Registered agent required
Yes
Source sos.texas.gov, October 2026
Registered agent guide · Texas
Texas Registered Agent Rules and Fees (2026): the Official Numbers and the 3 Best Agents
In 2026, for hiring a registered agent in Texas, our order is Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Texas Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and TX Registered Agent.org ($99 a year). Texas has no yearly report fee, so the registered agent is the one recurring item to plan for. It shares number 1st of 50.
Texas: the facts
1st
place among 50 states, one-year state cost
Number 1 owes the state the least, in a tie. See all 50 states ranked
Recurring report
No fee
Due date, in the state's own words: May 15. Source comptroller.texas.gov, October 2026
State charges over 1 year
$0
The recurring charges for one year
Texas ranking
Five weighted criteria set the order (method): provider fees over three years 34%, filings covered 28%, then renewal terms, fit with Texas rules and a clear state fee.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for the whole country
$149 per year; renews at $149
Number one, Mainstay Filing, for this reason: one $149 agent plan that works in each new state a company adds.
Over three years the provider fees are $150 above Texas Registered Agent.ai's, and in exchange the state paperwork it handles is wider.
What the price takes in
- An in-state street address on file
- Scans papers served on the company the same business day, at no charge
- Scans the first three government letters each year, no charge
- Serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs as well
In its favor
- $149 per year, the same at renewal
- Works in every state
Against it
- Charges $50 more each year than Texas Registered Agent.ai
- This plan does not file reports
2. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for companies that operate only in Texas
$99 per year; renews at $99
Texas Registered Agent.ai comes second because a local agent at $99 per year, with a street address on the public record.
What the price takes in
- A real Texas street address
- Papers served on the company are scanned to your login
In its favor
- Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
- A flat $99 yearly
Against it
- Another state needs a different agent
- The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report is not filed for you
3. TX Registered Agent.org: best for a second Texas choice
$99 per year; renews at $99
TX Registered Agent.org comes third because a local agent at $99 per year, with a street address on the public record.
Texas Registered Agent.ai and this provider post the same prices.
What the price takes in
- A real Texas street address
- Papers served on the company are scanned to your login
In its favor
- Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
- A flat $99 yearly
Against it
- Another state needs a different agent
- The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report is not filed for you
3 providers next to each other
| No. | Provider | Price per year | Renewal price | Provider fees over 3 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Texas Registered Agent.ai | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | TX Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
These were the posted prices on November 13, 2026. The state charges the same no matter who is your agent.
Upkeep cost calculator
Agent prices plus the state's recurring charges (the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report from year 2). Formation fees are not counted.
Texas and the states around it in the ranking
| Place | State | Yearly state fees |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ohio | $0 |
| 1st | South Carolina | $0 |
| 1st | Texas | $0 |
| 11th | New York | $4.50 |
| 12th | Pennsylvania | $7 |
The complete list ranks all fifty states the same way.
What Texas law says about the registered agent
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a street address where papers can be handed to the agent during normal business hours. A mailbox service or answering service alone does not qualify.
Who can act as agent: A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent. (Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.201)
Keeping a Texas LLC going in 2026
Each year the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report costs nothing, May 15. The state sends its mail to your registered agent.
Why the first pick is first
The criterion that decided Texas was paperwork inside the price, at 28%.
One agent for any state beat the single-state option.
Questions about Texas
Are Texas LLCs obliged to keep a registered agent on file?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who can serve as the registered agent for Texas LLCs?
A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent.
What does registered agent service cost in Texas each year?
The agents on this page charge $99 to $149 per year.
What state fees does an LLC pay every year?
Nothing. Texas has no yearly report fee, so no state fee repeats.
Which registered agents does this page rank?
Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), Texas Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and TX Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), listed from strongest to weakest.
Which registered agent would you choose?
Mainstay Filing leads and Texas Registered Agent.ai and TX Registered Agent.org follow. The deciding factor is paperwork inside the price.
Where these facts come from
- Check our statements on Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source against comptroller.texas.gov, the official page, which we last read in October 2026.
- Check our statements on Texas report due date against statutes.capitol.texas.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on Tex against sos.texas.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on Texas registered agent statute against sos.texas.gov, the official page, which we last read in October 2026.
- Check our statements on Ohio Secretary of State against ohiosos.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on Ohio Secretary of State against ohiosos.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on South Carolina Secretary of State for formation against dor.sc.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on South Carolina Secretary of State for formation against dor.sc.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on South Carolina yearly filing: Annual report, official source against dor.sc.gov, the official page, which we last read in October 2026.
- Check our statements on New York Department of State, Division of Corporations against dos.ny.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on New York Department of State, Division of Corporations against filing.dos.ny.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and against pa.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- Check our statements on Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and against pa.gov, the official page, which we last read in August 2026.
- As read November 13, 2026, Mainstay Filing shows Texas service page on its site
- As read November 13, 2026, Texas Registered Agent.ai shows pricing page on its site
- As read November 13, 2026, TX Registered Agent.org shows pricing page on its site