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The Formation Desk

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Registered agents · Nationwide

3 Best Registered Agents (2026)

The The Formation Desk call for the best registered agents in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), ND Registered Agents.org ($99 a year) and Illinois Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes the national call: $149 a year for one plan that works in every state, renewing at $149, with the first three government mailings each year scanned free.
Written by The Formation Desk editorial team
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Our nationwide pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses in all fifty states

$149 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 9.5 out of 10

The desk picks Mainstay Filing nationwide: $149 a year for one plan that works in every state, renewing at $149, with the first three government mailings each year scanned free.

Over three years it costs $150 more than ND Registered Agents.org in North Dakota, and that extra pays for an account that works in every state.

In the price

  • A real address in the state where you file
  • Any service of process scanned for free and uploaded that business day
  • Three government mailings a year scanned for nothing
  • Compliance reminders

Strengths

  • The same $149 in any state
  • No renewal hike
  • Same-day scanning of legal papers, no fee

Cons

  • Yearly price sits above one-state agents
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing up close
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Best for North Dakota

2. ND Registered Agents.org: best for North Dakota businesses

$99 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 9.2 out of 10

Runner-up, ND Registered Agents.org: $99 a year, holding on renewal, for a company that operates only in North Dakota.

North Dakota is its home turf, so it suits a company that does business there.

In the price

  • A street address in the state on the public record
  • Scanned copies of served legal papers, online

Strengths

  • Starts at $99 a year, below Mainstay Filing
  • Renews at the same price
  • Served papers are scanned and sent online

Cons

  • You will need another provider elsewhere
  • The report is left to you
Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. ND Registered Agents.org up close
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Best for Illinois

3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: best for Illinois businesses

$99 a year, and it holds on renewal

Editorial score 9.0 out of 10

Third, Illinois Registered Agent.co: $99 a year, holding on renewal, for a company that operates only in Illinois.

Illinois is its home turf, so it suits a company that does business there.

In the price

  • A registered office address inside the state
  • Legal papers served are scanned and kept in your online account

Strengths

  • $99 a year undercuts the national pick
  • Stays at $99 on renewal
  • Scans of papers served on the company

Cons

  • Built for Illinois alone
  • You file the yearly report
Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Illinois Registered Agent.co up close

The desk's 3 picks in brief

Rank Service Our score Annual price Renewal price Best for Link
1 Mainstay Filing 9.5 $149 $149/yr Best for one price everywhere Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 ND Registered Agents.org 9.2 $99 $99/yr Best for North Dakota businesses Visit ND Registered Agents.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Illinois Registered Agent.co 9.0 $99 $99/yr Best for Illinois businesses Visit Illinois Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The scores out of 10 are the desk's own, drawn from the criteria on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.

Registered Agent: the three-year bill at 2026 prices

Service Year one Year two Year three Three-year total
Mainstay Filing $149 $149 $149 $447
ND Registered Agents.org $99 $99 $99 $297
Illinois Registered Agent.co $99 $99 $99 $297

Service fees as each company lists them, read November 12, 2026. The state services price only their home state, and the state's filing fee gets added to each one at cost.

The reasoning behind the list

Spend over three years and work the price removes are worth 33% each. What renewal looks like, fit with the state and plain price display split the last 34%. On a national list coverage decides it, and only one provider here works in every state at one price. ND Registered Agents.org (North Dakota) and Illinois Registered Agent.co (Illinois) cost less over three years at home, so they take spots two and three for companies there.

Do you need an agent in every state?

Registered agent rules run state by state: every state where a company is formed or registered needs its own agent on file. Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia do it their own way; check their state pages. One national provider keeps every renewal in a single account. A state specialist can be cheaper, though only at home.

Rankings by state

Each state page weighs Mainstay Filing against that state's own agents and uses the state's fees, forms and deadlines. Go to the state pages.

Registered Agents: reader questions

What are the best registered agents in 2026?

The desk's 2026 picks, best first: Mainstay Filing, ND Registered Agents.org and Illinois Registered Agent.co.

What does a registered agent run?

Expect $99 to $149 a year from the services on this list.

Is there one service that works everywhere?

Mainstay Filing is the only one. It covers all fifty states at one price, and the two state services each cover just their own.

Do these prices cover state fees?

No. Each state sets its own filing fee, and every service adds it to the bill at cost.

Why are single-state services on a national list?

If a company never leaves one state, a local service can beat a national one on price. ND Registered Agents.org is our pick for North Dakota businesses; Illinois Registered Agent.co for Illinois businesses.

How did the desk pick the order?

With five weighted criteria, spelled out on How we rank: spend over three years, work the price removes, what renewal looks like, fit with the state and plain price display.

Related pages

Where the numbers came from

  1. Mainstay Filing: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
  2. ND Registered Agents.org: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
  3. Illinois Registered Agent.co: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026