Every Texas LLC and corporation must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in Texas. The agent can be an individual Texas resident or a business authorized in Texas, but the company cannot serve as its own agent, and the agent must consent. Changing your registered agent with Form 401 costs $15 ($5 for nonprofits) as of October 2026. We recommend Mainstay Filing at $149 a year; TX Registered Agent.org is a lower-cost option.
Updated October 2026.
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Best Registered Agents in Texas (2026)
If you’d rather not handle registered agent service in Texas yourself, these are the services we recommend, in order. The table compares price and what’s included.
| Rank | Provider | Best for | Price | What’s included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | Registered agent service with a flat renewal price | $149/year (renews at $149) | Registered agent service in all 50 states; switching from another agent included (state change fee at cost) |
| 2 | TX Registered Agent.org | Texas registered agent service only | $99/year | $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online |
| 3 | Texas Registered Agent.ai | Texas registered agent service only | $99/year | in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online |
1. Mainstay Filing
Mainstay Filing is our top pick in Texas. It costs $149/year (renews at $149) and covers registered agent service in all 50 states; switching from another agent included (state change fee at cost). The price stays the same every year, with no add-on menu.
2. TX Registered Agent.org
TX Registered Agent.org is a Texas registered agent service at $99/year. It provides $99 per year, flat; in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.
3. Texas Registered Agent.ai
Texas Registered Agent.ai is a Texas registered agent service at $99/year. It provides in-state street address for the registered office; legal documents served on the company are scanned and sent to the owner online. It’s a fit if you only need a registered agent rather than full formation help.
Texas registered agent at a glance
| Topic | Texas rule or fee (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Who must have one | Every domestic and foreign filing entity (LLCs, corporations, LPs and others) |
| Who can serve | An individual Texas resident, or an organization registered or authorized to do business in Texas |
| Can the company be its own agent? | No, but an officer, owner or employee can serve |
| Registered office | Texas street address, the same as the agent’s business address; no P.O. box, and not solely a mailbox or telephone answering service |
| Agent consent | Required; keep it on file (filing it with the SOS is optional, $15) |
| Change of registered agent/office (Form 401) | $15; $5 for nonprofit corporations and cooperative associations |
| LLC certificate of formation | $300 |
| Annual filing | No SOS annual report; franchise tax reports go to the Comptroller, due May 15 |
Sources: the Texas Secretary of State’s Registered Agents FAQ and the instructions for Form 401 and Form 205.
Who can be a registered agent in Texas?
The Texas Secretary of State gives a clear answer. Generally, a registered agent can be:
- An individual who lives in Texas, or
- An organization that is registered or authorized to do business in Texas and has a business office at the same address as your registered office
An officer, owner or employee of your company can be the agent. What Texas does not allow is for the company to serve as its own agent, and the Secretary of State and other government agencies cannot serve as anyone’s registered agent.
Many companies hire a service company instead. The Secretary of State notes that it does not keep a list of these providers, and that attorneys and accountants sometimes offer the service.
Texas requires the agent’s consent
Since January 1, 2010, a Texas registered agent must consent to the appointment. You do not need to send that consent to the Secretary of State, but you should keep the signed consent with your company records. If you do file a copy, it costs $15 ($5 for nonprofits).
The rule has teeth. Naming someone who has not agreed exposes the person signing the filing to the liabilities and penalties in sections 4.007 and 4.008 of the Business Organizations Code, which deal with false statements in filings. The non-consenting person also has no duty to act as your agent and can reject the appointment, leaving your company without one.
Can you be your own registered agent in Texas?
You personally can, if you live in Texas. Your LLC or corporation cannot, because Texas bars an entity from acting as its own agent. In practice, that means an owner or officer who is a Texas resident can be named as the individual registered agent at a Texas street address.
Whether that is wise depends on your situation:
- It can work if you have a staffed Texas office with steady hours and do not mind the address being public.
- It is a weaker fit if you work from home, travel for work, or run a business on job sites across a large state, because papers have to be accepted at the registered office.
- It is not an option if you live outside Texas. You will need a Texas resident or a business authorized in Texas.
How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Texas?
A Statement of Change of Registered Office/Agent (Form 401) costs $15, or $5 for nonprofit corporations and cooperative associations, according to the form’s instructions as of October 2026. The same form handles a new agent, a new address, or both.
Texas has no Secretary of State annual report for LLCs, so there is no “free” change on a yearly report as in some states. The filing you make each year is the franchise tax report with the Texas Comptroller, due May 15. To see the full cost of running a Texas LLC, Mainstay publishes a Texas LLC cost guide.
When must you file Form 401?
Texas requires domestic and foreign filing entities to continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office. The Secretary of State says to file a statement of change whenever:
- You switch to a new registered agent
- Your agent moves, changing the registered office address
- Your agent resigns and you need to appoint a replacement
Failing to keep an agent and office on file can lead to involuntary termination of a Texas entity, or revocation of a foreign entity’s registration to transact business in Texas.
How to change your registered agent in Texas
- Pick the new agent and get its written consent. Keep the signed consent with your records.
- Prepare Form 401: give your entity name and file number, the current agent and office as shown in state records, and the new agent (an organization, or an individual Texas resident) with the Texas street address.
- Choose when the change takes effect: on filing, on a later date up to 90 days out, or on a future event.
- File it online through SOSPortal, or mail it to the Secretary of State, P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697, with the $15 fee.
- Once filed, search your entity to confirm the new agent appears.
Keep building your Texas business
- How to start an LLC in Texas, including the $300 certificate of formation
- Texas business name search
- How to start a business in Texas
- The business name generator for ideas, and namechk to check the matching domain and handles
FAQs
Is a registered agent required in Texas?
Yes. Texas requires every domestic and foreign filing entity, including LLCs and corporations, to continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in the state. Failing to do so can lead to involuntary termination of a Texas entity or revocation of a foreign entity’s registration, according to the Texas Secretary of State.
How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Texas?
Filing Form 401, the Statement of Change of Registered Office/Agent, costs $15 with the Texas Secretary of State as of October 2026. Nonprofit corporations and cooperative associations pay $5. The form can be filed online through SOSPortal or by mail to the Secretary of State in Austin.
Can my LLC be its own registered agent in Texas?
No. The Texas Secretary of State says an entity may not serve as its own registered agent. An officer, owner or employee who is a Texas resident can serve as the individual agent instead, or the company can hire another business authorized in Texas, such as a registered agent service company.
Does a Texas registered agent have to consent?
Yes. Since January 1, 2010, a registered agent must consent to the appointment. The consent generally does not need to be filed with the Secretary of State, but the company should keep the signed consent. Designating someone without consent can trigger penalties under sections 4.007 and 4.008 of the Business Organizations Code.
Can a Texas registered office be a P.O. box?
No. Form 401 requires a Texas street address for the registered office, and states that it must be the same as the registered agent’s business address. A P.O. box is not accepted, and under Business Organizations Code 5.201 the office cannot be solely a mailbox service or telephone answering service. The agent must be able to receive legal papers in person at that address.
Does Texas have an annual report for LLCs?
The Texas Secretary of State does not require an annual report from LLCs. Instead, Texas LLCs file franchise tax reports with the Texas Comptroller, due May 15 each year. Because there is no yearly SOS report, registered agent changes are always made with Form 401.
What will switching registered agents in Texas cost in total?
There are two pieces: the $15 Form 401 filing fee and your new provider’s annual price. Mainstay Filing is $149 for the year, renews at $149, and takes care of the Form 401 switch with the state fee at cost. TX Registered Agent.org is $99 per year. Nonprofit corporations pay $5 instead of $15 for the state filing.
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