How to Change Your Registered Agent in Texas (2026)
Changing a Texas registered agent means filing Form 401, the Statement of Change of Registered Office/Agent, with the Texas Secretary of State. The filing fee is $15 for most entities and $5 for nonprofit corporations and cooperative associations. You can mail it in or drop it off in person. No online filing option is confirmed on the state's own current instructions for this specific form.
This guide also clears up a common mix-up: your franchise tax report doesn't touch your registered agent at all. From here, it walks through the filing itself, who qualifies to serve as your agent, and how fast the state actually processes the change.
Quick Summary
- You can name a new agent yourself or hire a service to handle the paperwork for you.
- Texas has no SOS annual report that touches your registered agent, unlike some other states.
- The person or company you name must sign off before you can list them on the form.
How to Change Your Texas Registered Agent
| Detail | Texas |
|---|---|
| Form to change it | Form 401, Statement of Change of Registered Office/Agent |
| Filing fee | $15 ($5 for nonprofit corporations and cooperative associations) |
| Filing agency | Texas Secretary of State |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697 (in duplicate) |
| In-person address | 400 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701 |
| Standard processing time | No fixed turnaround published; use expedited service if speed matters |
| Optional expedite fees | $50 (2-3 business days), $500 (next business day, by noon), $750 (same day, by noon), per document plus the filing fee |
| Annual report? | None. The Comptroller's Public Information Report is separate and does not change your registered agent |
File Form 401 with the Texas Secretary of State to change your registered agent. Pay by card and a 2.7% convenience fee gets added on top of the state fee shown in Quick Facts above.
Your new agent has to agree to serve before you list them on the form. That rule comes from state law, not just SOS policy [1]. You don't need to mail that agreement in with Form 401, though. Keep it in your own records instead.
Filing the Change With a Professional Service
Most Texas registered agent services will prepare and submit Form 401 for you once you sign an agreement authorizing the switch. That saves you the paperwork, and it's a simple route if you'd rather not deal with the state directly.
Whether you file it yourself or hand it to a service, Form 401 needs the same details either way:
- Your Texas entity's file number, issued by the Secretary of State.
- The entity name exactly as it appears on state records.
- Your current registered agent's name and address.
- Your new agent's name and street address in Texas.
- A signature from someone authorized to act for your company.
A service handles the mailing or in-person delivery for you, so you skip a trip to Austin. See the eligibility rules below if you're weighing a service against naming someone at your own company instead.
Filing by Mail or In Person
Download Form 401. Fill it out, then submit it in duplicate. Mail it to Secretary of State, P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697, or drop it off in person at 400 W. 15th St., Austin, TX 78701.
The office doesn't publish a fixed turnaround for regular mail or in-person filings, so build in some buffer if your timeline is tight.
Paying extra buys a faster review, not a guarantee. Three tiers exist, each charged per document on top of the regular filing fee:
- Standard Expedited: $50, reviewed within 2-3 business days. Mail it in or drop it off with a cover letter listing your email and phone number.
- Next-Day: $500, if the office gets it by noon. Request it in person or by emailing TexasExpress@sos.texas.gov.
- Same-Day: $750, also by the noon cutoff. Same request method as Next-Day.
Once your form clears, the state mails back your stamped duplicate copy. Keep that copy on file. It's your proof the change actually went through.
The Franchise Tax Report Doesn't Change Your Registered Agent
Your Texas LLC files a franchise tax Public Information Report each year. That goes to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, not the Secretary of State.
It's easy to assume that report updates your registered agent along the way, but the Comptroller says otherwise directly: changes "must be filed directly with the SOS and cannot be made on the PIR or OIR."
Texas has no SOS annual report at all, so there's no second official channel tied to a yearly filing. Outside of amending your certificate of formation for another reason (see below), Form 401 with the Secretary of State is the only filing that changes who's on record as your agent.
Changing Your Registered Agent Through a Certificate of Amendment
A Certificate of Amendment can update your registered agent too, since it revises your certificate of formation directly. It costs $150 for most entities, or $25 for a nonprofit corporation or cooperative association. That's well above Form 401's $15 fee.
That higher price only makes sense if you're already amending your certificate for another reason, like a name change, and want to fold the agent update into the same filing. If changing your agent is the only task on your list, Form 401 stays the cheaper and more direct route.
For how other states handle this switch, see our full guide to changing a registered agent, or browse the best registered agent services if you're shopping for a new provider.
Who Can Be a Texas Registered Agent
A Texas registered agent has one narrow job: accept legal papers for your entity and pass them along to you [2]. To take on that role, they must:
- Be an individual Texas resident, or an organization authorized to do business in Texas.
- Keep a registered office at a real Texas street address, matching their own business address. A P.O. box or answering service alone doesn't qualify.
- Consent to the appointment.
An officer or employee of your company can serve as your registered agent. Your business itself cannot. The agent always has to be a separate person or organization from the entity it represents.
FAQs
Can a Company Be Its Own Registered Agent in Texas?
No, your entity itself cannot serve as its own Texas registered agent. State law requires a separate individual or organization to take on that role.
Can I Serve as My Own Registered Agent in Texas?
Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Texas if you list a real street address there and can receive papers on business days. A mailbox alone won't satisfy the state.
Does My Franchise Tax Report Change My Registered Agent?
No. Your franchise tax Public Information Report goes to the Comptroller, not the Secretary of State, and it cannot update your registered agent.
How Much Does It Cost to Change a Texas Registered Agent?
A Texas registered agent change through Form 401 runs $15 for most business entities. Nonprofits and cooperative associations pay $5 instead.
How Fast Can I Change My Texas Registered Agent?
Change your Texas registered agent fast only through paid expedited service. Standard filings carry no published turnaround time.
References:
- https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._orgs._code_section_5.2011
- https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._orgs._code_section_5.206
