Blog

The Articles of Organization create a South Dakota LLC. Filing online with the Secretary of State costs $150, or $165 by mail.Staying registered afterward isn't free either. An Annual Report runs $55 online, or $70 by paper. It comes due each year, on the first day of the month the LLC was first formed. A registered agent also has to stay on file the whole time, whether that's the owner or a... Read more >

Missouri charges $50 to file Articles of Organization online. Mail costs $105. Neither channel comes with a paid rush option. The Secretary of State's Corporations Division doesn't publish a set number of business days for either one.Its own online-filing system warns that reviews are taking longer than normal. That's tied to a recent system upgrade. What the office does say is that it works... Read more >

Non-profit agents help organizations stay up-to-date in terms of legal notices and service of process from the government, individuals, and other entities alike. They receive and forward important legal documents to the organization, ensuring nothing gets missed.As a tax attorney who has advised over 40 non-profit organizations on compliance requirements in the past 6 years, I've seen firsthand... Read more >

To change your registered agent in Virginia, you file a form with the State Corporation Commission. It's free. You can file it online through the Clerk's Information System, or send it in by mail.Virginia's setup trips up a lot of owners. Business filings go through the State Corporation Commission, not the Secretary of State. Virginia also screens who can serve as an agent more tightly than... Read more >

Oklahoma requires Form 0075, the Change or Designation of Registered Agent form, to swap your registered agent. The Secretary of State charges a flat $25, no matter which way you file.The same filing can also update your registered office or your LLC's principal office. The Quick Facts table below has the exact statute and mailing address.This guide walks through what the form asks for. It... Read more >

After forming 12 LLCs across 7 states—including 3 in Washington, D.C.—I've learned that outdated fee information can blow your startup budget.I invested 40+ hours researching D.C.'s current 2026 fee schedules, hands-on testing of 23 registered agent services, and tracking every compliance deadline across two biennial cycles. The biggest surprise: the state filing fee dropped from the... Read more >

To replace your registered agent in California, file a Statement of Information (Form LLC-12). Send it to the Secretary of State. The fee is $20 for a periodic filing, or nothing for a standalone update.You can file online at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov, by mail or in person at the Sacramento office. Processing time varies by filing method and by how busy the Secretary of State's office is that... Read more >

Montana's Secretary of State typically approves a standard online LLC filing in about 5 to 6 business days. Faster options exist too: $20 buys 24-hour turnaround, and $100 buys 1-hour approval if you need it the same day. The state filing fee is $35. Every filing goes through Montana's online Business Filing Portal, since the state doesn't accept paper filings by mail.That timeline assumes a... Read more >

To change your registered agent in New York, you file a Certificate of Change (form DOS-1359-f for an LLC) with the Department of State. The fee is $30, and you can file it by mail, by email, or through a professional registered agent service.New York works differently than most states here. The Secretary of State already stands in as your LLC's agent for service of process the moment you form,... Read more >

Every state requires corporations to have a registered agent — it's not optional, and it's not just paperwork. Your registered agent is the person or company that handles all legal communications with the government, individuals, and other entities on your corporation's behalf.As a tax attorney who has worked with over 40 corporations on compliance requirements over the past six years, I've... Read more >

To change your Florida LLC's registered agent, file a Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent (Form INHS18) with the Division of Corporations. The fee is $25 by mail or in person, or $55 if you also want a certified copy.You can also update the agent for free when you file your LLC's Annual Report online, since that report has its own line for the registered agent's name... Read more >

I've worked as a tax attorney for the past three years, helping over 80 businesses get their registered agent setup right and stay compliant across multiple states. That experience has shown me, up close, how much this one decision affects day-to-day operations — more than most founders expect.Working through filing deadlines and state-specific requirements with clients has made one thing... Read more >