There are lots of Virginia registered agent services available today. Find the best option for your company through the comparison guide below.
Alternatively, you can simply get started with Mark Cuban’s recommended service – ZenBusiness. We will keep your business compliant while managing state and tax correspondence on your behalf.
If you operate an LLC or corporation in Virginia, you need to designate a registered agent to accept document deliveries from the state. You have a few options regarding who should provide this vital service, our favorite of which is hiring a registered agent service.
These companies will serve as your registered agent in exchange for an annual fee, keeping your business in compliance with state law by receiving documents like service of process, tax documents, reminders for ongoing compliance requirements, and more.
In Virginia, there are quite a few reputable companies offering registered agent service, which can make it difficult to determine which company is your best choice. That’s why we took a deep dive into all of your options to create this list of the best Missouri registered agent services. Which one should you use?
Rated #1 by Mark Cuban, Forbes, & NerdWallet
At ZenBusiness, we pride ourselves on providing convenient, easy-to-leverage business services that leave you more time to actually run your business. When it comes to ongoing registered agent service, ZenBusiness has a great $99 rate for the first year and a competitive $199 rate for subsequent years.
If you haven’t yet formed your LLC or corporation, we offer an outstanding bargain. We will form your new business for free — all you have to do is cover the required state filing fee.
Let’s take a look at some of our advantages and disadvantages compared to our top competitors.
There are more than 10,000 reviews of ZenBusiness online, and nearly all of them are positive, giving us one of the best customer satisfaction reputations in the industry. We also have a helpful and knowledgeable customer support department that can answer your tough questions.
Next up is Northwest Registered Agent, a company that offers personalized customer support. Northwest no longer provides free mail forwarding service with its registered agent offering, which used to be a cornerstone of its service. However, it still has plenty of advantages.
How does Northwest Registered Agent stack up to the competition?
Northwest Registered Agent’s calling card is its personalized customer support. Instead of outsourcing its support network to a generic call center with questionably trained representatives, Northwest keeps its support team in-house. Everyone who answers the phone for Northwest is a professional who knows their stuff.
Northwest offers a year of registered agent service in Missouri with any business formation service purchase. However, at $225, the price point for this package is higher than most competitors.
We appreciate Northwest’s volume discounts for registered agent service, as they’ll slash your rate from $125 to $100 annually if you require service in at least five states. In addition, they receive strong customer reviews and offer free ongoing compliance reminders.
Overall, if you prioritize personalized customer support, Northwest’s advantages likely outweigh its disadvantages.
Like ZenBusiness, IncFile offers a free business formation service. With IncFile, this includes a year of registered agent service as well. As a standalone service, IncFile provides registered agent service at an annual rate of $119, which is a solidly competitive price point.
With more than 30,000 reviews available online, IncFile maintains high average rating scores, making them an impressive pick for registered agent service in Missouri.
However, one drawback of using IncFile is how they can be rather relentless with upsell attempts. IncFile has plenty of add-on features available, and it will certainly remind you of that fact several times as you work your way through their order form. It can also take IncFile a while to respond to customer support messages, especially via email.
Overall, IncFile is a rock-solid option for registered agent service, albeit without some of the bells and whistles you’ll find with some competitors.
Rocket Lawyer is one of the industry’s biggest names, with millions of customers served and a robust advertising budget that gets its name out. Rocket Lawyer’s pricing is a bit high, but if you’re looking for an experienced option, look no further.
Rocket Lawyer has a few thousand reviews available, with mostly positive scores. While its registered agent pricing doesn’t jump off the page, subscribers to Rocket Lawyer’s $39.99/month legal services program receive 25% off registered agent service, free business formation service for new members, and more.
We are always impressed with Rocket Lawyer’s support network, as its representatives are responsive and helpful. Rocket Lawyer offers extended support availability from 9 am to 9 pm every weekday. If you’re willing to spend a bit more in exchange for a company with tons of experience, or if you’re interested in Rocket Lawyer’s legal services subscription, give them a look.
LegalZoom is similar to Rocket Lawyer in that it’s a company with millions of customers served and offers advanced legal services. However, LegalZoom has an unfortunately high price point for Missouri registered agent service. You can get your first year for $249 if you add it to a business formation package, but even that isn’t a great deal.
We are impressed by LegalZoom’s 100% satisfaction guarantee, which is nearly identical to the ZenBusiness refund policy. Also, they have the longest customer support hours in this industry, with 14 hours per day of weekday availability and nine hours on weekends too.
That said, LegalZoom’s high price tag for registered agent service is a problem. Seeing as this company also excludes valuable features from its business formation packages, the other options in this guide all have better value propositions than LegalZoom.
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Before we dig too deeply into any of these companies, we will also share a quick overview of the best options. After all, we know how busy you are, and you might just want to identify the best company and move on.
At ZenBusiness, we have a highly affordable offer that appeals to a wide variety of entrepreneurs. For just $99 for the first year ($199 after that), ZenBusiness will serve as your registered agent in Virginia, providing reliable service at a fair price. ZenBusiness has thousands of positive reviews, we’re a socially conscious company, and we offer solid customer support. What’s not to like?
However, it’s not all about ZenBusiness. Some of our competitors also have intriguing offers for Virginia registered agent service, including Northwest Registered Agent and Incfile. Is one of them a better fit for your business? Or is hiring ZenBusiness the right call? Read on to find out!
Each state has its own rules and regulations surrounding registered agents. For the most part, these laws are fairly similar, but it’s always worth taking a look to see what Virginia requires.
In Virginia, we’ll need to take a look at The Corporations Title of the Code of Virginia, which says:
All of the companies we’re about to discuss meet these regulations and are great options for Virginia registered agent service. When you’ve made your choice, you can indicate your registered agent’s name and address on your Articles of Organization.
FAQ's
In Virginia, there aren’t many complicated requirements for registered agent eligibility. Any individual or business entity located within the state can serve as your company’s registered agent. The only requirements are that they have a permanent address in Virginia and that your company itself can not serve as its own registered agent (although you or one of your co-owners may assume this role individually).
Like most states, Virginia does not have an explicit age requirement (a few states require the appointed agent to be at least 18 years of age). That said, we recommend appointing a responsible individual or business to keep things streamlined. If the registered agent does not fulfill their duties completely and accurately (such as being too busy with other projects or not being present at the registered address 100% of the time), it can cause unnecessary hassle for a business. That’s why we recommend careful consideration while you make this appointment.
Yes. If your registered agent is an individual, that person must live in Virginia. If your agent is a business entity, that company must either be a domestic Virginia business or one with the authority to conduct business in the state.
Virginia keeps the process of changing your registered agent as simple as possible. All you have to do is log in to the Clerk’s Information System and update your registered agent in real time. There is no filing fee, either. For more information on how to change your registered agent in Virginia, look here.
If your registered agent chooses to resign and no longer serves as your agent, they will notify you and the Corporation Commission by filing a Statement/Certificate of Resignation of Registered Agent form by mail or online with the Clerk’s Information System. Their resignation does not become effective until the 31st day after it’s filed, giving you plenty of time to find a replacement.
As long as you file all your paperwork correctly and in a timely fashion (and ensure that there isn’t a lapse in your registered agent coverage), you won’t incur any penalties or fees. And that keeps your registered agent filings completely cost-free.
One common option is to serve as your company’s own registered agent or enlist the assistance of a trusted friend or family member. The other route is to hire an attorney or accountant to handle this role. Maybe you prefer the added professionalism these people can provide, maybe you have an existing relationship with an attorney or accountant you trust, etc.
If you’re interested in hiring an attorney but don’t know where to start, we recommend taking a look on Avvo. We also dug through the top-rated lawyers on Avvo to create our own list of the top five business attorneys you could contact regarding registered agent service:
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Best Registered Agent Services Reviewed in all States
We break down the best registered agent services in every state. View all of our guides below.
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