Top 10 Best Texas Registered Agents 2024: Reviews & Guides
Reviewed by Randolph Vialva, MBA
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By the rule of the Texas Secretary of State, every Texas business must have a designated registered agent’s address on file. You could be your own registered agent, but many businesses prefer to hire a registered agent service to take over the job for them.
This article will tell you how registered agent services can help your business and give you a closer look at 10 of the best options for a Texas registered agent service in the state.
Keep reading to learn more.
Read more: Best LLC Services In 2024
What Is A Registered Agent Service?
A registered agent in Texas is like a designated point of contact for business entities. It’s their job to accept service of due process, act as a physical address for shipments, and process all legal documents and business mail that they receive.
You need a registered agent’s name in the public record to remain in good standing with the Business Bureau – even if you have an online business or only perform phone service.
Some resident agent services can provide more help than that. They might help with your franchise tax report, create your limited liability company, work with you on formation documents, and provide other compliance services that help you thrive.
Ways to Start Your Business in Texas
You can use a registered agent service to start your Texas business. Most of the companies on our list will help you fill out all of the legal documents you need to launch an LLC or corporation that meets all of the standards set by the Texas Secretary of State.
The process is very easy. Simply choose a registered agent’s name, select the kind of business you want to form, and follow the instructions they provide until you’ve completed the job and have your new business set up with the Texas Secretary of State.
Who Can Be Texas Registered Agent?
There are no special requirements that your business entity needs to keep in mind before choosing a Texas-registered agent. Anybody can be a registered agent.
The important thing is that whoever you pick is available during normal business hours to accept legal mail for your Texas LLC. Hiring a nationwide registered agent service is typically the easiest way to do this since you’ll have access to everything you need directly from your online account.
Top 10 Best Texas Registered Agent Services In 2024
- ZenBusiness: Best Overall
- Northwest Registered Agent: Most Affordable
- Incfile: Fastest Turnaround Times
- Rocket Lawyer: Best for Ongoing Legal Services
- Harbor Compliance: Best Online Tools
- LegalZoom: Best Reputation
- MyCompanyWorks: Best for Same-Day Services
- Inc Authority: Best for LLC Formation
- Incorp: Most Flexible Texas registered agent service
- Better Legal: Best Service
Read more: Best LLC Formation Services In Texas (TX) 2024
Top 10 Best Texas Registered Agents April 2024
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is a professional registered agent service that does everything well. It’s affordable, provides excellent customer service, and is easy enough for anyone to use confidently.
- Starts at $0 plus state fees
- Premium registered agent and compliances services
- Affordable EIN and expedited filing options
- Less brand recognition than other registered agent services
ZenBusiness is our top pick for a registered agent service in Texas because of its unique blend of affordability and excellent customer support. The company also offers tons of online resources to help grow your Texas business, maintain compliance, and even perform accounting. From formation to the all-important registered agent services, they’ve got your back. And with thier worry-free compliance services, you can gain peace of mind while focusing on what you do best: running your business.
Whether you want business advice, a business address or you just want to be compliant with the Better Business Bureau, ZenBusiness is a Texas-registered agent service that will help you do it.
Northwest Registered Agent
Hiring a Northwest registered agent is a good option if you want affordability alongside helpful online tools.
- Affordable
- Has a free registered agent service option
- Provides useful online tools
- LLC formation can be expensive
A Northwest registered agent will help your company with free phone service, free mail forwarding, and even providing a Texas-registered office address if you need one.
A big difference between this provider and most registered agent services is that your statutory agent from Northwest can be free if you use their LLC formation service. Add to that the company’s helpful online resources and strong customer support, and it’s no wonder that this registered agent company regularly performs well in online reviews.
IncFile
IncFile has strong online security, good reviews, and a number of helpful online tools to help you get more value for the same price.
- Provides good online security
- Has great reviews
- Offers a free registered agent service option
- No discounts for volume
IncFile could be the best-registered agent service for you if you value registered agent services that also provide access to helpful online tools. The company’s website has a free business name generator, industry guides, and more. This can be really helpful if you’re still trying to get your company up and running.
Many users say that IncFile has the best customer service as well. It’s why if you’re looking to change registered agents, this one should definitely be on your list.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer is a registered agent service that stands out with ongoing legal services that can help a Texas LLC or corporation do more with the resources they have.
- Excellent ongoing services
- Strong customer support
- Subscription-based pricing available
- Need a credit card for your free trial
With Rocket Lawyer you get more than just a business address, an LLC certificate, and some compliance software. You get a Texas registered agent service that can also help with document creation, starting a business, and ongoing advice from lawyers.
Customers enjoy using Rocket Lawyer because it provides access to all of these legal services for an affordable monthly subscription fee.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance is an easy-to-use registered agent service with a national reputation.
- Simple and straightforward interface
- Affordably-priced
- National Reputation
- Doesn’t offer premium services
With Harbor Compliance, you get a registered service that will do everything you need to stay compliant with the Texas Business Organizations Code. It can act as a Texas business address, be a process server, and receive service and official mail for each local office that you have.
Another cool feature that customers love is the company’s online account system. Your secure account will provide online access to all of the documents online that you need to achieve your goals.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has an industry-leading reputation and offers a wide variety of ongoing business and legal services to help business entities from all industries thrive.
- Excellent reputation
- Provides ongoing services
- Strong customer support
- Can be more expensive than other options
With LegalZoom, you get one of the best names in the industry to help your company thrive during regular business hours and beyond. What really makes it special is the wide variety of ongoing services, including help with registering your business, running your business, and protecting your brand.
As far as Texas registered agent services go, this one can do more for your business entity than just accept legal mail. It’s a good option if you want a registered agent in Texas who can help your business entity thrive in many different ways.
MyCompanyWorks
MyCompanyWorks has an easy-to-use website and strong reviews from customers. It’s a good-value option for a registered agent that nearly every Texas LLC could benefit from using.
- The website is easy to use
- Good customer support and reviews
- Good value
- Only has a paid registered agent service
MyCompanyWorks is another solid option if you value affordability and convenience. They’ll provide you with a registered agent in Texas at a price point that won’t break your budget.
Plus your Texas registered agent from MyCompanyWorks can help to ensure statutory compliance and provide immediate notification of important document receipts. Customers enjoy this valuable blend of features.
Inc Authority
With Inc Authority, you get Texas-registered agents alongside helpful document preparation and filing services. They’ll even help you start your LLC for free.
- Free LLC formation services are available
- Provides digital storage and delivery
- Preparation and filing services offered
- Lots of upselling
Where Inc Authority stands out is its free LLC formation service. There are other companies that offer a free Texas registered agent when you pay them to launch your LLC. But Inc Authority is the only provider on our list that will actually start your LLC for free too.
That makes this provider a great option for those who need to start a business and hire a Texas-registered agent service. Just be prepared for lots of upselling, since the company will try to recuperate that value somehow.
Incorp
Incorp is a simple Texas registered agent service that gets the job done. It could be a fit if you just want an affordable Texas registered agent at a price point that won’t break your budget.
- Easy to get started
- Has a mobile app
- Offers foreign qualification
- Limited in other services and resources
Incorp makes it extremely easy to get started with a registered agent in Texas during regular business hours and outside of them. The company has a registered agent standing by to help your company thrive for as many business hours as it stays open.
When it comes to registered agent costs, this provider stands out as well. They’ll get you set up with a physical street address to satisfy the Texas Secretary of State and ensure that your company is all set with franchise tax and the public record through its business address so that you’re always in good standing.
Better Legal
Better Legal may be the best Texas registered agent for you if you value ongoing services and online resources.
- Provides ongoing services
- Has helpful online resources
- Affordable prices
- Limited customer support
With BetterLegal, you get an agent form that is at the top of the industry. They’ll provide a Texas-registered agent who can also help with various ongoing services. When it comes to registered agents, it’s hard to find one that’s easier to set up than Better Legal as well.
Customers enjoy using this provider because they make it easy to get started with a Texas-registered agent. The online forms are easy to fill out and will help you satisfy the Texas Secretary of State’s requirements in no time.
What Does Texas Registered Agent Service Do?
Your registered agent can perform a variety of services for your business. They can act as your Texas business address, accept service of process, complete mail forwarding, and ensure that you’re always in proper standing with the Texas Secretary of State.
You can act as your own registered agent, but then you’ll need to do all of this on your own. It can be hard to focus on growing your business when you’re also dedicating brain power to accepting service of process, completing mail forwarding tasks, and making sure you don’t fall out of proper standing with the Secretary of State.
Advantages of Texas Registered Agent with Starting Business
Starting a business with a registered agent service is much easier than acting as your own registered agent. The reason for this is that the companies on this list take care of everything for you so that you don’t have to worry about getting it right.
It can take hours to fill out all of the paperwork and complete all of the filing tasks that you need to do in order to create a business. Instead of trying to do this while running your business and acting as your own registered agent, it’s much easier to hire a provider who can do it all on your behalf.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a registered agent will help you avoid fines and free up your time to focus on growing your business. ZenBusiness is our top pick because it provides a unique blend of affordability, exceptional customer service, and helpful online resources.
That being said, you also can’t go wrong with Northwest and IncFile. Northwest has affordable services and consistently does well with customer reviews. IncFile has great online tools and can be a true resource that helps you grow your business over time.
Ultimately, each registered agent option on our list can be a good fit for different types of businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, the Secretary of State mandates that every Texas corporation and LLC has a registered agent in place to act as a legal street address and accept service of process, among other tasks.
The amount you pay for a registered agent will vary based on the company that you choose. However, you should expect to pay between $100 and $300 per year on average.
A registered agent accepts legal mail and documents on behalf of your business. They’re a point of contact and a street address for people to reach out to when they have service of process and other important documents for you.
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- Registered Agents. www.sos.state.tx.us. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/registeredagents.shtml
- Texas Registered Agent | For LLCs & Corporations. Northwest Registered Agent. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/registered-agent/texas
- Texas Registered Agent – Who Can Be & How to Appoint. ZenBusiness Inc. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.zenbusiness.com/texas-registered-agent/
- Find Registered Agents for Texas LLCs – TX LLC Registered Agent. www.incfile.com. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.incfile.com/texas-llc/registered-agents-texas-llc
- Registered Agents FAQs. www.sos.state.tx.us. Accessed November 9, 2022. https://www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/registeredagentfaqs.shtml