Registered agent for a Texas LLC
Data last updated: Apr 22, 2026The quick read on Texas registered agents
Every Texas 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 Texas and meet the requirements, or hire a commercial service for typically $99 to $299 per year.
Texas-specific rules matter. The statute is Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.201. 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 Texas
Texas requires an individual Texas resident at least 18 years old or a domestic or foreign entity authorized to do business in Texas. The agent's office must be a physical Texas street address, and Texas explicitly prohibits mailbox services and telephone answering services from serving as the registered office under § 5.201. This rules out some of the cheaper 'virtual office' agent options that work in more permissive states.
Texas does not operate a separate commercial registered agent registry, so any qualifying individual or entity can serve as agent for any number of LLCs. The LLC's own member or manager can serve if they meet the Texas residency requirement. Because Texas has a large filing volume (more than 300,000 active Texas LLCs), the registered agent service market is competitive and pricing is slightly below the national average for Texas-focused services.
What Texas requires of a registered agent
- Physical street address in Texas
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 Texas. Entity agents must be registered to transact business in Texas.
- Written consent on file
Texas 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.
Texas statute and change-of-agent rules
| Statute | Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.201 |
| Change of registered agent form | Statement of Change of Registered Agent/Office (Form 401) |
| Change filing fee | $15 |
| Online filing | Accepted |
| Processing time | 3 business days |
| Commercial agents must register separately | No |
Choosing the right registered agent in Texas
Texas residents running a single-state LLC have a clean DIY path. The $15 change fee and the fact that Texas has no annual report for LLCs (just the franchise tax filing to the Comptroller) make the agent role straightforward. Self-serving saves $100 to $150 per year with the standard public-record tradeoff on your home or office address in the SOSDirect entity search.
For non-Texas residents or Texas residents who want address separation, Northwest at $125 per year and Bizee at $119 after year one are standard mainstream choices. ZenBusiness starts at $99. Texas boutique services price as low as $35 to $50 per year. The real value a commercial service provides in Texas isn't just the agent role, it's catching a missed Public Information Report deadline before the Comptroller forfeits the entity. A $125 service that reminds you of the May 15 franchise tax deadline saves significantly more than one Comptroller reinstatement headache.
Registered agent services that operate in Texas
National commercial registered agent services operate in all 50 states plus DC, so every provider below accepts Texas 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 Texas registered agent lapse
Texas terminations often hit via the Comptroller rather than the registered agent route. If you miss the May 15 Public Information Report deadline or owe franchise tax, the Comptroller issues a franchise tax forfeiture, and the Secretary of State terminates the entity. Reinstatement under Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 11.253 requires Form 801 with a $75 filing fee AND a Comptroller tax clearance letter. The clearance means you've filed all missed PIRs ($50 late penalty each) and paid any franchise tax owed with penalty (5% if 1-30 days late, 10% if over 30 days). Practical reinstatement timeline is 2 to 6 weeks because the Comptroller clearance takes 2 to 4 weeks on its own.
Texas filing agency
Texas Secretary of State, Business & Commercial Section
- Website
- www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/index.shtml
- Phone
- (512) 463-5555
- corpinfo@sos.texas.gov
- P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697
- Office
- James Earl Rudder Office Building, 1019 Brazos Street, Austin, TX 78701
- 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 Texas LLC?
A Texas resident at least 18 years old with a physical Texas street address, or a domestic or foreign entity authorized to do business in Texas. Texas explicitly prohibits mailbox services and telephone answering services from serving as the registered office under Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.201. Texas doesn't operate a commercial agent registry, so any qualifying person or entity can serve for multiple LLCs. The LLC's member or manager can serve if they meet the residency requirement.
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What does a Texas registered agent service cost?
National services range from $99 per year (ZenBusiness) to $299 (Firstbase). Northwest at $125 per year and Bizee at $119 after year one are common mainstream picks. Texas-focused boutique services price as low as $35 to $50 per year because the Texas market is one of the largest in the country. Pricing power is on the customer's side.
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Can I be my own registered agent in Texas?
Yes, if you're a Texas resident, at least 18, and have a physical Texas street address (no mailbox services). You must be available during business hours to accept service of process. Your address appears on the public SOSDirect entity record, which is the standard tradeoff. Most Texas LLC owners who run the business from home serve as their own agent.
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What does it cost to change my Texas registered agent?
$15 for Form 401 Statement of Change of Registered Agent/Office, filed with the Texas Secretary of State. Same fee online through SOSDirect. Processing typically takes 1 to 3 business days online. The new agent must consent to the appointment. Most services handle the paperwork for free when you switch your agent to them.
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What happens if my Texas LLC loses its registered agent or misses franchise tax?
Texas can terminate the LLC via Secretary of State action for registered agent lapse, or via Comptroller franchise tax forfeiture (more common). Reinstatement requires Form 801 ($75 fee) plus a Comptroller tax clearance letter covering all missed Public Information Reports ($50 late penalty per report) and any unpaid franchise tax (5% or 10% penalty). Practical timeline is 2 to 6 weeks because of the Comptroller queue.
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Why is the Texas Comptroller tax clearance such a big deal?
Texas terminations frequently stem from franchise tax issues rather than registered agent lapses. Before the Secretary of State will reinstate a terminated LLC, the Comptroller must issue a tax clearance confirming all Public Information Reports are filed and any franchise tax is paid. Comptroller processing takes 2 to 4 weeks, which dominates the reinstatement timeline. See the Texas LLC formation page for the franchise tax basics.
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Does Texas operate a commercial registered agent registry?
No. Unlike Delaware and Wyoming, Texas doesn't maintain a separate registry for commercial agents. Any qualifying Texas resident or authorized entity can serve. The more important Texas-specific rule is that mailbox services and telephone answering services are explicitly prohibited from serving as the registered office, which rules out cheaper virtual-office options that work in some other states.
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Do I need a registered agent for a Texas LLC?
Yes. Texas law requires every LLC to designate a registered agent with a physical street address in Texas 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, Texas begins administrative dissolution of the entity.
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How much does a registered agent service cost in Texas?
National services range from $99 per year (ZenBusiness) to $299 per year (Firstbase). The $190 average is close to the market median. Texas-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 Texas?
File Statement of Change of Registered Agent/Office (Form 401) with Texas Secretary of State, Business & Commercial Section. The fee is $15. Online filing is accepted. Processing takes about 3 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). Texas state tax treatment follows federal on this deduction. Keep the invoices with your tax records.
Related
Sources
- Statute: statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BO/htm/BO.5.htm · verified April 22, 2026
Texas Business Organizations Code § 5.201: Registered Agent; Registered Office. Every domestic or foreign filing entity must designate and continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office in Texas. - Change of agent: www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/401_boc.pdf · verified April 22, 2026
Texas Secretary of State Form 401 Statement of Change of Registered Agent or Office. $15 filing fee ($5 for nonprofit corporations). Same fee online through SOSDirect. - Penalty: www.sos.state.tx.us/corp/forms/801_boc.pdf · verified April 22, 2026
Texas Form 801 Application for Reinstatement and Request to Set Aside Tax Forfeiture. $75 filing fee. Comptroller tax clearance required for franchise-tax forfeitures. Authority: Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 11.253. - Penalty: comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/reinstate-terminate.php · verified April 22, 2026
Texas Comptroller reinstating or terminating a business. Franchise tax forfeitures require both Comptroller tax clearance and Secretary of State reinstatement. $50 late-filing penalty per missed report plus 5% or 10% tax penalty (if tax owed).