6 Best Registered Agent Services in New York (2025 Review)

When searching for the most suitable registered agent in New York for your business, you should consider the cost of their services, their reputation, and whether their services will meet your business needs.

To help you hire the best service for your business, we teamed up with our legal advisors and decided to test more than ten different New York registered agent services.

Here are the top 8 registered agent services that you can consider for your business.

Company	Registered Agent Price	Service Features	Money-Back Guarantee	BBB Accredited	Advisory Services
Northwest (Best Overall)	$125/year. First year free with LLC purchase.	Same-Day Scans, Instant Notifications Privacy by Default® Business Address & Free Mail Forwarding Free Domain, Website, Email & Business Phone.	90 days	No, A rating	No
ZenBusiness (Best Essentials)	$199	Receiving and forwarding official legal mail, scanning and uploading documents to the customer’s dashboard, and notifying the customer via email.	60 days	Yes	Accounting Consultation
Bizee (formerly Incfile) (Most Affordable)	$119/year. First year free with LLC purchase.	Manages the paperwork for you, avoid missed deadlines, tiresome paperwork, noncompliance and the associated fines or penalties.	Order refundable before state payment (usually 24h), minus $30 fee.	No	Tax: Free 1-hour Consultation
LegalZoom (Best Premium)	$249/year	Alerts & reminders, documents scanned and uploaded, unlimited cloud storage for business documents.	60 days	Yes, A+ rating	Attorney Consultations (Premium Plan)
Rocket Lawyer	$249.99 with Rocket Legal / $124.99 with Rocket Legal+	Receive important legal and tax communications, scanned official documents to your email, keep your personal business address private.	30 days	Yes	Legal: Ask-a-lawyer via email & 30-minute monthly phone consultation per new matter (with subscription)
Harbor Compliance	$88-$99	Same-Day document access, email notifications, annual report notifications to stay compliant.	No	Yes	No

Top 6 Agent Services (January 2025)

1 - Northwest Registered Agent (Best Overall)

Would you recommend Northwest Registered Agent (Best Overall)?

Northwest Registered Agent is one of the best-rated services for forming a business online.

We tried out this popular company to assess the process of LLC formation, and based on our assessment, you’ll get ongoing help from expert agents assigned to your account.

Northwest offers a unique LLC formation deal for just $39, which includes a free registered agent service for the first year. This deal is available when you register through our link.

During our experience, their service assisted us in preparing all the necessary legal paperwork, and their team made us feel supported at each step of the procedure.

We felt assured knowing that Northwest Registered Agent respects customer privacy and provides a secure online platform that doesn’t share client data to third-party entities.

While Northwest features a solid range of assistance, their plans as of now don’t include an EIN, which we think could enhance their package even further.

Service Highlights:

• Registered Agent Service ($125/year): The 1st year of registered agent service is free when Northwest takes care of your LLC formation. This service provides mail forwarding, professional corporate guides, and privacy-by-default protections.
• Full-Service LLC Formation Plan ($39 + $205 State Fee): This comprehensive package provides fast filing, a full year of registered agent service, an LLC operating agreement, free extras like a domain, website, email, and business phone, and privacy-first practices.

2 - ZenBusiness (Best Essentials)

Would you recommend ZenBusiness (Best Essentials)?

ZenBusiness offers a stand-alone registered agent service.

It costs $199 and is one of the most affordable prices on the list. Their basic package includes user-friendly software and personalized customer support.

They offer an upgraded option for an extra fee, which we found helpful, particularly for beginners. It saved us a lot of time and covered all our queries.

ZenBusiness comes with affordable plans and extended customer support hours. During our testing, this feature turned out to be very beneficial during the weekends.

Their New York registered agent service is an add-on, which is why we do not recommend it to those who plan to use this service as part of the LLC formation.

Service Features:

• Registered Agent Service ($199): LLC formation is not included, and the registered agent service plan renews annually for the same price.
• ZenBusiness Starter costs ($0 + $205 State Fee): This basic ZenBusiness subscription package covers the usual corporate LLC filing service, which covers name search, and standard filing speed (7–10 business days). Starter offers a 100% accuracy guarantee, and optional worry-free compliance for the first year. If you opt for this feature, you can expect to meet the deadlines for your state-required annual report. In practice, this means that if you miss a deadline, you will get help to comply.
• ZenBusiness Pro ($199 + $205 State Fee): ZenBusiness Pro package provides the fastest ''rush'' filing speed of 1 business day on average. This swift feature is upgraded with an EIN for all legal matters, and an operating agreement for better organized internal processes and protection. With bookkeeping free of charge for a month, this package helps with tax savings and makes tax time easier.
• ZenBusiness Premium ($299 + $205 State Fee): Their premium membership plan incorporates features from the Pro plan and adds business document templates for faster bureaucracy. Since paperwork tends to be time-consuming, these templates make it more efficient. Also, you get a customizable business website with a ready-to-use website and e-mail address. The plan also has a 1-day filing speed.

3 - Bizee (Most Affordable)

Would you recommend Bizee (Most Affordable)?

Bizee (formerly Incfile), which provides free LLC formation in New York and agent services.

They will help you with submitting your articles of incorporation, and offer a New York-registered office.

Based on our experience, they are trustworthy enough to take care of managing the service of the business and any other legal paperwork on your account.

Despite offering free services, Bizee guarantees a reliable service, although their turnaround time could be faster.

We loved their easy-to-use online dashboard, but we did find their customer support to be limited and missing live chat support with any plan.

Service Features:

• Registered Agent Services ($119): Their New York registered agent service has a customizable Dashboard that makes it simple to view your papers online.
• LLC Formation: (starts from $0 + $205 State Fee): You only have to pay the $205 New York filing fee due for the first year.
• LLC Certificate of Publication Service: Bizee does not currently offer this service.

4 - LegalZoom (Best Premium)

Would you recommend LegalZoom (Best Premium)?

Similar to Rocket Lawyer, LegalZoom provides legal services all under one roof.

What sets them apart is that LegalZoom has already established a prominent name in the LLC formation and registered agent service industries and comes with a higher service fee.

Their registered agent service offers unlimited cloud storage, company data security, and a compliance calendar.

LegalZoom is ideal for anyone looking for a more premium registered agent service than some other providers offer.

We loved their tax advice and annual business evaluation and found their 60-day money-back satisfaction guarantee to be reassuring that they knew what was best for our business.

Service Features:

• Registered Agent Services ($299): Should you be interested in establishing your LLC with their registered agent assistance, expect to pay $249 for the first year and $299 upon renewal.
• Basic LLC Formation (starts at $0 + $205 State Fee): This New York registered agent package provides a comprehensive digital welcome kit for LLCs, an extensive search, necessary articles of organization, and a WIX-designed website.
• Pro LLC Formation Package ($249 + $205 State Fee): You'll get all Basic Plan features, preliminary consultations on taxes and insurance, EIN registration, a guide to obtaining business licenses, and an operating agreement.
• Premium LLC Formation Package ($299 + $205 State Fee): This New York registered agent plan includes all Pro Plan features plus personal guidance from a reputable local attorney. The package also comes with regular updates on your LLc document and an unrestricted 30-minute consultation with an attorney within the first 3 months of your subscription.

5 - Rocket Lawyer

Would you recommend Rocket Lawyer?

Rocket Lawyer is a preferred solution for businesses looking for high-quality registered agent services. Their broad range of business solutions is specifically tailored to meet the unique demands of business owners, ensuring efficient LLC creation and legal compliance.

They offer various LLC formation and attorney services, taking care of paperwork and filings with ease. Additionally, they offer a free trial, so you can test out their services before committing.

Rocket Lawyer’s attorney services made easy the job of managing our paperwork and filings. The free trial was an great way to experience their offerings without risk.

Their well-organized list of premium services and pricing allowed us assess options and choose the most suitable plan for our requirements.

For more insights about this provider, we suggest reading our Rocket Lawyer review.

Service Highlights:

• Registered Agent Service ($249.99 for non-members): For Rocket Legal+ members, this service is available to $124.99/year, with a membership cost of $19.99/month (billed annually at $239.88 after a free 7-day trial).
• LLC Formation Package ($0 + $205 State Fee): Form your first LLC for FREE when you sign up for Rocket Legal+ ($19.99/month billed annually at $239.88 after a free 7-day trial).

6 - Harbor Compliance

Would you recommend Harbor Compliance?

I remember when I was researching registered agent services, Harbor Compliance caught my attention. Even though they aren't authorized to provide legal advice, their comprehensive services across all states, including formation and agent services, stood out.

They offer add-on features that are absent in their basic and premium packages, such as the service of publishing a notice in a newspaper.

One of the highest-rated registered agent services nationwide, Harbor Compliance offers multi-year discounts and comprehensive services for LLCs in multiple states.

While working with Harbor Compliance has some benefits, such as single-day processing time and great customer support, we did find their website to be a little outdated.

Service Features:

• Registered Agent Services ($88-$99/year): This New York service includes no-charge document scanning, same-day digital delivery of documents, customizable alerts, and more. Discounts are available for bulk orders.
• LLC Formation (Starts at $399 + $205 State Fee): Check if your proposed LLC name is available, and prepare and file the article of organization in your name.
• LLC Certificate of Publication Service: Currently, they offer this service as an add-on.

Why You Should Trust Us

Your trust in Venture Smarter for your New York LLC formation is well-founded, thanks to our outstanding expertise, commitment, and detailed evaluation approach.

Our team, comprising experienced legal experts and business analysts, has diligently examined and vetted top LLC services across New York, ensuring that our recommendations are based on substantial, direct experience.

Considering New York's unique business environment, which boasts over 2.3 million small businesses, our goal is to pinpoint the LLC service that perfectly aligns with your business objectives and legal requirements.

Through collaboration with an elite group of legal professionals, we guarantee that our reviews are not only exhaustive but also tailored to meet the distinct needs of New York entrepreneurs.

Rely on the Venture Smarter team for your business requirements. Our review methodology is rigorous and clear, emphasizing service quality, customer support, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency.

We conduct anonymous evaluations of each service provider, leveraging insights from our independent review committee to deliver unbiased, fact-based advice.

Venture Smarter is more than just a review platform; we aspire to be your business partner. Our aim is to simplify your journey through LLC formation, offering advice designed to navigate you through the complexities of legal compliance and business administration with assurance and simplicity in New York.

How We Picked And Tested The Best Registered Agent Services In New York?

To select the best registered agent services in New York, the Venture Smarter team joined forces with our legal team and anonymously tested ten different services.

We then evaluated their price, customer service, service features, ease of use, turnaround, confidentiality, and transition process. To gauge the services that excel in these areas, we also considered third-party reviews from trusted platforms and other customers.

1. Price

In assessing the financial aspect, we analyzed the pricing models of over ten different registered agent services in New York, comparing base fees, additional charges, and package inclusivity.

Our findings were contextualized within New York's dynamic economy, where private sector jobs surged by 54,900 to a total of 4,181,500 in December 2023, highlighting the imperative of cost-effective service selection for burgeoning businesses [1].

Bizee stood out for its cost efficiency, scoring 5/5 in our evaluation, with an annual fee of just $119 — significantly below the industry average of $200.

In contrast, LegalZoom's pricing was at the higher end, with a $299 annual fee, reflecting a premium of approximately 150% over Bizee's cost, yet without corresponding premium services or features evident in our testing, which involved over 20 hours of direct and indirect interactions with each service.

2. Customer Service

Our comprehensive customer service assessment involved initiating three types of support requests: general inquiries, technical issues, and compliance-related questions.

We measured response times, solution effectiveness, and service professionalism. Northwest Registered Agent led the field with an exceptional average response time of 12 minutes and a 98% resolution rate on the first contact, based on ten separate instances per service.

ZenBusiness provided notable support with extended hours, which we tested over four consecutive weekends, finding their team responsive and knowledgeable, averaging a 15-minute reply time.

Bizee, while affordable, offered more limited support options, resulting in longer response times averaging 48 hours and a 75% first-contact resolution rate, as tracked across fifteen different support request scenarios.

3. Service Features

During our evaluation of service features, we initiated the process of registering an LLC with each service and closely monitored the implementation and efficiency of key offerings such as compliance alerts, online document management, and customer dashboards.

Northwest Registered Agent was notably efficient, setting up user dashboards and compliance notifications within an impressive average of one hour post-registration, significantly outperforming the industry norm, which typically extends to 24 hours.

Our comprehensive assessment found that Northwest provided 95% of our identified essential services for LLC operation and management. In comparison, LegalZoom offered a broader suite of additional features, including unlimited cloud storage and superior data security protocols, which we rigorously evaluated over a month.

Although priced higher, these premium features cater to a specific market segment, providing substantial value for businesses prioritizing data security and extensive document management capabilities.

Furthermore, Reinvent Albany data reveals a significant trend towards transparency, with 93% of property owners fully disclosed, leaving only a 7% segment maintaining anonymity via LLCs [2].

This context is critical, as it underscores the growing importance of transparency and accountability in business services.

4. Ease of Use

A user-friendly platform simplifies the process of managing legal documents and compliance, saving time and reducing errors.

From our review, the two companies with user-friendly platforms are Bizee and ZenBusiness. These two services offer easy-to-use online dashboards and their service structure is simple and straightforward.

A company that could improve its usability is Harbor Compliance; we found its website to be a bit outdated, potentially impacting the user experience.

5. Turnaround Time

Quick processing of legal documents and state correspondence is vital to ensure compliance and avoid legal issues.

We evaluated how quickly they can set up new businesses, process documents, and handle state correspondence.

As per our review, the companies with fast turnaround times include ZenBusiness with its 'rush' filing speed of 1 to 2 business days on average. Harbor Compliance also offers same-day digital delivery of documents.

Conversely, Bizee, despite reliable services, their turnaround time could be faster.

6. Confidentiality

Protecting client data is crucial to maintaining trust and complying with legal standards.

Companies excelling in confidentiality are Northwest Registered Agent and LegalZoom.

We commend them for their commitment to protecting business privacy with their robust data security measures.

7. Transition Process

A smooth transition to a new registered agent service is essential to ensure continuous compliance and avoid any legal gaps.

During our trial, Northwest Registered Agent excelled in the transition process; the representative guaranteed a seamless switch without coverage gaps.

8. Third-Party Reviews

Reviews on platforms like TrustPilot provide insights into customer satisfaction and service quality.

Northwest Registered Agent is highly rated for its customer service and comprehensive features.

ZenBusiness received a 5-star rating for its simple pricing structure and satisfaction guarantee.

On the other hand, LegalZoom has mediocre customer reviews despite its wide range of services.

How Much Do Registered Agent Service Providers Cost in New York?

The cost of a New York registered agent service can range from $88 to $299 annually.

However, you can act as your own registered agent for free or designate a close friend or family member for the role.

Requirements For A New York Registered Agent

Here are the key requirements for a registered agent in New York:

• The registered agent must have a physical street address in New York State. This is known as the registered office and cannot be a P.O. Box.
•  The registered agent can be an individual resident of New York or a domestic or foreign business entity authorized to do business in New York.
• The registered agent must be available to accept legal documents and official notices during regular business hours.
• The agent must consent to serve as the registered agent for the business. In New York, this consent is typically formalized through the filing of the appropriate documents with the New York Department of State.

"In New York, LLCs are required to publish their formation notices in two county-designated newspapers once a week for six consecutive weeks, incurring a publication fee."

- Delina Yasmeh, J.D./Tax LL.M, Distinguished Expert in Mergers & Acquisitions

Related Articles:

• Cost To Start An LLC In New York
• Dissolve an LLC in New York
• How to File an LLC in New York

FAQs

Our Verdict on the Best Registered Agent Service in New York

After thoroughly exploring various registered agent services in New York, we've reached a clear conclusion. Northwest Registered Agent stands out as our top recommendation.

Their blend of personalized customer support, comprehensive service features, and a commitment to confidentiality truly impressed us. We particularly appreciated their US-based support team, who were not only knowledgeable but also incredibly responsive.

While they may not be the cheapest, the value they offer is undeniable.  Their service is a reliable choice for anyone seeking a professional and thorough registered agent service in New York.