I’ve tested the 13 best registered agent services in Connecticut. Here’s my review.

After stumbling across the complete absence of reliable advice or guides about picking a registered agent service, I decided to channel my personal trust issues into a search for the best registered agent in Connecticut.

Over the course of many months, I’ve spent my own time and money to review, compare, and sign up for over a dozen Connecticut registered agent services.

If you’d like supplementary information before choosing your own registered agent, this article’s for you.

The Best Registered Agent Service: Northwest Registered Agent

Positives:

• Easy sign-up process
• Mail scanning, forwarding, and uploading
• Alerts for important upcoming compliance deadlines
• $125 per state per year
• Corporate Guides who can answer your small business questions

Negatives:

• No dedicated account manager

Thanks to endless hours combing through online reviews, calling customer service departments, and critiquing promotional material, I’ve determined that Northwest Registered Agent is the best registered agent in Connecticut.

Here’s why: 

• They are a nationwide registered agent service with offices available in all 50 states.
• They only cost $125. 
• They have an easy-to-use sign-up system.
• They will scan, upload, and forward ALL my mail.
• They provide an online account where I can view ALL my documents.
• They help me with corporate compliance by sending compliance date reminders I need to meet to stay in good standing with the Connecticut Secretary of State.

My initial search for “best Connecticut registered agent service” turned up over 60 results. Only a fraction of these registered agents had this list of features, so Northwest caught my attention from the start.

They provided every service my business entity needed from a registered agent. Of course, I was suspicious from the get-go. Usually, when something seems too good to be true, it’s too good to be true.

In the registered agent world, the weak link tends to be customer service. So I decided to give them a call. I scanned through several pages of online reviews to compile some questions and complaints. I’m always prepared, especially when it comes to finding weaknesses in an apparently perfect registered agent.

While I expected their customer service team to be as humdrum as all the others I’d called up to this point, the agent who picked up my call was anything but. She listened as I asked question after question. And then she gave helpful advice.

I don’t just mean answering questions about my new registered agent. Her advice covered other areas of business, like marketing and website design. That’s because this was her field of expertise before working for a registered agent service.

In fact, every member of their customer service team had real-life experience in some business-related field, whether it be sales or accounting. That means they’re able to provide small business advice, which I didn’t find at any other Connecticut registered agent service.

So while I originally liked Northwest Registered Agent for the services they offered, they sold me with their customer service.

If your Connecticut business could benefit from a quality registered agent service that can offer personalized guidance, visit Northwest Registered Agent.

Best Budget Option: Harbor Compliance

Positives:

• Simple online system
• Fast and prompt service
• All the basics
• Only $99*
• Dedicated account manager

Negatives:

• No small business advice

Harbor Compliance is another good choice for any business entity that prioritizes personalized service and functionality. 

While they don’t offer any “extras” like Northwest does, they do cover all the legal obligations you need from a registered agent service. And they throw in a dedicated account manager.

So if your Connecticut business needs a reliable statutory agent, head over to Harbor Compliance.

*Prices listed are per state, per year and do not include state fees.

FORMATING NOTE: SEPARATOR

My Process

Finding the best registered agent service in Connecticut took caffeine, time, and money but eventually I cut through the advertising fluff enough to find a great value option.

My Start

I’ve always found it hard to trust others. In my days on the playground, that meant playing with the toys myself rather than just listening to my peers rave about them.

And that trend has continued into my adult life. If anything, the internet has made it even stronger. Let’s say I’m going out to a restaurant with some friends. Now I can compare and contrast every item on the menu before stepping foot in the place and make a decision on what to order.

That being said, I do listen to the occasional recommendation—if it’s from one of the select few people I trust. Close friends and family know how particular I am, and they adjust accordingly.

As a business owner, the same principle applies. I generally like to make decisions by collecting as many facts as possible before consulting others. That way, the consequences rest on me and me alone.

But I’m not the only business owner out there. I have plenty of intelligent friends in my professional life that usually make sound decisions. So when it came time to pick a Connecticut registered agent service, I figured I could turn to them for suggestions.

I was wrong. Most of the people I talked to didn’t know the scope of a registered agent’s responsibilities to begin with. To be fair, I thought they were basically a mailbox service when I first started my search.

Upon realizing that nobody could give me the information I wanted, I decided to turn to the one person who’s never let me down—ME. It was time to dive into the world of registered agents.

I started off simple. After setting up a few criteria, I systematically went through every Connecticut registered agent service that popped up in my original Google search. The dozens of results didn’t seem so daunting after I had my feet on the ground.

Then I got to a point where most registered agent services had been cast aside for one reason or another and I still wasn’t sure which was the best. I ranted about this dilemma to my friend over lunch one day and he finally said, “Sounds like you should just try them all!”

Which is exactly what I did. I put my money and personal information on the line to sign up with 13 Connecticut registered agent services. By the end, I was confident I’d found the best registered agent service out there, a conclusion backed by online research AND firsthand experience.

My Criteria

Like I said, establishing criteria for the “best” Connecticut registered agent service was essential to my search. I started out with over 60 options. Thanks to these criteria, I ended with 13 out of those original 60, including one clear winner.

My first rule: no upsells. I didn’t want my own registered agent to practice unethical pricing. Many registered agents in my search would advertise an unbelievably low price, usually in the $39–$59 range, only to charge you over $100 worth of additional fees. That’s because they like to hide “extras” in the fine print that should’ve been included in the basic package.

The thing is, when I first started out looking for a registered agent in Connecticut, I didn’t know what a “basic package” looked like. Rather than just receiving mail on behalf of your business, a Connecticut registered agent is responsible for a wide range of duties:

• Providing a physical address in Connecticut to receive service of process, list as a registered office on public record, and accept official mail
• Scanning, uploading, and forwarding legal documents to your registered agent’s online portal
• Processing and forwarding all mail, legal notices, and paperwork sent to your Connecticut LLC during normal business hours
• Serving as a point of contact for the Connecticut Secretary of State or any other legal emissary corresponding with your physical street address
• Maintaining a compliance calendar to keep your business on top of important deadlines (Connecticut annual report reminders, court dates, etc.) and in good standing with the Connecticut Corporation Commission

Second rule: at least 10 years in business. As you can probably tell from that list of services, a statutory agent is constantly handling sensitive legal documents and protecting your private information. 

A registered agent service with that many years in business has longevity that makes me feel better about them guarding my personal information. After all, if they’ve been in business that long, they’ve helped enough businesses stay in good standing with the Connecticut Secretary of State to stick around. Plus, they’re less likely to make rookie mistakes, like mishandling legal documents.

Finally, my ideal resident agent would have simple, easy-to-use websites and sign-up processes. Nowadays, conducting business means interacting with the internet. A simple website shows that a resident agent is able to keep up with the times AND prioritize user experience.

Any clunky websites or overcomplicated sign-up processes weren’t good enough to be my #1.

My Journey

In some ways, finding the best registered agent in Connecticut was easier than expected. In other ways, it was harder.

First of all, I didn’t expect so many registered agents to try and upsell me. As it turns out, being a professional registered agent service doesn’t always mean being transparent with pricing. Too many resident agent options on my list advertised the “whole package” for a low price while hiding additional fees in the fine print. They were crossed off my list.

Others looked perfectly capable of providing a business address, but their “debut” into the registered agent world didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Unfortunately for them, I knew better. 

And then there were the websites. Some systems were designed so poorly that I wanted to tear my hair out trying to find basic information on their pages, like whether they received service of process or what their pricing was for certain packages.

Like the websites, I preferred a sign-up process to be issue-free. Any technical issues or confusing steps docked them points.

After using all these criteria to cut down my initial dozens of Connecticut registered agent service search results, I had 13 contenders left.

Here’s the breakdown.

My Results

With months of sifting through Connecticut registered agent services behind me, here’s my results (in order of preference):

My Favorite Registered Agent Service: Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent earned my vote for the best registered agent in Connecticut due to their professionalism, ability to keep my Connecticut LLC in compliance with state law, and exceptional customer service.

My Experience

Northwest Registered Agent doesn’t slack when it comes to fulfilling a Connecticut registered agent’s responsibilities. 

They act as your point of contact with the Connecticut Secretary of State and other emissaries by providing business entities with a physical address. At the Connecticut local office, they’re available during regular business hours to receive your mail, process legal documents, and accept service of process. 

The right registered agent will be able to handle all your mail responsibly and thus protect your personal information. Northwest Registered Agent is unique in even these basic services because they scan and upload ALL your mail to your online account rather than just the important documents. Online access to your important documents is crucial enough, but access to every piece of mail sent to your street address adds another layer of convenience.

Other than providing a registered agent’s name to fill in your paperwork with, Northwest goes the extra mile to help your limited liability company stay in compliance with the Connecticut Secretary of State by sending compliance deadline alert reminders. That means you’ll be notified about upcoming deadlines for your annual reports and other important filings.

While Northwest provides a street address to list under your business name on public record and offer 24/7 access to your registered agent online account, that’s not why they’re #1. Okay, that’s part of it. But what blew me away was their customer service.

Northwest’s Corporates Guides have a special title because they aren’t your regular customer service team. Unlike all other Connecticut registered agents, the Corporate Guides are able to provide small business advice, not just registered agent service information.

That’s because Corporate Guides are former leaders of the business industry. Each Corporate Guide has professional experience in a business-related field, whether they were accountants, lawyers, entrepreneurs, or small business owners.

No other Connecticut registered agent service I spoke to during my search was able to give me the caliber of personalized guidance that Northwest Registered Agent did. The Corporate Guides were there during normal business hours to help me troubleshoot any problem that came my way. And believe me, there were a lot of problems.

My Recommendation 

I recommend Northwest Registered Agent to businesses and limited liability companies that would like a Connecticut registered agent service that can take care of your legal obligations AND offer unmatched customer support.

While Northwest Registered Agent receives all your mail, can accept legal documents, and otherwise processes your paperwork during normal business hours, it’s the customer service that makes them both trustworthy and invaluable.

If your business entity wants its own registered agent to cover the basics and then some, head over to Northwest Registered Agent.

My Budget Pick: Harbor Compliance

Harbor Compliance is my #2 pick for a Connecticut registered agent service because they provide all the basic services your business needs from a commercial registered agent service at a very affordable rate. 

My Experience

All in all, I had a good experience with Harbor Compliance.

They’re a no-nonsense statutory agent that offers all the basics and delivers on the basics. I was wary of their cheaper price, but after working with them firsthand, I know they don’t upsell their customers.

Harbor Compliance is a statutory agent that has the basics down. They’ll provide a registered agent’s name to file with the Commercial Recording Division, a Connecticut street address for a business entity registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State, and an online portal where you can access important documents (like service of process).

They’ll accept your mail during regular business hours but unlike Northwest Registered Agent, they only upload critical documents that come your way to the online portal. For example, any service of process that comes across their desk will immediately be on your portal, but less important mail just gets forwarded to you.

One feature not every Connecticut registered agent offers is the compliance deadline alert system. Harbor Compliance is one of the registered agent options that does. It was nice to get annual report reminders and updates on filing deadlines. As a business owner, it’s all too easy to get mixed up in state fees and filing deadlines.

Harbor Compliance’s compliance calendar truly serves businesses like mine. Letting paperwork fall through the cracks by missing deadlines could cost you your good standing with the Secretary of State, especially if you consistently miss dates like the Connecticut annual reports deadlines.

While Harbor Compliance isn’t the only registered agent in Connecticut that covers the basics, they are very reliable. And they throw in a dedicated account manager. The dedicated account manager will answer any questions you have about your Connecticut registered agent, like whether they accept service of process or if they can help you with technical difficulties on the online portal.

BUT the dedicated account manager isn’t like Northwest’s Corporate Guides. The dedicated account manager will provide information about your registered agent service but nothing beyond that.

So you get what you pay for. No extra frills.

My Recommendation

Compared to the dozens of other Connecticut registered agent services on my original list, I’m satisfied with Harbor Compliance’s performance.

They managed to forward my mail just fine, so I don’t doubt their ability to handle any service of process I might receive. Plus, their annual report reminders were a lifesaver. But overall, they didn’t have any particularly exceptional features to brag on.

If you’re looking to complete a Change of Agent form, look into Harbor Compliance for a personalized registered agent experience.

The Other Registered Agent Services

Aside from my top 2 picks for a Connecticut registered agent service, I had 11 other registered agent options on my radar. Here they are (in no particular order):

Rapid Registered Agent—A few fun features

Rapid Registered Agent is a solid choice for a Connecticut registered agent service.

They’ll provide a street address, receive service of process, and otherwise serve businesses’ legal obligations. They even throw in auto-filling of paperwork.

At $120, they’re less expensive than Harbor Compliance but their service list doesn’t have any stand-out features.

Rocket Lawyer—Great for online legal services

Rocket Lawyer is slightly more expensive. At $149, they function as both a Connecticut registered agent service and a source of online legal services.

My ideal registered agent service would provide the basics for a great value. To me, this didn’t include legal services. For you, it might be a different story.

Team ‘Nothing Special’

Here’s where it got complicated. While Northwest Registered Agent and Harbor Compliance stood out, there were so many other registered agent contenders on my list that were basically the same quality that I lumped them into this single group.

Team “Nothing Special” includes IncFile ($149), ZenBusiness ($199), InCorp ($129), SunDoc Filings ($159), Jumpstart Filings ($129), Swyft Filings ($149), and Registered Agents Inc. ($200).

Some registered agent services on this list could provide a street address and accept service of process, but their websites were clunky. Others offered most features I was looking for, but they were overpriced. Whatever the reason, each registered agent on this list fell short.

Team ‘Big Brand’

While team “Nothing Special” fell short, team “Big Brand” is all about their premium services. Both members of this group, CSC Global ($299) and LegalZoom ($299), are big names in the registered agent world. They have a reputation to uphold.

They also have a lot of resources, so they can offer their customers some “extras.” For example, they might waive a service fee you get while filing your Change of Agent form.

The bottom line is, they’ll forward your mail and receive service of process just like any Connecticut registered agent service. They just do it with better branding.

Again, I was looking for a great value option in my search for the best registered agent. So while team “Big Brand” might offer $1,000,000 identity theft protection or waive some fees, they aren’t what I was looking for.

Wrapping It All Up 

Finding the right registered agent is crucial for any business that isn’t interested in getting hacked. Once I realized the importance of finding my own registered agent service, I knew I had to share my discoveries with the world.

After months of investigation, I recommend Northwest Registered Agent.

Northwest checked off all my boxes. They received, uploaded, and forwarded ALL my mail. While this mostly consisted of catalogs, I had no doubt they could handle service of process.

They provided a Connecticut street address to keep on public record and list on my LLC formation documents. And their compliance deadline alert system ensured that I didn’t forget filing deadlines that otherwise would’ve gotten me in trouble with the Connecticut Secretary of State.

But what really sold me on Northwest Registered Agent wasn’t their easy-to-use website, their mail forwarding system, or their availability during regular business hours—it was their customer service.

Whether I had a question about same-day scanning with service of process or technical difficulties with my online portal, the Corporate Guides were there. And if I needed advice about marketing, sales, or other fields outside of registered agent-related information, the Corporate Guides were still there.

Each Corporate Guide had their own professional background to pull from as former business owners, salespeople, accountants, and other roles. While other registered agent services’ customer service teams offered vague answers, Northwest’s Corporate Guides gave me consistently helpful advice.

That’s why I recommend Northwest Registered Agent to businesses that’d like the same treatment from their own agent.

If you’re looking for similar quality in your own registered agent service, visit Northwest Registered Agent.