Statutia › Cancel agent service
How to cancel your registered agent service without a gap
Cancelling a registered agent isn’t like cancelling a streaming service. The agent is listed on your state’s public record, and your LLC must keep one on file (in New York the Secretary of State fills that role). Cancel in the wrong order and you can end up paying for a service you no longer want, or with no one to receive legal papers.
Short answer: don’t cancel first. Appoint your new agent (or yourself, if you qualify), file the change with your state, confirm the state’s record shows it, then cancel the old service and turn off auto-renewal. Several providers build this order into their terms: ZenBusiness completes a cancellation only when the state shows your new agent, LegalZoom keeps charging until you prove a new agent is on file, Bizee cancels when you assign a new agent, and Harbor needs 90 days’ written notice before renewal.
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The order that avoids a gap
- Check your exit rule and renewal date. Harbor’s 90-day notice is the strictest we found. Note the date in your calendar now.
- Choose your replacement. Another agent, or yourself if you have a qualifying address in the state and can be there during business hours. Each state’s rule is in our state table.
- File the change with your state. Fees run $0–$100; 10 states charge nothing. Some agents file it for you when you sign up (Northwest and LegalZoom say they also pay the state fee).
- Confirm on the state’s business search that the new agent is listed. Our state table links each official search.
- Cancel the old service and turn off auto-renewal, using the provider’s own method below. Ask for written confirmation.
- Keep an evidence file (list below) until at least the next renewal date has passed.
Cancellation rules by provider
| Provider | How to cancel | Renewal | Refunds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Registered Agent | portal, any time, no fee | Billed automatically (auto-pay). Agent customers are also enrolled in its annual-report service unless they opt out. northwestregisteredagent.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Purchases are final after 90 days; state fees are never refunded. northwestregisteredagent.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) |
| Harbor Compliance | 90 days’ written notice before renewal | Renews automatically for successive one-year terms. harborcompliance.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Its terms say all fees are non-refundable. harborcompliance.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) |
| Bizee | appoint a new agent, then notify Bizee before expiry | May renew automatically if Bizee isn’t told by the expiration date; the charge comes from its agent partner. bizee.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Agent auto-renewal fees can’t be reversed. bizee.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) |
| ZenBusiness | by phone, with proof the state shows your new agent | $99 for the first year when you switch, then renews at $199 a year. zenbusiness.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Not verified |
| Registered Agents Inc | Not verified | Not verified | Not verified |
| LegalZoom | account or phone, with proof of the new agent | Renews automatically at the purchase price. legalzoom.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Its general guarantee allows a refund within 30 days of a new subscription. legalzoom.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab) |
Northwest Registered Agent
- How to cancel: Online in the client portal, any time. No cancellation fee. northwestregisteredagent.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Renewal: Billed automatically (auto-pay). Agent customers are also enrolled in its annual-report service unless they opt out. northwestregisteredagent.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Refunds: Purchases are final after 90 days; state fees are never refunded. northwestregisteredagent.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Leaving the state record: Doesn’t promise to file its own resignation, and warns that removal could put your company in default. File your change with the state first. northwestregisteredagent.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- After you leave, Northwest stops forwarding documents; its terms say documents received later carry a fee to view. terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Harbor Compliance
- How to cancel: Written notice of non-renewal at least 90 days before renewal (terms of service, sections 22–23). Miss it and that year’s invoice stays due. harborcompliance.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Renewal: Renews automatically for successive one-year terms. harborcompliance.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Refunds: Its terms say all fees are non-refundable. harborcompliance.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Leaving the state record: Its terms put it on you: appoint a new agent and make sure Harbor’s details are removed from the state’s records. harborcompliance.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Bizee
- How to cancel: Appoint a new agent with the state, then tell Bizee before the expiration date. bizee.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Renewal: May renew automatically if Bizee isn’t told by the expiration date; the charge comes from its agent partner. bizee.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Refunds: Agent auto-renewal fees can’t be reversed. bizee.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Leaving the state record: Not verified
ZenBusiness
- How to cancel: By phone only, not online. You update the state’s record yourself and send proof; cancellation is complete only when the state’s records show your new agent. zenbusiness.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Renewal: $99 for the first year when you switch, then renews at $199 a year. zenbusiness.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Refunds: Not verified
- Leaving the state record: Service stays active, and it keeps receiving your legal papers, until the state confirms the new agent. zenbusiness.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Registered Agents Inc
- How to cancel: Not verified
- Renewal: Not verified
- Refunds: Not verified
- Leaving the state record: Not verified
LegalZoom
- How to cancel: In your account or by phone, with proof that a new agent is on file. Charges continue until you provide that proof. legalzoom.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Renewal: Renews automatically at the purchase price. legalzoom.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Refunds: Its general guarantee allows a refund within 30 days of a new subscription. legalzoom.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Leaving the state record: It may resign (for example, for non-payment), and you pay any state resignation fee. legalzoom.com terms ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Other providers
We haven’t verified cancellation terms for CorpNet, MyCompanyWorks or Swyft Filings. Read their terms before you buy; Swyft bills its agent service quarterly (price index).
Your evidence file
- The state’s filing confirmation or receipt for the change of agent.
- A dated screenshot or PDF of the state’s business record showing the new agent.
- The old provider’s cancellation confirmation, and proof that auto-renewal is off.
- Your last invoice and any refund correspondence.
- A copy of the first legal document the new agent forwards, if one arrives.
If your agent resigns first
An agent can stop serving you, for example for non-payment: LegalZoom’s terms say it may resign and that you pay any state resignation fee. Northwest’s terms say it doesn’t promise to remove itself, and warn that removal could put your company in default. Either way the fix is the same: appoint a new agent with the state promptly and check the record. If the state has already marked your LLC as not in good standing, the state’s business division explains how to restore it.
Need a replacement?
Our ranking for switchers compares five-year cost, who files the change and how easy each is to leave later. The lowest five-year cost for an existing LLC among the agents we track is Northwest at $625.
See Northwest’s agent service ↗ (opens in a new tab) Plain link · we earn $0
Common questions
Can I just stop paying?
Usually not cleanly. The agent stays on your state record until you file a change, and some providers keep billing until they see proof of a new agent. An unpaid agent may resign, which can leave your LLC without one.
Do I need to tell the state when I cancel?
You tell the state by filing the change of agent. Cancelling with the provider alone doesn’t update the state’s record.
Can I get a refund for the rest of the year?
It depends on the provider (table above). Harbor’s terms say fees are non-refundable, and Northwest’s purchases are final after 90 days.
How long does the state take?
It varies by state and filing method, and we haven’t verified processing times. Many states let you file online; check the state’s official page linked in our state table.
Can I be my own registered agent instead?
In most states, if you meet the state’s rules (usually a physical address in the state and availability during business hours). Your name and address become public. New York accepts the Secretary of State as agent for every LLC.
What this page can’t tell you
We read prices and terms on each provider’s own site and dated them. We haven’t bought these services, so we can’t rate support, speed or accuracy, and we don’t publish star ratings. “Not verified” means we couldn’t confirm it on the provider’s site; it is never counted as free. Anything not re-checked within 120 days is removed at the next weekly rebuild. Commissions are not an input to any ranking (methodology). This is general information, not legal advice.