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How to change your registered agent: steps and fees in every state

By the Statutia Ledger Desk · Published by Carefree Charters LLC

Updated Oct 11, 2026 · State fees checked Oct 8, 2026 on official sources · Provider terms checked Oct 11, 2026

Changing your LLC’s registered agent is usually a short filing with your state. The two things that go wrong are the order (cancelling the old agent before the state shows the new one) and the fee (it ranges from nothing to $100). Here’s the process and every state’s fee, each linked to the official source.

The five steps, in order

1. Pick the new agent and get the exact name and address to list. If you’ll be your own agent, check your state’s requirements in the table below.
2. Check who files. If the new agent files the change for you, let it. If not, you file it.
3. File the change with the state. Use the official source linked for your state; read the form’s instructions, including whether the new agent must sign or consent.
4. Confirm the change on the state’s business search (linked in the table). Don’t skip this: until the record changes, your old agent is still the one legal papers go to.
5. Cancel the old agent and turn off auto-renewal. Some providers require proof of the new agent first, and Harbor needs 90 days’ notice before renewal (how to cancel, by provider).

Change-of-agent fees by state

The fee to file a change of registered agent for a domestic LLC, from each state’s fee schedule, statute or form, with the date we checked it.

What we verified and what we didn’t: for all 51 jurisdictions shown with a fee, we read the change fee and the rules for acting as your own agent on the state’s fee schedule, form or statute (for a few states, the statute text through a public legal database, labeled in the table). We have not verified form names, whether each state accepts online filing, or processing times for every state, so we don’t list them; use the official link. A fee marked “under review” is unknown, never $0.

States that charge nothing

Arkansas, California, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, Virginia, Washington. In some of these the $0 applies only online, or comes with a paper fee; see the notes column.

How we make money: Statutia has no affiliate relationships yet. Every provider link on this page is a plain link that earns us nothing. If that changes, commercial links will be labeled next to the link. Commissions will never change our rankings. Details.

Who files it for you

When you switch to a commercial agent, it often prepares the filing. What each says, from its own site:

Which is cheapest over time is a separate question: see our ranking for switchers and the price index.

Is switching worth it?

If you pay $199 a year, moving to Northwest’s $125 saves $74 a year, more than the change fee in every state except Alabama ($100). If you pay $159, the saving is $34 a year. Staying makes sense when your plan includes something you use or you’ve prepaid. Full math: renewal increases. Your own numbers: calculator.

Being your own agent

It costs $0 a year, but your name and address go on the public record, and someone has to be there to accept legal papers during business hours. Every state’s rule is in the table, linked to the statute. In New York an agent is optional because the Secretary of State accepts papers for every LLC.

Common questions

Do I need my old agent’s permission to change?

No. You appoint a new agent by filing with the state. Your contract with the old agent is separate: cancel it under its terms once the change is on record.

Can I change my agent online?

Many states accept online filings, but we haven’t verified it for every state. The official source linked for your state shows the current options.

Does changing my agent change anything else?

It updates who receives legal papers for your LLC. Your LLC’s name, EIN and standing don’t change. If your state requires an annual report, list the new agent there too.

What if the state fee says “under review”?

We couldn’t confirm it on an official source yet. Check the state’s fee schedule before filing.

How we worked this out

Open data: the state figures behind this page are free to reuse with credit: download CSV or JSON (CC BY 4.0, “Source: Statutia”).

State fees and rules link to official sources and are re-checked at least every 120 days; anything older is removed at the next weekly rebuild. We don’t score service quality, and commissions are not an input. Not legal advice. See our methodology.

Related: Best agent to switch to · How to cancel agent service · Why renewals go up · Best registered agent by need