Every state requires an LLC or corporation to name a registered agent with a physical in-state address who accepts legal notices during business hours. The rules, the name of the role, and the fee to change it vary by state. Below is the requirement for all 50 states plus DC — and FileForms can be your registered agent in every one.
The 50-State Reference
Whether it’s called a registered agent, statutory agent, resident agent, or agent for service of process, the requirement is the same: a physical address in the state and someone available to receive service of process.
| State | What it’s called | Physical in-state address | Be your own agent? | Public record? | Fee to change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $100* |
| Alaska | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $25 (or via biennial report) |
| Arizona | Statutory Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $5 |
| Arkansas | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free |
| California | Agent for Service of Process | Yes | Yes (individual resident) | Yes | $25 corp / $20 LLC |
| Colorado | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10 |
| Connecticut | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $50* |
| Delaware | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes (entity may self-serve) | Yes | $50 |
| District of Columbia | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $50* |
| Florida | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes (not the entity itself) | Yes | $25 LLC / $35 corp (free on annual report) |
| Georgia | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $30 (free with annual registration) |
| Hawaii | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $25 |
| Idaho | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free online |
| Illinois | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes (not the entity itself) | Yes | $25 (+$50 expedite) |
| Indiana | Registered Agent | Yes | Conditional (not the entity itself) | Yes | Free |
| Iowa | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free |
| Kansas | Resident Agent | Yes | Yes (entity may self-serve) | Yes | $30 online |
| Kentucky | Registered Agent | Yes | No (entity cannot self-serve) | Yes | $10 |
| Louisiana | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $25 |
| Maine | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Confirm* |
| Maryland | Resident Agent | Yes | Yes (not the entity itself) | Yes | $25 |
| Massachusetts | Resident Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $25 paper / free online |
| Michigan | Resident Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $5 |
| Minnesota | Registered Agent | Yes | Conditional (not the entity itself) | Yes | $55 online / $35 mail |
| Mississippi | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10 |
| Missouri | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10 paper / $25 online* |
| Montana | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free (or via annual report) |
| Nebraska | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Confirm* |
| Nevada | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes (resident; else commercial RA) | Yes | $60 |
| New Hampshire | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $15 |
| New Jersey | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $25 |
| New Mexico | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $20 LLC / $25 corp* |
| New York | SOS is default agent (private RA optional) | Optional | N/A (not required) | Yes | $30 |
| North Carolina | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $5 |
| North Dakota | Registered Agent | Yes | No (entity cannot self-serve) | Yes | $10 |
| Ohio | Statutory Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $25 |
| Oklahoma | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $25 mail / $35 online* |
| Oregon | Registered Agent | Yes | Conditional (not the entity itself) | Yes | Free |
| Pennsylvania | Registered Office (no agent; CROP optional) | Yes (PA address) | Yes (own office) | Yes | $5 |
| Rhode Island | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $20 (LLC address change free*) |
| South Carolina | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Confirm* |
| South Dakota | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10 online / $15 paper |
| Tennessee | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $20 |
| Texas | Registered Agent | Yes | No (entity cannot self-serve) | Yes | $15 ($5 nonprofit) |
| Utah | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | $13 (free with annual renewal) |
| Vermont | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes (not the entity itself) | Yes | Free online |
| Virginia | Registered Agent | Yes | Conditional (not the entity itself) | Yes | Free |
| Washington | Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free |
| West Virginia | Registered Agent (SOS is fallback) | Yes | Yes | Yes | $15* |
| Wisconsin | Registered Agent | Yes | No (entity cannot self-serve) | Yes | $25 |
| Wyoming | Registered Agent / Registered Office | Yes | Yes | Yes | $5 |
Last verified: July 2026 · Sources: each state’s Secretary of State / business division. Items marked * should be confirmed on the official state portal before filing.
Quick Reference
Kentucky, North Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin bar a business from serving as its own agent (an eligible individual owner still can). Indiana, Minnesota, Oregon, Virginia, Maryland, and Vermont have similar limits. Kansas and Delaware explicitly allow it.
Arizona and Ohio say “statutory agent”; Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Michigan say “resident agent”; California says “agent for service of process”; Pennsylvania requires a “registered office.”
New York does not require a registered agent at all — the Secretary of State is the built-in statutory agent, and a private agent is optional. Pennsylvania requires a registered office rather than an agent.
Changing your agent is free in Arkansas, Idaho (online), Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington; several states let you update it for free on your annual report (Florida, Georgia, Montana, Utah).
Common Questions
A registered agent is a person or company you designate to receive legal documents (like lawsuits) and official state notices for your business. Every LLC and corporation must maintain one in each state where it’s registered.
Yes, in every state. The agent must have a physical street address in that state (no P.O. box) and be available during business hours. New York is the exception — the Secretary of State acts as the default agent.
In most states, yes — if you’re a state resident with a physical address available during business hours. A few states don’t let the business entity itself serve as agent, and your address becomes public record either way.
It varies by state — from free (e.g., Arkansas, Idaho, Washington) to about $100. Many states let you update the agent for free when you file your annual report.
Yes. FileForms provides registered agent service in all 50 states, with a commercial address that keeps your information private, same-day digital delivery of documents, and one dashboard for multi-state portfolios.
More Compliance by State
FileForms tracks each of these obligations in all 50 states. Browse the companion by-state references:
Due dates, fees, late penalties, and reinstatement rules for every state.
What it’s called, the fee, turnaround, and what triggers loss of good standing.
How to register your business to operate in another state — filing, fees, and good-standing rules.
Private in-state address, same-day document delivery, and 50-state coverage from one dashboard — $149/year.
