Registered agent cost by state
| State | Registered agent, per year | First year with a Bastion formation |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $99 | Included |
| Delaware | $99 | Included |
| Florida | $99 | Included |
| Texas | $99 | Included |
| Nevada | $99 | Included |
| New Mexico | $79 | Included |
| Montana | $79 | Included |
| All other states | $119 | Included |
Year one is included free with every Bastion formation. After that you are billed annually and can cancel or transfer to another agent at any time.
What a registered agent actually does
The role is narrow and specific. A registered agent:
- Accepts service of process, meaning lawsuits and legal notices delivered to the company.
- Receives official correspondence from the Secretary of State.
- Passes on annual report and franchise tax reminders before the deadline.
- Maintains a physical street address in the state, not a PO box, with someone present during normal business hours.
That last requirement is the reason the service exists. The state needs a reliable place to hand a company a legal document, and a mailbox does not satisfy it.
A registered agent does not run your company, file your taxes, or make decisions for you. They are a mail and legal delivery point.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Yes, with conditions. You need a physical street address in the state where the LLC is formed, and you need to be at that address during business hours.
There are two real costs to doing it yourself.
The first is privacy. The registered agent address goes on the public record. If that is your home, your home address is searchable by anyone, including marketers and anyone considering suing you.
The second is availability. Service of process has to be accepted in person. If nobody is at the address when the process server arrives, you can miss a lawsuit and lose by default without ever reading the claim.
If you live outside the United States, this is not an option at all. You have no in-state address, so a commercial agent is required.
What happens if you do not have one
Letting the agent lapse is more serious than it sounds.
The state first marks the company as not in good standing. That alone can block a bank application, a loan, a merchant account or a contract that requires a certificate of good standing.
If it stays unresolved, the state administratively dissolves the LLC. The company stops existing as a legal entity, and the liability shield that was the reason you formed it stops applying. Reinstatement costs a fee plus every missed filing.
The other risk is a default judgment. A claim served on your last registered address is legally served, whether or not it reached you.
Registered agent by state
State rules differ on fees, deadlines and what happens when an agent resigns. These guides cover each one.
- Wyoming registered agent
- Delaware registered agent
- Florida registered agent
- Texas registered agent
- Nevada registered agent
- New Mexico registered agent
- Montana registered agent
Newer to the topic? Start with what is a registered agent.
Questions
A registered agent is the person or company officially appointed to receive legal documents and state mail on behalf of your LLC. Every US state requires one, with a physical street address in the state of formation.
Yes, if you have a physical street address in the state of formation and are there during normal business hours. The two real costs are that your address becomes public record and that you must be present to accept service of process.
Commercial registered agents typically charge $50 to $150 a year. Bastion charges $79 to $119 depending on the state, and the first year is included with every formation.
The state marks the LLC out of good standing and can administratively dissolve it. You also risk a default judgment, because a lawsuit served on a lapsed agent still counts as served.
BF Solutions LLC, Sheridan, Wyoming. WY Filing ID 2026-001992102.
We file with the Secretary of State and apply for your EIN with the IRS.
Most US LLC filings are completed in a few business days, EIN follows after approval.
Talk to the team that handles your file, before and after formation.