What a registered agent really costs (2026)
Mainstay Filing is our best overall registered agent at $149 a year, the same at renewal, or $745 over five years. The table adds up the same five years for 19 other providers so a low first-year price can be judged against what renewal does to it.
- Provider prices read October 2026
- State rules from statutes, checked October 2026
First year, renewal and five-year total
| Provider | Year 1 | Renewal | Renewal change | 5-year cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | none | $745 | |
| Launch Registered Agent | $34.99 | $48.99 | +$14 | $230.95 | |
| IncParadise | $89 | $89 | none | $445 | Details |
| FreeRegisteredAgent.com | $0 | $129 | +$129 | $516 | Details |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125 | none | $625 | Details |
| InCorp Services | $129 | $129 | none | $645 | Details |
| ResidentAgents.com | $129 | $129 | none | $645 | Details |
| MyLLC | $129 | $129 | none | $645 | Details |
| RegisteredAgents.com | $129 | $129 | none | $645 | |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $159 | +$60 | $735 | Details |
| Bizee | $149 | $149 | none | $745 | Details |
| MyUSACorporation | $149 | $149 | none | $745 | |
| CorpNet | $149 | $149 | none | $745 | Details |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $199 | +$100 | $895 | Details |
| Standard Filings | $199 | $199 | none | $995 | Details |
| Registered Agents Inc | $200 | $200 | none | $1,000 | Details |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 | none | $1,245 | Details |
| doola | $297 | $297 | none | $1,485 | |
| Swyft Filings | $596 | $596 | none | $2,980 | Details |
| MyCompanyWorks | $119 | not published | n/a | n/a |
Mainstay Filing
$149 / year, same at renewal; $199 with formation, EIN and annual report
- Registered agent in any state, all year
- Mail and legal-document scanning and forwarding
- Compliance reminders and stored documents
Agent price from the Mainstay Filing registered agent page and checkout, checked October 20, 2026.
By state
Each state page lists the agent rules, the change-of-agent fee and the five-year cost of every provider priced there.
| State | Providers priced | 5-year range | Change fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 10 | $516 to $1,245 | $100 |
| Alaska | 7 | $625 to $1,245 | $25 |
| Arizona | 8 | $625 to $2,980 | $5 |
| Arkansas | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | none |
| California | 8 | $230.95 to $1,245 | none |
| Colorado | 8 | $625 to $2,980 | $10 |
| Connecticut | 7 | $625 to $1,245 | $50 |
| Delaware | 7 | $445 to $1,245 | $50 |
| Florida | 9 | $230.95 to $1,245 | $25 |
| Georgia | 7 | $625 to $1,245 | $30 |
| Hawaii | 7 | $625 to $1,245 | $25 |
| Idaho | 7 | $625 to $1,245 | none |
| Illinois | 9 | $516 to $1,245 | $25 |
| Indiana | 8 | $625 to $1,245 | none |
| Iowa | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | none |
| Kansas | 5 | $625 to $1,245 | $30 |
| Kentucky | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | $10 |
| Louisiana | 8 | $625 to $1,245 | $30 |
| Maine | 9 | $516 to $1,245 | $35 |
| Maryland | 7 | $625 to $2,980 | $25 |
| Massachusetts | 7 | $445 to $1,245 | none |
| Michigan | 7 | $625 to $1,245 | $5 |
| Minnesota | 10 | $445 to $1,245 | $55 |
| Mississippi | 9 | $516 to $1,245 | $10 |
| Missouri | 9 | $516 to $1,245 | $10 |
| Montana | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | none |
| Nebraska | 7 | $625 to $1,245 | $25 |
| Nevada | 8 | $625 to $2,980 | $60 |
| New Hampshire | 9 | $625 to $1,245 | $15 |
| New Jersey | 8 | $625 to $2,980 | $25 |
| New Mexico | 9 | $625 to $2,980 | $20 |
| New York | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | $30 |
| North Carolina | 9 | $516 to $1,245 | $5 |
| North Dakota | 9 | $625 to $2,980 | $10 |
| Ohio | 9 | $445 to $2,980 | $25 |
| Oklahoma | 6 | $516 to $1,245 | $25 |
| Oregon | 8 | $625 to $1,485 | none |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | $445 to $2,980 | $5 |
| Rhode Island | 8 | $625 to $1,245 | $20 |
| South Carolina | 9 | $625 to $1,245 | $10 |
| South Dakota | 6 | $445 to $1,245 | $10 |
| Tennessee | 8 | $445 to $2,980 | $20 |
| Texas | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | $15 |
| Utah | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | $17 |
| Vermont | 6 | $625 to $1,245 | $35 |
| Virginia | 8 | $516 to $1,245 | none |
| Washington | 8 | $516 to $1,245 | none |
| West Virginia | 9 | $625 to $1,245 | $15 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | $625 to $2,980 | $10 |
| Wyoming | 8 | $516 to $1,245 | $5 |
Questions
How much does a registered agent cost per year?
Published prices run from $34.99 to $596 a year. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, is $149 and stays $149 at renewal.
Does the price go up after the first year?
For 4 of the 19 providers we price, yes: ZenBusiness ($99 to $199), Harbor Compliance ($99 to $159), FreeRegisteredAgent.com ($0 to $129) and Launch Registered Agent ($34.99 to $48.99). See renewal increases.
What is the cheapest registered agent over five years?
Launch Registered Agent at $230.95, by published price. Mainstay Filing is $745 with no renewal change.
Is a free first year really free?
Only for that year. A free first year is followed by a renewal price; the five-year column shows the whole bill.
What does changing agents cost?
Most states charge a small fee to file the change: from nothing to $100. It is listed per state.