Registered agent for a Mississippi LLC
Data last updated: Apr 22, 2026The quick read on Mississippi registered agents
Every Mississippi LLC is legally required to maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the state. The role is to receive service of process (lawsuit papers), state tax notices, and other official government mail on the LLC's behalf. You can serve as your own agent if you live in Mississippi and meet the requirements, or hire a commercial service for typically $99 to $299 per year.
Mississippi-specific rules matter. The statute is Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13. The registered agent's address goes on the public state record, so most owners who want privacy use a paid service to keep their home address off the record. Owners who live in the state and don't mind the public listing often save $100 to $250 per year by serving as their own agent.
Who can serve as a registered agent in Mississippi
Mississippi allows an individual who resides in Mississippi or an entity (domestic or foreign) authorized to do business in the state to serve as registered agent. The registered office must be a Mississippi street address, and business-hours availability is required. Mississippi adopted the Uniform Registered Agents Act, which formally distinguishes commercial agents (those listed through an optional Commercial Registered Agent Listing) from noncommercial agents (individual and small-volume entity agents).
The commercial listing is a convenience filing, not a gate. Any qualifying individual or entity can serve as RA without registering as a commercial agent; the listing just lets a high-volume service be identified by name in place of a full address block on subsequent filings. National services like Northwest, CT Corporation, and Bizee serve Mississippi LLCs through their existing Mississippi foreign entity registrations. The LLC's own member or manager can serve as registered agent if they meet the residency or entity-authorization rule.
What Mississippi requires of a registered agent
- Physical street address in Mississippi
Not a PO box, not a mail-drop. The address becomes part of the public record visible on the Secretary of State's business entity search.
- Available during business hours
Typically 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday. The agent has to be physically present (or have staff present) to accept service, not just reachable by phone or email.
- At least 18 years old and a resident or registered entity
Individual agents must be 18+ and reside in Mississippi. Entity agents must be registered to transact business in Mississippi.
- Written consent on file
Mississippi requires the registered agent to consent in writing to serve. Formation services handle this automatically when you sign up. For an individual agent, a simple signed consent letter suffices.
Mississippi statute and change-of-agent rules
| Statute | Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13 |
| Change of registered agent form | Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form F0400) |
| Change filing fee | $25 |
| Online filing | Accepted |
| Processing time | 2 business days |
| Commercial agents must register separately | No |
Choosing the right registered agent in Mississippi
Mississippi is an inexpensive state to maintain an LLC. The formation fee is $50, the domestic annual report is free, and there's no franchise tax on pass-through LLCs. That makes the RA decision more about convenience and privacy than cost. For Mississippi residents with a stable address, serving as your own registered agent is legitimate and saves $100 to $250 per year. The public-record exposure is modest; the Mississippi Corporations portal displays the RA's name and address on the entity record.
For paid services, Northwest at $125 per year is the usual pick for Mississippi LLCs and handles the $25 change-of-agent filing at no extra cost when you switch. Bizee runs $119 per year. ZenBusiness at $99 is the cheapest national option. Local Mississippi law-firm RA offerings exist in the $75 to $150 range, particularly around Jackson and the Gulf Coast. The Mississippi formation page covers the full Corporations portal flow.
Registered agent services that operate in Mississippi
National commercial registered agent services operate in all 50 states plus DC, so every provider below accepts Mississippi LLCs. Sorted by annual renewal cost. Click the service name for the full review.
| Service | Annual renewal | Trustpilot | Review count |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness | $99/yr | 4.8 | 28,984 |
| Bizee fka Incfile | $119/yr | 4.7 | 25,227 |
| MyCorporation | $120/yr | 3.7 | 279 |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125/yr | 3.8 | 217 |
| CorpNet | $149/yr | 4.9 | 1,205 |
| doola | $197/yr | 4.6 | 2,005 |
| Tailor Brands | $199/yr | 4.7 | 14,203 |
| BizFilings | $220/yr | 4.5 | 170 |
| Inc Authority | $249/yr | 4.9 | 46,831 |
| LegalZoom | $249/yr | 4.6 | 30,014 |
| Rocket Lawyer | $250/yr | 4.5 | 9,717 |
| Firstbase | $299/yr | 4.8 | 1,045 |
If you let your Mississippi registered agent lapse
Under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-29-835, Mississippi can administratively dissolve an LLC for failure to maintain a registered agent, failure to file the annual report (free for domestic, $250 for foreign) by April 15, or failure to notify the Secretary of State of an RA change. The Corporations Division sends a 60-day cure notice before dissolution takes effect. Reinstatement requires an Application for Reinstatement at $50 plus any delinquent foreign annual reports. For domestic LLCs, the reinstatement bill is small because the missed annual reports themselves cost nothing. The online process typically resolves in 2 to 3 weeks.
Mississippi filing agency
Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- Website
- www.sos.ms.gov/business-services-regulation
- Phone
- (601) 359-1633
- CustomerService@sos.ms.gov
- P.O. Box 136, Jackson, MS 39205-0136
- Office
- 660 North Street, Jackson, MS 39201
- Hours
- 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Central, Monday to Friday
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who can be a registered agent for a Mississippi LLC?
An individual Mississippi resident at least 18 with a Mississippi street address, or an entity (domestic or foreign) authorized to do business in Mississippi. PO boxes don't qualify as the registered office. The LLC's own owner or manager can serve if they meet the residency or entity-authorization rule.
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How much does a Mississippi registered agent service cost?
National services run $99 to $249 per year, with ZenBusiness at $99, Bizee at $119, and Northwest at $125 as the common mid-tier options. Local Mississippi law-firm RA offerings often run $75 to $150 per year. With Mississippi's free domestic annual report, the RA service fee is usually the main recurring state-level cost.
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Can I be my own registered agent in Mississippi?
Yes, if you reside in Mississippi, have a Mississippi street address, and are available during business hours to accept service of process. Your name and address appear on the public Corporations portal entity record. Self-serving is viable for Mississippi residents willing to accept that exposure.
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What does it cost to change my Mississippi registered agent?
$25 for the Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form F0400), filed online through the Mississippi Corporations portal. Processing runs 1 to 2 business days. Mississippi requires online filing for most business documents, so there's no mail-in option for this form.
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What happens if my Mississippi LLC's registered agent resigns?
You have 60 days to designate a replacement after the Secretary of State's cure notice under Miss. Code Ann. § 79-29-835. Miss the window and Mississippi can administratively dissolve the LLC. Reinstatement costs $50 plus any delinquent foreign annual reports; for domestic LLCs with free annual reports the reinstatement bill is small.
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Does Mississippi operate a commercial registered agent registry?
Mississippi adopted the Uniform Registered Agents Act, which offers an optional Commercial Registered Agent Listing. This is a convenience filing, not a gatekeeping requirement. Any qualifying individual or entity can serve as RA without registering as a commercial agent, and noncommercial agents are common for small-volume filings.
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Do foreign LLCs pay more for annual reports in Mississippi?
Yes. Domestic LLCs file the annual report for free. Foreign LLCs pay $250 per year for the same report. This $250 foreign premium is Mississippi's functional foreign-qualification tax and is separate from the $25 change-of-agent fee.
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Do I need a registered agent for a Mississippi LLC?
Yes. Mississippi law requires every LLC to designate a registered agent with a physical street address in Mississippi and availability during business hours. There is no exception for inactive or small LLCs. If the LLC loses its registered agent and doesn't designate a replacement within the state's grace period, Mississippi begins administrative dissolution of the entity.
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How much does a registered agent service cost in Mississippi?
National services range from $99 per year (ZenBusiness) to $299 per year (Firstbase). The $190 average is close to the market median. Mississippi-based local registered agent services also operate in the state, typically pricing between $50 and $150 per year.
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How do I change my registered agent in Mississippi?
File Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form F0400) with Mississippi Secretary of State, Business Services Division. The fee is $25. Online filing is accepted. Processing takes about 2 business days. Most formation services handle this paperwork for free when you sign up.
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Is the registered agent fee tax deductible?
Yes. Registered agent fees are an ordinary and necessary business expense deductible on the LLC's federal tax return (Schedule C, Form 1065, or 1120/1120-S depending on tax treatment). Mississippi state tax treatment follows federal on this deduction. Keep the invoices with your tax records.
Related
Sources
- Statute: law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/title-79/chapter-35/section-79-35-13/… · verified April 22, 2026
Miss. Code Ann. § 79-35-13 (Registered agent required) under Title 79 Chapter 35 (Uniform Registered Agents Act) requires every Mississippi LLC to continuously maintain a registered agent. Cross-referenced with Title 79 Chapter 29 (Mississippi Limited Liability Company Act). - Change of agent: www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/Business/FeeSchedule.pdf · verified April 22, 2026
Mississippi Secretary of State Business Documents Filing Fees: Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent (Form F0400) filing fee is $25 for LLCs. Online filing required through the Corporations portal; processing typically 1 to 2 business days. - Penalty: law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/title-79/chapter-29/article-8/section… · verified April 22, 2026
Miss. Code Ann. § 79-29-835 (Grounds for administrative dissolution) includes failure to file an annual report, failure to maintain a registered agent, and failure to notify the Secretary of State of a registered agent change. 60-day cure notice precedes dissolution. Reinstatement fee is $50 under the Mississippi SoS fee schedule.