rather than assuming the Texas figure applies.
- Confirm the public record. Search the state's business database to confirm the new agent's name and address appear. In California, the Secretary of State's Business Search is where that information shows.
- Cancel LegalZoom last. Cancel only once the state record shows the new agent, because LegalZoom may ask for proof of the new designation. Canceling first risks a period with no agent on file, which in Texas can lead to termination or revocation.
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration, "Register Your Business"
- 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, and registered agent requirements vary by state and change over time.