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LLC 101 Guide

Section 2 · New York

The New York Registered Agent Unit (2026): 6 Tasks and the 3 Best Agents

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), NY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and New York Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year): that is the order of the services we would hire in New York in 2026 for naming a registered agent. The 6 tasks below cover what New York requires of an agent for service of process, who may serve, which address counts and how to put the agent on record.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Read this first

Must you have one?
Check task 1
Look it up at nysenate.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Agent price range
$99 to $149 a year
Read from each company's price page
Biennial statement
$9 every 2 years
Look it up at dos.ny.gov; our reading dates from October 2026
Tasks in this unit
6
One by one

You will leave able to

  • What New York requires of an agent for service of process
  • Who may serve and from what address
  • How to name or swap the agent
  • How the picks compare

Who we would hire in New York

What counts most: three-year cost and how many assignments the price finishes. How we grade lists all five criteria.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states

Start with this oneFirst year $149; renewal $149

Start the list with Mainstay Filing, because an agent for $149 a year who can follow the company wherever it registers next.

You pay $150 more over three years than at NY Registered Agent.org and leave less of the paperwork to yourself.

What the price covers

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Free scans of legal papers served on the company, sent the business day they arrive
  • Up to three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • The same provider anywhere
  • A flat $149 yearly

What to weigh

  • NY Registered Agent.org is $50 a year lower
  • Report filing needs the formation package
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. NY Registered Agent.org: best for LLCs that live only in New York

New York specialistFirst year $99; renewal $99

Second goes to NY Registered Agent.org, since $99 a year, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

What the price covers

  • A physical address in New York
  • Legal papers scanned and posted for you

What works

  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • Price $99; renews at $99

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
  • No help with the biennial statement
Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for an in-state office address

New York specialistFirst year $99; renewal $99

Third goes to New York Registered Agent.ai, since $99 a year, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

NY Registered Agent.org and this service cost the same.

What the price covers

  • A physical address in New York
  • Legal papers scanned and posted for you

What works

  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • Price $99; renews at $99

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
  • No help with the biennial statement
Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NY Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3New York Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. Switching agents does not change what the state charges.

The tasks

  1. Task 1

    Start with the legal rule

    The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

    Source: Look it up at nysenate.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Check who is eligible

    If one is designated: a person who lives in New York or has a business address there, an LLC formed or authorized in New York, or a corporation formed or authorized in New York. Legal source: N.Y. LLC Law §§ 301 and 302.

  3. Task 3

    The address rule

    New York has no registered-office requirement. The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC and mails a copy of any papers served to the address the company has on file. A designated registered agent's street address goes on the filing.

    A service gives you a New York street address so yours stays off the filing.

  4. Task 4

    Settle on the person or company

    Hiring from the recommended agents costs $99 to $149 a year; serving yourself is the option for those who qualify.

  5. Task 5

    Report the agent's details

    On a new New York LLC, the agent goes on the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f). A later switch is a separate filing with the New York Secretary of State.

    Source: Look it up at dos.ny.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

  6. Task 6

    Update when things change

    Mail from the state about the biennial statement reaches your agent for service of process. The filing is $9 every two years, due during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

    Source: Look it up at dos.ny.gov; our reading dates from October 2026

What the agent costs in New York

EntryReceiverTotal
A professional agentThe provider$99 to $149 a year
RenewalThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Biennial statementState agency$9 every two years
Three years of state cost equals the filing fee, plus the reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. The sources are listed below.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

pulled ahead of on assignments the price completes, a criterion worth 31%.

Reach put it ahead of NY Registered Agent.org.

Common questions

Is an agent for service of process a must for New York LLCs?

The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

Can I be my own agent for service of process?

The rule in task 1 makes it optional, so tasks 2 and 3 only matter if you name an agent.

Can I change my agent for service of process later?

Yes; the New York Secretary of State accepts change filings, and task 5 says what to send.

What does a registered agent cost in New York?

Prices on this page run $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The yearly item is the biennial statement, which costs $9.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, NY Registered Agent.org and New York Registered Agent.ai, from highest grade to lowest.

Reading list and sources

  1. Hand-in notes for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Each statement rests on dos.ny.gov, last opened August 2026.
  2. Hand-in notes for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. Each statement rests on filing.dos.ny.gov, last opened August 2026.
  3. Hand-in notes for New York report due date. Each statement rests on nysenate.gov, last opened August 2026.
  4. Hand-in notes for NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203. Each statement rests on nysenate.gov, last opened August 2026.
  5. Hand-in notes for New York formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Each statement rests on dos.ny.gov, last opened October 2026.
  6. Hand-in notes for New York registered agent statute. Each statement rests on nysenate.gov, last opened October 2026.
  7. New York service page of Mainstay Filing, taken on November 13, 2026
  8. pricing page of NY Registered Agent.org, taken on November 13, 2026
  9. pricing page of New York Registered Agent.ai, taken on November 13, 2026