Registered Agent Change › How to change
How to change a registered agent, start to finish
The filing is one form. The mistakes are around it. Work through these before you send anything; each state’s own form and fee are on its page here. Mainstay Filing is our pick for the new agent.
Before you file
- Pick the date. Note when the old service renews. Filing a week before the renewal can save a year’s fee.
- Confirm the address. Where the statute names it, the agent needs a physical street address in the state. A mailbox alone does not count in states that say so.
- Get consent. The new agent agrees to serve; some forms need their signature.
- Use the state’s form. A generic letter is not a statement of change.
When you file
Pay the state fee shown on your state page. If the state shows two figures for the same filing in our research, the form wins: use the amount printed on it.
After the state accepts
- Keep the stamped or emailed acceptance.
- Tell the old provider to stop service and not renew; Mainstay Filing works the same way, so tell it before the renewal date. Tell Mainstay Filing before renewal and it will not renew. A filing already submitted that year cannot be refunded.
- Check that the new agent’s name now shows on the state’s business search.
The registered agent address is a place for legal papers, not a business mailing address. The registered agent address is not a business mailing address and cannot stand in for one, for example for bank verification.