I’ve tested the 11 best registered agent services in New York. Here’s my review.

I’ve managed to get over my deep-rooted paranoia of consumer scams by testing and reviewing the most popular registered agents in the state of New York. This laborious process took me an entire year but, ultimately, I was able to single out the 11 best registered agents in New York.

Here are the results of my investigation.

I’ve exhausted the limits of human energy AND the internet to conclude that Northwest Registered Agent is the best registered agent in New York State. Why, you ask? Well:

• They provide a registered office address in all 50 states.
• They scan and upload ALL my mail.
• They provide an online account where I can view my important documents.
• They charge $125 for their services. 
• They provide a really simple sign-up system.
• They let me know about any and all compliance dates I need to meet to stay in good standing with the New York Department of State.
• They accept Service of Process on behalf of my New York LLC.

Not bad, right? The moment I saw the wide range of services they provide, I was immediately sold.

I also got in touch with one of their corporate guides and inundated him with questions just to see if he would manage to stay composed while I annoyed him, and I was surprised by how polite and understanding he was during the conversation.

For instance, when I asked him the best options for recruiting qualified staff for my newly formed New York Limited Liability Company (LLC) the Corporate Guide not only provided me with a proper solution, he also followed up later, which I thought was a nice gesture.

I later on learned that their whole support crew is made up of experienced business professionals with backgrounds in a variety of fields. They understand the daily challenges that most business owners go through and use this experience to help them sort out their problems.

While the wide range of services that Northwest provides places them in the top three in New York, their customer service puts them in the #1 position.

If you need stellar business advice that will help you with your new business in New York, visit Northwest Registered Agent today and learn more about their services.

Before I settled on Northwest Registered Agent as my agency of choice, Harbor Compliance had already won me over.

They provided all the basic services I needed from a New York registered agent at the most affordable price, including the name and address that New York requires to keep my personal information off the public record.

They connected me with a dedicated account manager who understood the specific challenges of my New York LLC and provided solutions tailored to my situation.

The account manager did not provide the small business advice you get from Northwest Registered Agent, but considering that they charge $99 for personalized LLC support, they are the best budget option in New York.

Visit the Harbor Compliance website today to learn more about their services.

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My Process

I spent the better part of 12 months thoroughly reviewing the best New York registered agent services. Below is the procedure I used to arrive at my conclusions.

My Start

I view myself as a bona fide skeptic. I take every piece of information with a pinch of salt, whether it’s an advert for a new TV or a “wet paint” sign. I’m not quite sure how this state of paranoia came about, but it has fueled my obsession with research. I can sit for hours researching a specific brand of power drill just to make an informed purchase.

I used this obsession with facts to find a registered agent to assist me with my New York LLC. A simple Google search of “the best registered agent in New York” brought up over 50 results and I had to painstakingly go through each of them just to get a clear picture of the services they offered. In the end I was more confused than informed.

That’s when I had an epiphany. If I couldn’t trust the claims made by each registered agent, I should sign up with all of them and get first-hand experience of their services. This seemed like a tall order at first (and it definitely was). But this process was the only surefire way to put my mind at rest.

So I narrowed my search to 11 registered agents using a quick elimination process, came up with 11 different new business entities, and signed up to their services. The 12-month review process had officially begun.

My Criteria

I devised a set of criteria to help me select which New York registered agent was the best:

• Comprehensive suite of New York registered agent service features at a defined fee
• No hidden costs, small print, or aggressive upsells
• A physical address in New York that’s available during normal business hours to receive Service of Process
• Filing and submitting LLC Articles of Organization to the New York Department of State Division of Corporations
• Scanning, uploading, and forwarding my mail to an accessible online portal
• Compliance notifications when it’s time to file annual reports with the New York Secretary of State
• Value—you shouldn’t have to pay a fortune for someone to accept Service of Process on behalf of your business in New York
• Longevity—a trustworthy registered agent must be well established and have a working relationship with the New York Department of State Division of Corporations
• Quick sign-up process and pre-filled paperwork with no cumbersome, out-of-date online platforms
• Timely and professional New York registered agent customer service personnel

The registered agent service providers that failed to meet these criteria were eliminated from my search for the best registered agent service in New York. 

My Journey

When I got started on this search for the best New York registered agent service, I had close to 50 agencies to research, but after putting them through the first stage of my review process, I managed to reduce this number significantly.

I encountered hundreds of unfavorable web reviews and comments made by dissatisfied consumers. Some consumers were dissatisfied with the absence of basic LLC services, some with the costs, and others with bad customer service. I removed the majority of agents that provided these poor services, leaving only 16 New York agents on my list. 

Next I visited the websites of the remaining registered agents to read over the claims and promises they made, and I immediately had enough reasons to exclude a few more agencies from my list of competitors.

Some registered agent service providers promote their lack of experience as their most compelling selling feature, which does not actually inspire much confidence.

A few even advise using a fax machine to send your completed documents. I’m sorry, but anyone still utilizing a fax machine in the twenty-first century needs to get a grip on reality. After I dropped these shady New York registered agent service providers from my list of contenders, I was left with 11 promising companies. 

My Results

After 12 months of meticulous research, I had finally managed to rank the 11 major New York registered agent services in order of preference.

My Favorite Registered Agent Service: Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent is the best New York registered agent because they offer inexpensive and dependable services that guarantee my company satisfies all the legal requirements imposed by the New York Department of State Division of Corporations. Furthermore, the customer support they offer is unrivaled in the market.

My Experience

Northwest Registered Agent provided a business name and physical street address and made certain that my Articles of Organization were properly filed and submitted to the New York Department of State Division of Corporations.

They scan, upload, and transmit all legal notices to my online document portal, as well as ensuring that I get compliance notifications of crucial state filing dates for my LLC, such as filing my annual reports. These extensive and trustworthy services ensure that my organization abides by the regulations set by the New York Secretary of State and even though I haven’t been sued, Northwest Registered Agent is more than capable of handling Service of Process on behalf of my New York LLC.

Their Corporate Guides, an in-house team of customer support professionals, distinguish Northwest Registered Agent from their competitors. Each Corporate Guide has a background related to your New York LLC (Limited Liability Company), such as marketing or law. When I approached them for assistance, they walked me through every stage of the LLC formation process and helped me with filing the Articles of Organization for my business, and they were always there to provide excellent business advice, such as how to run a successful marketing campaign or how to attract the best employees for my fledgling LLC.

My Recommendation

Northwest Registered Agent is the registered agent of choice if you want your LLC to stay in good standing with the New York Secretary of State and the New York Department of State Division of Corporation. 

Their LLC services are reliable and their online sign-up system is intuitive and easy to navigate. 

Their Corporate Guides are available every business day and they will make certain that my New York LLC (Limited Liability Company) is in good standing with the New York Division of Corporations. They provide great business advice for when I come across any difficulties during my daily business entity operations.

If your LLC needs a reliable registered agent with amazing customer support, contact Northwest Registered Agent today.

My Budget Pick: Harbor Compliance

Before I chose Northwest Registered Agent for my LLC, Harbor Compliance was the main contender for the best registered agent service in New York because they made sure that my legal obligations were taken care of and better yet, they provided a dedicated account manager. All that while charging the cheapest rate in the industry.

My Experience

Their sign-up process is quite simple, and their website is straightforward and easy to navigate.

As part of their services, they provide you with a business name and street address in New York that is open during normal business hours, where they accept legal notices, scan them, and upload them to an online storage portal. They also forward your mail and notify you when vital documents, such as Service of Process, are received. 

The dedicated account manager is their strongest unique selling point. While this benefit isn’t quite on par with Northwest Registered Agent’s Corporate Guides, the dedicated account manager was helpful in answering service-related inquiries regarding my new business in New York.

My Recommendation

Harbor Compliance is a reputable New York registered agent that provides reliable services at the most affordable price. 

They’ll ensure that your New York LLC stays on the right side of the law and that your legal duties to the State Division of Corporations are met. Their dedicated account manager walks you through their sign-up in case you get stuck.

Harbor Compliance is a good second alternative if you already have a small business adviser or if you don’t have the extra $26 per year to invest with Northwest Registered Agent.

Other Registered Agent Services

Apart from the two major New York registered agents, I reviewed nine more companies as part of my investigation.

Rapid Registered Agent—A few fun features

With Rapid Registered Agent, New York LLCs get a registered agent service with a few things to like. For $120 plus filing fee, they provide the basics, plus they auto-complete your forms, which is nice.

They don’t provide the same degree of customer service as Northwest Registered Agent, and they’re more expensive than Harbor Compliance, but they are still a dependable organization that won’t charge extra fees.

Rocket Lawyer—Great for online legal services

Rocket lawyer is an online legal services provider that also offers a few basic agent services for $149. These include an online document repository that stores legal documents and filing Articles of Organizations with the New York State Division of Corporations.

They are a good choice for your New York LLC if you need legal services and registered agent services handled by one company. If not, they’re too pricey.

Team ‘Nothing Special’

The four New York registered agent service providers listed below are so identical that writing about them separately isn’t necessary. These “nice, but nothing extraordinary” members of the club are Jumpstart Filings ($150 plus filing fee), SunDoc Filings ($159 plus filing fee), Registered Agents Inc. ($200 plus filing fee), and Incorporate.com ($235 plus filing fee).

These corporations are not primarily registered agents, but will provide the same essentials for your business entity as Harbor Compliance, though for a higher fee.

Team ‘Big Brand’

LegalZoom ($299 plus filing fee), Wolters Kluwer ($305 plus filing fee), and CSC Global ($299 plus filing fee) are all well-known companies that rely on their “Big Brand” reputation.

They’re content to charge outrageous fees for what is effectively the same product as everyone else’s because they all have nice-looking websites and good marketing professionals. They all provide additional services (such as LLC or other business formation) at a cost. Their customer service is adequate, but Northwest Registered Agent and Harbor Compliance provide better customer support for less than half the price.

Wrapping It All Up

After enduring the lengthy task of testing each New York registered agent on this list, I can confidently declare that Northwest Registered Agent is the best registered agent service in the state.

Northwest Registered Agent was able to provide basic registered agent services, such as a New York registered office available during regular business hours to accept my legal documents on behalf of my LLC, processing and forwarding of my mail and legal documents, receipt of Service of Process, and a New York business address. They also keep me out of trouble with the New York State Division of Corporations.

Their Corporate Guides propelled them to the top of our list. 

The Corporate Guides will help you during your LLC formation process and they also provide superb business advice that will help you during your daily business operations. Being one of their Corporate Guides requires real-world experience, so having them on speed-dial gives me the confidence to build my business faster and better.

Visit Northwest Registered Agent if you are ready to begin your business venture in the state of New York.