16 Best Registered Agents in Texas (October 2023)

When creating a new Texas LLC or updating your registered agent for an existing business, selecting a good registered agent in Texas is an important decision.

I have researched and tested 16 Texas registered agent services and picked the top 6 services to review and feature.

My Personal Experience With Registered Agents

Back in 2007, I had a small business in a state that I did not live in and I needed a registered agent to collect the mail for me. I signed up with LegalZoom as my first registered agent service.

The relationship was complaint-free for a solid three years. But around 2010, I began noticing their prices were edging towards the steep side compared to other options on the market.

I decided to make the switch to Northwest and boy, am I glad I did! From the get-go, the interaction was personal.

The first time I dialed their number, a real, live human answered – a delightful change. It was a Northwest representative who greeted me with such a pleasant voice, and from that point on, their service has been nothing short of exemplary.

I like Northwest but whoever you choose, I hope this article will assist you in choosing the right registered agent for your business. 

Learn about the top 16 registered agent services in Texas that we hand-picked based on independent research.

Top Registered Agents In Texas

In most cases, you can be your registered agent in Texas but a reliable registered agent service will make sure that all important documents are received and sent to you, plus remind you of compliance dates.

If you want someone who is knowledgeable about the legal process and can help you comply when choosing a registered agent.

At the end of the day, I think Northwest Registered Agent is the best registered agent service in Texas.

Northwest R.A. has been helping small businesses start and grow for over 20 years.

Other registered agents

There are many registered agent services available in Texas. The top 6 that I just mentioned above are the most popular options. However, I want to highlight a few other services available in Texas.

7. Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer is a cheaper option than LegalZoom. Registered agent service is a small part of their product offerings. They also offer online legal services, including talking to an attorney, documents, and ongoing legal services.

You can get a physical address in Texas for $149 to ensure state mail forwarding. Rocket Lawyer also accepts service of process on your behalf, but they offer fewer services and lower customer support than Northwest Registered Agent.

8. SunDoc Filings

SunDoc Filings offers basic Texas registered agent services at $159. This includes service of process and forwarding legal documents from the Texas Secretary of State.

There is also no dedicated customer support system such as ‘Corporate Guides’ offered by Northwest Registered Agent.

9. Swyft Filings

Swyft Filings provides registered agent services for your Texas LLC or business for $149. Not nearly as good as Northwest’s best-rated customer service.

10. CSC

CSC, aka Corporation Service Company, is a premium Texas registered agent service that costs $299 per year. They don’t have any premium features, except that you must pay the state fees to change your Texas registered agent.

You could easily switch to Northwest Register Agent and save money. CSC has a long history; they are just another option to consider when shopping for a Texas registered agent.

11. Registered Agents Inc.

Registered Agents Inc. costs $200 and includes the same features as Northwest Registered Agent at $125: online account access and compliance alerts that keep you in good standing with the Texas Secretary of State.

Additional Registered Agents to Consider

Legalinc

URS Agents

Cogency Global

First Corporate Solutions

LegalCorp Solutions

Texas Business Tips

When you’re looking to form an LLC in Texas, conducting a Texas LLC name search is crucial to ensure that your desired business name is available and compliant with the state’s requirements.

Once you’ve confirmed name availability, you can proceed with the formation process and get your Texas business name registered.

Drafting a Texas LLC operating agreement is highly recommended to establish the internal rules and regulations of your LLC. You have the option to act as your own registered agent in Texas, handling the receipt of important legal and tax documents on behalf of your LLC.

The length of time to get an LLC in Texas may vary based on several factors, including the filing method and the workload of the Texas Secretary of State. It typically takes around 2-3 weeks for the formation documents to be processed and the LLC to be officially recognized.

As part of the process, you will need to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for your TExas business from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This unique identifier is necessary for tax purposes, opening bank accounts, and hiring employees.

Several online platforms and registered agents offer comprehensive LLC services, including name availability searches, document preparation, and filing assistance. Researching and selecting the best LLC services and registered agents in Texas can help streamline the formation process and ensure compliance with state regulations.

Additionally, depending on the nature of your business activities, you may need to acquire specific Texas business licenses at the state or local level. The cost to form an LLC in Texas typically includes filing fees and any additional expenses related to name reservation, certified copies, or expedited processing. The cost is the same even for a single-member LLC in Texas.

Lastly, if you ever decide to change your registered agent or dissolve and close your LLC in Texas, there are specific legal requirements and procedures that must be followed to formally terminate the entity.

What does a registered agent do?

A Texas registered agent is an individual/business entity that has been appointed by a Texas LLC/corporation to receive tax and legal documentation such as service or process of process and compliance documents.

A registered agent does a variety of small tasks, but they have a greater role that is more important. They act as the link between your company and the state in which you do business.

Service of Process

First, the registered agent must be designated as the recipient of any tax documents or legal documents that are sent by Texas.

For legal matters, the registered agent must be present in order to receive the hand-delivered service of process (SOP) paperwork about legal proceedings against your company.

The registered agent must then effectively report the delivery to your company and forward the documents.

They should agree on a set of procedures for receiving and delivering these documents. They should decide whether documents will be sent by the registered agent to the business via email, mail, or fax.

Texas Business Compliance

A registered agent can also help ensure your business is current and compliant with all state-required continuing maintenance filings.

Each state has its own laws about maintenance filings, usually annual reports or franchise tax payments.

These rules can change at any moment, so your registered agent must keep up-to-date in order for your business to remain in good standing with the state and avoid fines or dissolution.

How to choose a Texas registered agent

There are two options for choosing a Texas Registered Agent. You can either appoint someone internal that you know or hire a professional registered agent.

You can also be your own registered agent. It is better to have a professional service do this job. It doesn’t cost very much, and you know they will get the job done for the year.

Internal Registered Agent

The registered agent can be any member of the LLC, including yourself, or an employee. Your home or office address will become the Registered Agent’s address. Each LLC must share its principal office address and mailing address with the state’s public online system.

Hiring a registered agent service will be easier as you can use the registered agent’s address as a postal address.

A Registered Agent Service

Professional registered agent services are available for a reasonable cost of around $100 – $299 per year. This will ensure that your business is represented by the best possible service provider.

We have listed the top registered agent services in Texas. They can take care of the job for you.

Choose a Texas Registered Agent

These are some things to keep in mind when selecting a registered agent.

• Service Fee: Since many states require that formal businesses have registered agents, it is important to choose the best-registered agent. A registered agent can be hired for between $99 to $300 per year. This is a very small price to pay when you consider the time savings.
• The experience and tenure in business of a registered agent: You want the registered agents to have established and tested procedures for handling documents. Registered agent services should be in operation for a while. They have the experience and ability to handle all of your documentation.
• State Jurisdiction Limit: To reduce the administrative burdens of dealing with multiple registered agent providers, it is best to use one registered agent in each state. Our recommended registered agents are available in each of the 50 states.
• Follow-up and Monitoring Services: You want to get the most up-to-date information from your registered agent as quickly as possible, so you are fully informed about all statutes, rules, and regulations that affect your company.

Texas: How do I appoint a registered agent?

The LLC can appoint the registered agent at the time of the Texas Certificate of Organization. You can do it online or by mail. Appointing a registered agent is free of charge. Only the state filing fee must be paid.

Our Selection Process for Choosing

Here is how I determined the best registered agents in Texas to help you form your LLC.

When researching information about Texas registered agent services and comparing their respective packages, I’ve been there myself. When I needed to find the best registered agent for my business website, I searched for a good service.

For my website to receive mail and process service, I needed a street address that was available during normal business hours. I needed compliance alerts to keep my businesses in good standing before the Secretary of State.

In conversations with small business owners, entrepreneurs aspirants, and friends who own online businesses, I discovered that not everyone has the time or patience to search from website to site for the best Texas registered agent service provider.

However, many required registration agents. They would rather choose the first registered agent available and pay less to avoid this frustrating process.

My knowledge helped me and my colleagues make informed decisions about Texas registered agent services. It surprised me that my advice would be trusted and make the business formation experience easier for many people who read my website.

How I Chose the Best Texas Registered Agents

I began with over 10 service providers. After a four-part screening process, I narrowed down the list to 4. I selected my top four best services based upon my four key evaluation steps.

My First Step: Reviews

I began by reading and gathering reviews, the honest voices of thousands of people like me. I was overwhelmed by reviews on TrustPilot, Facebook, and Better Business Bureau that would allow me to classify them according to different criteria (ease of use, affordability, customer service, privacy protection, taxes, fees, etc. ).

I was able to identify obvious frauds and misleading offers.

My 2nd Step: Website Analysis

After I had eliminated illegitimate providers, I went on to examine the websites of the remaining corporations in order to gain a better understanding of what they stand for, how authentic their advertising is.

I was particularly interested in optimizing their products, services, customer support, company experience, and any recognition they had received.

My 3rd Step: Talking with actual customers

Websites and sales teams can tell you about the company, but customers will tell you how they deliver it. Are they efficient? Are they efficient? Are they polite? Are they polite?

Online reviews may fill in some gaps, but most reviews are written by people with overwhelmingly positive experiences. This can distort your perspective. Talking to current customers will give you a better picture.

I reached out to people I had helped to find a registered agent and new visitors to my website looking for one. It was great to hear their stories.

This allowed me to get a comprehensive and complete picture of each service.

My 4th Step: Talking to the Sales and Marketing Teams

I talked to each company’s sales staff to complete my research. After collecting all complaints, files, and reviews, I asked tough questions about their failure to meet customer expectations.

Many companies will simply ignore negative reviews. Others will explain that they have incorporated feedback and improved their operations.

This was the last step that separated the average and the exceptional.

My Rating Criteria

Four key aspects influenced my selection for the best registered agent to represent your Texas LLC.

#1: I Checked the Services and Features

The company’s available services and features were the first things that I evaluated. Other factors, such as cost and ease of use, customer support, etc., don’t really matter if a company doesn’t offer the required services that Texas registered agents expect. I reviewed the different companies as a shopper and consumer would.

My own needs for finding a good registered agent were considered. I asked myself, is this a registered agent service that I would be comfortable working with? Do they provide the features that I need for my business?

These were the aspects I considered:

• Is the registered agent able to give you access to online documents? Or do they mail them to your Texas registered street address?
• Is the registered agent able to alert you about compliance dates and filing deadlines for annual reports? Or does the registered agent only give your LLC or business a calendar?
• Is there a privacy guarantee provided by the registered agent?
• Is the registered agent also able to provide an affordable LLC formation service, or is their LLC formation service any good?
• Is the registration agent responsible for filing and paying state fees?
• You have the option of filing the change online or mailing the form.
• Is the registered agent willing to accept the service of process?

Registered agents offering the most Texas registered agent services were ranked at the top, while those with fewer offerings were placed near the bottom or in the middle.

#2: I Checked the Pricing

While most people jump to the pricing, it is important to consider the product’s value. This factor can vary greatly from one Texas registered agent to the next. For a good registered agent, expect to pay $125 to $299 per year. Brand names like LegalZoom charge $299 per year, but most people in the registered agent industry know that the best service and privacy is from Northwest, and they charge an affordable $125 per.

#3: I Checked the Ease of Use

Your time is valuable when you start a company or LLC here in Texas.

The ease of signing up was my next factor. The easiest, most efficient, and least intrusive systems rose quickly to the top of my list. If a company asked me to move from one document to another in a slow system, I gave them one of my lowest ranks.

#4: I Checked Their Customer Service and Support

All customers require support and assistance, no matter how easy, intuitive, and user-friendly a system may be. While not all business owners are tech-savvy, every Texas business owner should have a registered agent they can trust.

In choosing the right agent to represent a business or LLC within Texas, I considered customer service as the final factor.

I assessed Texas registered agent services based on whether they could efficiently and quickly resolve customer problems with highly-trained and experienced representatives. Texas registered agents are not required for small businesses or limited liability companies in Texas. They should be able to answer your calls and provide generic answers quickly.

Conclusion

Texas registered agents play a critical role in your company’s legal compliance. Although these tasks seem simple, if done incorrectly, they can lead to significant fines and even the possibility of your company being disbanded by the state.

Although you can always replace your registered agent later, it is important to choose the right registered agent for your company from the beginning. To ensure that nothing goes wrong, you should also monitor your compliance standing.

Texas Registered Agent FAQs

What criteria should Texas business owners look for when selecting the most effective registered agent for their operations?

In Texas, when contemplating Business Formation, the decision to select either an LLC or a Corporation is crucial. However, the selection of a Top-rated registered agent is equally pivotal for ensuring Business Compliance. Here’s a guide to identifying the most suitable agent for your business:

Start by looking at Reviews to evaluate the agent’s reputation. A Top-rated registered agent should have consistent Reviews that commend their Reliability and Trustworthiness. Undertaking this Due Diligence will set the foundation for a compliant business operation.

A registered agent must be a certified Resident Agent or Statutory Agent in the state, liaising directly with the Secretary of State for various State Filings. These filings include Annual Reports and other official paperwork, which the agent should efficiently manage in their Registered Office, having a reliable Mailing Address for Document Handling.

An excellent agent offers a range of Professional Services including Legal Services essential for Business Compliance. They assist in fulfilling Legal Requirements, from obtaining Business Licenses to creating Operating Agreements. They can also aid in acquiring a Tax ID and an EIN (Employer Identification Number).

Quality Customer Support is a must. Agents should be adept at explaining State Laws and maintain a level of Confidentiality that gives you peace of mind. Many also offer Incorporation services and serve as Business Advisors, providing insights tailored to your Business Structure.

Examine their Fees carefully. Transparency in Fees and Renewal rates is essential. Many agents offer Service Packages that include a Compliance Calendar, ensuring you meet all legal deadlines.

Regarding Legal Notices and Service of Process, your agent should have a reliable system to handle these, as they are essential to adhering to the Jurisdiction‘s regulations. Agents offering National Coverage can be particularly helpful if your business operations span beyond Texas.

Finally, look for agents that can help you obtain a Certificate of Good Standing, a crucial document for many business dealings. Additionally, they should be prepared to facilitate a Change of Registered Agent in case your business needs evolve.

By keeping these considerations in mind, business owners in Texas can select a registered agent that not only offers comprehensive Service Packages but is also aligned with their long-term goals.

What factors should Texas-based businesses consider when choosing a registered agent to ensure full compliance and efficient management across various types of business structures?

Selecting the right registered agent in Texas is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Whether you’re operating an LLC (Limited Liability Company), C-Corporation, S-Corporation, Sole Proprietorship, Non-profit Organizations, LLP (Limited Liability Partnership), or LLLP (Limited Liability Limited Partnership), your choice can significantly impact how smoothly your business runs.

Regulatory Compliance and Government Relations

Your registered agent should facilitate interactions with various Governmental Bodies like the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) for EIN (Employer Identification Number) matters and Business Taxes, the State Secretary of State Office for state compliance, and even the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for intellectual property rights. Local government requirements, such as those imposed by the Local County Clerk, Department of Commerce, and Department of Labor, should also be handled adeptly. This includes acquiring necessary Business Licenses and Permits.

Documentation and Legalities

When it comes to Legal Documents and Requirements, the agent should help you file Articles of Incorporation for corporations, Articles of Organization for LLCs, and Operating Agreements for partnerships. They should manage Annual Reports and Statement of Information filings, offering dedicated Compliance Services. They should also handle Legal Notices and Process of Service as part of their duties, possibly offering Mail Forwarding services.

Business Financials and Auditing

The chosen agent should be knowledgeable in financial aspects such as Business Taxes and Business Audits. They must work in tandem with Legal Advisors, Business Lawyers, Tax Advisors, and Accountants to ensure complete financial compliance.

Technology and Automation

Technological proficiency is a must. Choose an agent who offers robust Tech Platforms, Online Dashboards, Notification Services, Automated Filing Services, and Document Management Systems to help you keep track of compliance deadlines and documentation.

Public Opinion and Reviews

Prioritize agents who have positive reviews on Review Websites and Blogs like Trustpilot, Better Business Bureau, Yelp for Business, Consumer Affairs, and Business.com reviews.

Legal Standards and Best Practices

Check for the agent’s familiarity with Related Legal Concepts such as Due Diligence, Corporate Veil, Corporate Governance, and Fiduciary Duty. Their adherence to Industry Standards and Best Practices is usually confirmed by affiliations with organizations like NASS (National Association of Secretaries of State) and ARMA International. Also, check if they have any Legal and Compliance Certifications.

Educational Support

Last but not least, the agent should provide Educational Resources like Webinars, Online Courses, Books and eBooks, and Tutorials to help you stay updated on compliance matters.

Taking into account these various factors will help you make an informed choice for a registered agent that meets the specific needs of your business type in Texas.

What are the key factors to consider when selecting the best registered agent for my Texas-based LLC?

Identifying the right Registered Agent for your LLC (Limited Liability Company) in Texas is an essential step that encompasses a range of issues including Business Formation, Legal Representation, and Compliance. Your selected agent should be fully knowledgeable about Texas State Laws and proficient in Document Filing, such as the Annual Report, Tax ID, and Incorporation documents. A Professional Service that is both Affordable and Reliable is not merely a wish-list item but a necessity.

Cost considerations should extend beyond just Filing Fees. You need to also assess the Customer Reviews, Ratings, and Client Testimonials to gauge an agent’s overall reputation. A top-notch registered agent will offer 24/7 Service and an intuitive Online Dashboard for Fast Processing of all your required filings and documents.

The Business Address provided by the agent is more than just a location; it serves as the hub for Service of Process and will often house your Business Licenses. Therefore, Confidentiality at this address is paramount. An agent with Local Expertise can aid you in Business Name Search, EIN Registration, and even in drafting a comprehensive Operating Agreement. Verify that they are registered with the Secretary of State and maintain a Certificate of Good Standing, ensuring your Business Continuity.

Additional features to look out for include Compliance Alerts, Legal Mail Forwarding, and Virtual Office services. Capabilities in Document Retrieval and Secure Storage can relieve you of many administrative burdens. Robust Customer Support should be a given. In terms of Due Diligence, your agent should guide you in meeting all Statutory Requirements specific to your Entity Type.

If you’re at the start-up stage, then Start-up Assistance could be invaluable. Also, if your business operations extend beyond Texas, possibly to Maryland, your agent should be well-versed in Foreign Qualification procedures. Extra benefits like Renewal Reminders, Dissolution support, Legal Forms, and Business Consultation can be the deciding factors in your choice. Finally, make sure you have the flexibility for a Change of Agent as your business evolves.

By weighing all these various factors, you can make an educated decision on the best registered agent in Texas for your LLC.

How can I find a good registered agent in Texas?

There are many registered agent services in Texas. We recommend Northwest Registered Agent.

What is the cost of a registered agent in Texas?

A registered agent service typically costs between $99 and $299.

Is a registered agent required in Texas?

Texas law requires all LLCs, corporations, and nonprofits to elect and maintain a registered agent and registered office.

Should I be my own registered agent or hire a service?

A registered agent service provider can be a great investment in your time, privacy, and peace of mind.

Do I need a registered agent to represent my Texas business?

Small businesses should hire a Texas registered agent.

What is the cost of changing my registered agent?

Depending on how many states you have to do business with your LLC, it can cost between $0 and $50 to change your registered agent.