The State of Texas requires that businesses and nonprofits keep a physical registered agent in the state. This agent is responsible for receiving legal documents (Service of Process) and official mail like tax notices.
The right Texas registered agent will protect your business, keep you compliant, and save you money. Here are the top tips to select your Texas registered agent:
Reliability
A registered agent is the point of contact for your business in the state of Texas. They must have a physical address in the state and be available during normal business hours to receive service of process and official mail like tax notices.
Texas law requires that the selected person or company give consent to act as your registered agent on a form that you file with the state. This isn’t an optional requirement, and failure to do so can result in hefty state fees for a non-compliant business.
If you choose to designate yourself as your own registered agent, you should consider the cost and hassle of having to be home during business hours, accepting service of process, completing mail forwarding tasks, and keeping up with compliance deadlines. It is often cheaper and more convenient to hire a premium registered agent service like Northwest Registered Agent or Rocket Lawyer to take care of these duties on your behalf.
Cost
A business in Texas will need to select a registered agent when filing its initial state documents. A company can be its own registered agent but it is usually best to use a professional service that specializes in Texas registered agents because of the nuances of the state’s compliance requirements.
Cost varies from service to service. A full-service registered agent like Harbor Compliance will charge a flat fee of $125 per year which includes document scanning, mail forwarding and immediate notification of service of process. Premium services like compliance reminders and helping a business file its annual report will add to the cost.
An LLC can serve as its own registered agent but it will lose the privacy benefits of having a private address and may suffer embarrassment should it be sued. It also may miss important state deadlines. If you choose to serve as your own agent, it is a good idea to keep a copy of any lawsuits served on you at the registered office.
Customer Service
The right Texas Registered Agent can be the key to your company’s compliance standing and legal protection. It’s a role that’s important, yet often overlooked. But, that’s largely due to the fact that most business owners don’t want their personal residence or other address listed on public records and affixed to towers of junk mail.
That’s why using a professional service makes sense, especially for smaller businesses. The top pick on our list is Northwest Registered Agent, they offer industry-leading customer service for a reasonable price. They also offer the full set of services required by Texas law, including the street address in the state (that no one else on this list does), mail forwarding, scanned documents with online access and a robust compliance alert system to help your company keep up-to-date with its filing requirements. In addition, they offer up to $1 million of identity theft protection. It’s a premium service, but it’s worth the extra cost in my opinion.
Technology
A Texas Registered Agent is your legal point of contact in the state of Texas. Every Texas LLC, corporation and nonprofit is required to appoint one on their initial registration documents.
The right agent will keep your personal information safe and be available to receive formal documents like lawsuits on your behalf. In addition, they will help you meet all the state requirements to stay in good standing.
In my ratings, I focused heavily on the computer systems these agents use to handle their clients’ correspondence. I looked for speed, ease of use and clarity. I ranked those with modern, easy-to-use interfaces higher than those with old, complicated systems.
If you need a premium service Texas Registered Agent, I would recommend LegalZoom. They are more expensive than Harbor Compliance and Northwest Registered Agent but offer a full range of services including mail forwarding, scanned documents with online access and up to $1 million in identity theft protection.
