Do you need a registered agent? Yes. Do you need to pay one? Maybe not.
Yes, almost every LLC needs one, and yes, you can be your own. Here is what that costs you in privacy and missed mail, and when a service is worth it.
What a registered agent does
A registered agent is the person or company named on a state’s public record to accept lawsuits, legal papers and official state notices for a company. The agent must keep a street address in that state and be available there to accept papers during normal business hours.
Being your own agent: the real trade-offs
- Home address on public record.
- Must be present in business hours.
- A missed lawsuit can become a default judgment.
When a service is worth it
- You travel.
- You work from home.
- You live outside the state or the country.
- You have more than one company.
What it costs
- Range: $0 to $300, as checked on November 6, 2026.
- Ours: $34.99 a year in New Jersey, $89 a year in every other state.
Do I need a registered agent?
Yes, in almost every state, if your company was formed there or is registered to do business there, so a company registered in three states needs an agent in each. New York and Pennsylvania differ: in New York the Secretary of State accepts legal papers for every company, and Pennsylvania asks for a registered office, which a commercial provider can fill. You can be your own agent in a state where you live, if you are available at a street address there during business hours.