Which state’s registered agent do you need?

The agent follows the company, not the owner. Mainstay Filing, our best overall pick, provides an agent in any state at $149 a year.

1. Company formed in your home state. Use an agent with a street address in that state. Find it with the ZIP finder on the home page.
2. Company formed in a different state. You need an agent in the formation state, not in the state you live in.
3. Company formed in one state, operating in another. The second state may require the company to register there, and a registration needs its own agent in that state.
4. Several companies. One provider can serve several states; each state still has its own agent address and change fee.

Start with the state table.