How to Change Your Registered Agent in New Hampshire (2026)
To change your New Hampshire registered agent, file Form 10, the Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent, or Both, with the Secretary of State's Corporation Division. The fee is $15 by mail or in person, $17 if you file online through NH QuickStart. You don't need the new agent's signature on the form.
You can also fold the change into your yearly Annual Report, since that filing already carries your registered agent's name and address on file. Outside that window, Form 10 works on its own, any time of year.
New Hampshire keeps the paperwork short either way. Pick the new agent, get their New Hampshire street address, and pay one of two small fees depending on how you file.
Quick Summary
- Form 10 needs no signature from the new agent, and one short form covers an office change, an agent change, or both.
- Filing your Annual Report between January and April updates the registered agent at the same time, for its own separate fee.
- The registered office needs a real New Hampshire street address. A suite or unit number is fine. A P.O. box standing alone is not.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form | Form 10, Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent, or Both |
| Filing fee | $15 by mail or in person, $17 online |
| Statute | RSA 304-C:36 |
| New agent's signature required | No |
| Filing channel | Mail, in person, or online (NH QuickStart) |
| Portal | NH QuickStart (quickstart.sos.nh.gov) |
| Mailing address | Corporation Division, NH Dept. of State, 107 N Main St, Rm 204, Concord, NH 03301-4989 |
| Annual Report deadline | April 1 |
| Annual Report fee | $100, plus a $50 late fee after April 1 |
| Physical street address required | Yes, no P.O. box |
Who Can Be a New Hampshire Registered Agent
New Hampshire allows two kinds of registered agents. One is a person who lives in the state. The other is a corporation, LLC, or LLP already authorized to do business there, as long as its business office sits at the same address as the registered office [1].
That address has to be a real New Hampshire street address. The state won't accept a P.O. box standing alone as the registered office.
The job itself stays narrow. RSA 304-C:37 makes the registered agent the company's contact for service of process, meaning legal papers and court notices, and nothing broader than that [2]. The current Secretary of State FAQ adds that the agent should generally be reachable at that address during regular business hours, though this is stated as a practical expectation rather than a hard legal mandate.
Business owners often name themselves. A member, manager, or employee can serve as registered agent for their own company, provided they can be found at the registered address inside New Hampshire.
How to Change Your New Hampshire Registered Agent
RSA 304-C:36 spells out what a change filing needs to say. List the company's name, its current registered office, the new office if it's changing, and the current agent's name. Add the new agent's name and address if that's changing too, plus a line confirming the office and the new agent's business address will match. Nowhere in that list does the statute ask for the new agent's signature.
1. Filing Form 10 Online, by Mail, or in Person
Download Form 10 from the New Hampshire Secretary of State's Corporation Division and fill in your company's name, its current agent, and the new one. Mail it to the Corporation Division at the address above, or drop it off in person, with a $15 check made out to the State of New Hampshire.
Filing the same form through NH QuickStart runs $17 instead. The extra $2 covers the state's standard electronic handling charge, not any faster service.
2. Using a Professional Registered Agent Service
A paid registered agent service handles the filing for you once you give it your new agent's name and New Hampshire address. Its own yearly rate shows up as a separate charge on your bill from whatever Form 10 itself costs. Compare current options on the best registered agent services in New Hampshire page before you commit to one.
3. Changing Your Agent Through the Annual Report
Every New Hampshire LLC files an Annual Report by April 1 each year, and that report already lists the registered agent's name and office address under RSA 304-C:194 [3]. Updating those fields while you file the report swaps in your new agent without a separate Form 10.
The report itself costs $100, a separate charge from the Form 10 fee, plus a $50 late fee if it lands after April 1.
Ride the Annual Report only if your timing lines up with its January-to-April window. Form 10 stays open the rest of the year for anyone who needs to switch agents outside that stretch.
New Hampshire's Corporation Division doesn't publish a fixed turnaround estimate for either filing. The current processing figure lives on the NH QuickStart login page instead of in writing, since it shifts with the season.
If you're still setting up the company rather than swapping agents, the best LLC formation services in New Hampshire guide is the better starting point. Rules for this same switch vary state to state, so browse the full registered agent services rankings or see the full guide to changing a registered agent for how New Hampshire compares.
FAQs
What's the Fee to Switch Registered Agents in New Hampshire?
Switching registered agents in New Hampshire runs $15 through the mail or over the counter. Filing that same paperwork through QuickStart instead adds the state's standard $2 online handling charge, bringing it to $17.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in New Hampshire?
Yes. Any individual, business owner, manager, or employee can serve as the registered agent as long as they can be reached at a real New Hampshire street address, and that same address becomes part of the company's public record once it's filed.
What Happens If My Registered Agent Resigns Before I've Named a Replacement?
A registered agent who resigns must file written notice with the Secretary of State, who mails your company a copy. The appointment ends 31 days after that filing, or once you name a successor, whichever comes first.
What Happens If I Miss the Annual Report Deadline?
Miss the Annual Report deadline and New Hampshire marks the company Not in Good Standing, on top of a $50 late fee. Miss it two years running and the state administratively dissolves the business, which takes real paperwork to undo.
How Fast Does New Hampshire Process a Registered Agent Change?
New Hampshire doesn't publish a fast, fixed number for a registered agent change. The only paid rush option is in-person expedited service for $25 at the Corporation Division's Customer Lobby in Concord.
References:
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXVIII/304-C/304-C-36.htm
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXVIII/304-C/304-C-37.htm
- https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXVIII/304-C/304-C-194.htm
