Best registered agent services in New York

How is this list ordered, and what did we compare?

Providers are listed by our score, highest first, and tied scores fall back to editorial order; the order is never a price ranking.

The score uses only published facts that we cite: Trustpilot rating, the range of services and dashboard features, and package value and cost across the first and second years. How we score shows the weights and each provider's breakdown. We read terms and price pages; we don't buy or try the services. Trustpilot's rating appears in its own column and is left as Trustpilot reports it.

"Score" is our editorial score out of 10, built from published facts: half from the Trustpilot rating, the rest from breadth of services, dashboard and mail scanning, and package value and two-year cost (how we score; scores approved 2026-10-14). We don't test services. Trustpilot ratings are third-party, cited to Trustpilot, and not adjusted.

For each provider we pulled the same handful of facts from its own site: the agent price, the renewal, how legal papers and other mail are handled, the dashboard, auto-renewal, how to cancel and the refund terms. A blank means the provider doesn't publish it. For the role in general, read what a registered agent does; this page covers only the choice of a paid one for a New York LLC.

What changes when the Secretary of State is already your agent?

Three New York rules change the comparison: the state's own agent designation, a publication step tied to the county of your office, and a cheap biennial filing.

The state already accepts papers for you

Every New York LLC's Articles of Organization carry the state's own designation (Secretary of State designated as agent (Article THIRD)). Papers served on the Secretary of State are mailed on to an address the LLC keeps on file. The address to which the Secretary of State mails process accepted for the LLC is what the biennial statement records, so that is where you keep it current. A registered agent is named in addition to the designation of the Secretary of State, so hiring one adds a second, named recipient with a New York address. Whether a provider will also accept the Secretary of State's mailings at its address is a question to put to that provider, because none of the facts we cite answer it. The full rules on who may serve are in our New York registered agent guide.^{1, 4, 5}

Your agent doesn't decide where you publish

Every new New York LLC publishes a notice in two newspapers chosen by the county clerk for six consecutive weeks, then files a Certificate of Publication ($50) within 120 days. The newspapers are designated by the county clerk of the county in which the office of the LLC is located, so the county of your office decides the cost, and the agent's address plays no part. None of the agent services above lists publication in the facts we cite. The arithmetic is on the cheapest ways to form a New York LLC.⁶

The recurring filing is small

New York's biennial statement costs $9, and the Department's timing rule is: Every two years (biennial statement), in the calendar month the articles of organization were filed. Keep that small state fee in mind when a provider prices its own report filing. Some LLCs also owe a yearly state filing fee on Form IT-204-LL; that sits with the tax department, and staying compliant in New York explains who files it.^{3, 7, 8}

A change of agent costs little at the state

The Certificate of Change (LLC Law §211-A) lets an LLC make, revoke or change the designation of a registered agent for $30. The agent pays less for its own filings: a § 211-A(b) change filed by the agent is $5. With the state charging that little, a provider's notice rule or refund window can cost more than the form. Changing a registered agent walks through the order of steps.^{3, 9}

How do the registered agent services compare for a New York LLC?

Each provider's paragraph follows the order of the table above and uses only that provider's published terms.

Tailor Brands

Tailor Brands lists its agent at $199/year, with renewal at $199/year (renews at the same price); the provider supplied both figures. For legal papers it lists documents scanned and uploaded to the business dashboard, and it describes an LLC dashboard with new-document notifications. Its registered agent page says the agent can file the annual report if instructed; the facts we cite don't say how that applies to New York's biennial statement. Its terms say the agent address cannot be used as the business location in public materials, so the agent's address isn't one to print as your business location. Renewal is automatic, with auto-renewal on by default for subscription services. Cancelling means notifying Tailor Brands and completing the required steps, and its refund terms carry a $29 service fee deducted from any refund issued. Details are in the Tailor Brands review.^{10, 11, 12, 13}

ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness prices the agent at $199/year and renews it at $199/yr. For new formations it offers 50% off the first year ($99) when you form an LLC. Scanned copies are the default; its page adds Mail and overnight delivery for urgent notices and describes an agent sending compliance notices and annual report reminders. Its price list shows Annual Report Filing $100 per report, which is more than New York's own biennial fee; the facts we cite don't say whether that service covers the biennial statement. Cancelling happens by contacting customer support by phone, and a refund is possible only if the service has not yet been used. See the ZenBusiness review.^{14, 15, 16}

LegalZoom

LegalZoom's agent costs $249/year (first-time registered agent customers), and for later years it says: Renews at the purchase rate each year; rate subject to change. Its dashboard offers secure cloud storage of documents. On physical forwarding the page is silent (No physical forwarding stated), so ask if you need originals. Deadline help is listed as: Email reminders about annual report deadlines via Compliance Calendar. Its agent terms say prepaid fees are refunded only when LegalZoom terminates the service. You can cancel by phone or online via My Account, and proof of new RA may be required; in New York a new agent is designated with the Certificate of Change (LLC Law §211-A). The LegalZoom review has more.^{17, 18}

Bizee

Bizee charges $149/year and calls the renewal $149/year (ongoing annual fee). Formation customers get the agent included: Free first year with any Bizee formation package. For lawsuit papers in particular, Bizee describes its handling as Service of process mailed via FedEx with tracking. Documents are uploaded to its client portal. The service also lists lifetime compliance notifications; Bizee doesn't say how those apply to New York's biennial statement. Bizee's terms describe cancelling by assigning a new registered agent with the state and notifying Bizee of the change, so the New York change filing comes first. Orders are generally refundable until payment is forwarded to any government entity. Read the Bizee review.^{19, 20, 21, 22}

Swyft Filings

Swyft Filings quotes $149 per quarter ($596/year), and its renewal line reads: $149 per quarter, auto-renews until cancelled. For lawsuit papers it gives this timing, legal SOP typically within 2-3 hours, and its agent page also promises notifications of state correspondence. Before Swyft stops the service, a replacement agent must be designated (or business dissolved), which for a New York LLC means filing the change with the Department of State. Refunds are decided case by case, with no published time window. See the Swyft Filings review.^{23, 24, 25}

doola

doola's agent page shows $297 per year, the same figure as its Starter formation plan, so it isn't clear whether that is an agent-only price. With formation the page says: RA free with Formation Service. doola doesn't say for how long. It advertises same-day scans. On mail forwarding the terms say: Not included in base RA subscription unless stated in plan, so paper copies depend on the plan. Its general terms say recurring fees auto-renew. To leave, they say: Delete account any time, or email help@doola.com. doola publishes no cancellation step specific to the agent. The doola review covers its formation plans.^{26, 27}

Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest charges $125 per year and covers All 50 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico. Its corporation page reads: One year of registered agent service included with formation ($39 + state fees). The LLC page doesn't repeat that. On paper originals, its terms say: Originals can be forwarded for a fee within 30 days of receipt if there is a scanning issue. Northwest's page doesn't say whether the agent itself renews automatically, but it says RA customers auto-enrolled in Compliance Services billed in annual auto-pay, so check that bill. On leaving: Cancel anytime through the online account; no cancellation fee. Purchases become non-refundable after 90 days. See the Northwest review.^{28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33}

Rocket Lawyer

Rocket Lawyer's agent is $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, so the yearly cost is that price on top of Plus ($249/year) or Pro ($349/year); Standard, at $149/year, is marked registered agent not included. The agent runs in successive 1-year terms. Its cancellation rule: Any time by phone, before renewal date. Refund requests are accepted within 30 days of purchase. Read the Rocket Lawyer review.^{34, 35, 36}

InCorp Services

InCorp charges $129/year, calls it a $129 per year flat rate, and gives you its Entity Management System (EMS), included free. Its terms say service is billed at then-current fee unless a cancellation condition is met. Those conditions are to dissolve entity, appoint new agent, or resign InCorp with fees; appointing a new agent in New York means filing the Certificate of Change (LLC Law §211-A) with the state. Refunds must be asked for within 60 days of issuance of services. Its formation service doesn't bundle the agent, which is sold separately at $129 per state per year. The InCorp review has the rest.^{37, 38, 39, 40}

Harbor Compliance

Harbor Compliance offers a discounted first year at $99 for new customers (regular $159) and renews at $159 annually. Clients use its Client Portal and Entity Manager. Its renewal terms set a notice period: notice of non-renewal is due at least 90 days before the end of the current term, or the service renews for another year. On refunds, the terms say: No refunds; fees non-refundable. See the Harbor Compliance review.^{41, 42}

What does a registered agent cost a New York LLC in year one and later?

Year one is the $200 filing fee, the publication step and, only if you choose one, an agent's first-year price; later years are the $9 biennial statement plus any agent renewal.³

The state doesn't publish newspaper rates, so the publication part of year one depends on the papers the county clerk names, plus $50 for the certificate itself. Because a registered agent is optional in New York, an LLC can leave this line empty and rely on the Secretary of State's forwarding.⁶

If you do pay for an agent, the first and second years can look very different.

• Bizee's agent is free for the first year with a formation package, then $149/year (ongoing annual fee).²⁰
• ZenBusiness halves the first year for LLCs it forms; renewal is $199/yr.¹⁵
• Harbor Compliance's new-customer price rises to $159 annually at renewal.⁴¹
• Swyft Filings bills $149 per quarter ($596/year), so compare the yearly figure.²³
• Rocket Lawyer's agent price, $125 with a Plus or Pro membership, is added to the yearly membership fee.³⁴

Across several years the renewal column outweighs the first-year one. Formation totals are worked out on New York LLC formation services compared, agent-only prices nationally on cheapest registered agent services, and any two providers can be set side by side on our comparison page.