Finding the right registered agent is crucial for starting your business on the right note. A good registered agent will help you keep compliant with all the state deadlines and regulations and act as a correspondent without compromising your privacy. For anyone looking to expand or start their business in Iowa, we reviewed the best Iowa registered agent services that cater to every type of business and budget.
If you don’t have the time to read the entire article, check out our short summary table below, where you can find what our top best Iowa registered agent recommendations offer.
Best Iowa Registered Agent Recommendations
| Registered Agent Service | Cost | Office Locations |
|---|---|---|
| ZenBusiness | $199 a year | Not stated |
| Northwest | $125 a year | Waterloo |
| IncFile | $119 a year/ first year free with incorporation | Not stated |
| Iowa Registered Agent | $49 | Waterloo |
| Registered Agents Inc. | $200 a year | Not stated |
| CSC Global | $381 a year | Des Moines |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 a year | Waterloo |
| InCorp | $129 a year | Des Moines |
| LegalZoom | $299 a year | Not stated |
| Registered Agent Net | $89 a year | Not stated |
In addition to our individual recommendations, we’ll also go over all the necessary steps to register a business in Iowa and answer your most pressing question in the FAQ section.
But first, let’s briefly cover some essentials.
What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent can be either an individual or a company that provides registered agent services. Their role is to accept any mail or official government correspondence on behalf of your business, and notify you of said correspondence.
Many registered agent services also provide compliance notices to ensure that you never miss a deadline and have to pay a fine.
Does Iowa Require a Registered Agent Service?
In Iowa, it’s required by law that you have a designated registered agent for service of process. Even though the state of Iowa allows you to appoint yourself as your own registered agent, most business owners opt for hiring a registered agent service for the peace of mind.
Benefits of Hiring a Registered Agent Service
Here are all the benefits you can expect if you hire a registered agent service:
- You’ll avoid getting fined or getting in trouble with the state;
- You won’t have to maintain normal business hours and you can be more flexible in terms of how you spend your day;
- It’ll prevent you from getting into potentially embarrassing situations with clients in case you ever get served in front of your customers;
- You can easily expand your business across various states;
- You won’t have to share your private address on any documents;
- You’ll have more time to dedicate to the growth of your business.
1. ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is a nationwide registered agent service that’s helped launch over 400,000 businesses. It’s rated as the #1 service on sites such as Forbes and Investopedia, and it has thousands of positive reviews online. For $199 a year, you can access the following features:
- Fast turnaround
- Mail notifications
- Mail forwarding
- State notices monitoring
- Digital storage
All your important documents will be uploaded to a digital dashboard where you can access them at any time.
We also love how dedicated they are to giving back to the community – their 2023 ZenBusiness $5K Grant Program gives struggling entrepreneurs a chance to apply and get up to $5,000 in funding to start their businesses.
Moreover, customers love their dedicated customer support team and how intuitive their site is to use.
You can also hire ZenBusiness for other services, including:
- Formation services
- Banking
- Worry-free compliance
- Annual reports
- Domain name and website
- EIN Number
- Taxes and accounting
2. Northwest
Northwest is one of the most popular registered agent services across the United States that offers a myriad of services for a relatively affordable price. Their registered agent service package includes:
- Document storage
- Compliance alerts
- Pre-filled state forms
- Mail forwarding
- Annual report reminders
- Scanned documents
Moreover, their customers have access to their expert Corporate Guides and customer support team that’s excellent and ready to help with any hiccup that might arise.
Their registered agent package costs $125 a year, but you can get a small discount if you use their registered agent services in multiple states. If you sign up for their formation services, you will get a complimentary year of registered agent services.
Their fees are transparent and they won’t sell your data to any third parties.
Their Iowa office is located in Waterloo.
Here are some of the other services you might want to consider from Northwest:
- LLC formation
- Annual report filings
- Trademarking
- Phone service
- Payment processing
- Foreign qualification
- Virtual office
3. IncFile
IncFile is an outstanding registered agent service that’s known for providing a year of free registered agent services with their formation package. In return, you’ll get access to benefits such as:
- Automatic mail forwarding
- Compliance reminders
- Personalized notifications
- Access to a digital dashboard
Their yearly fee is $119.
You can also hire IncFile for:
- Foreign qualification
- Company dissolution
- EIN Number
- S Corp election
- Trademarking
- Amendment
- Certificate of good standing
4. Iowa Registered Agent
If you’re starting with a smaller budget and you’re looking for an affordable registered agent service, we recommend Iowa Registered Agent. Their registered agent services will set you back only $49 a year and they provide all the tools you’ll need to stay successfully compliant, such as:
- Access to filing tips and guides
- Same-day notifications
- Access to an online account
- Business forms
- Auto-reminders and compliance tools
Their address is located in Waterloo.
Apart from offering registered agent services, they also provide the following services:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Annual report reminders
5. Registered Agents Inc.
Another excellent option for an Iowa registered agent is Registered Agents Inc. Since they’re a nationwide service, they will suit any business that operates in multiple states. Their registered agent package includes:
- Access to a secure online account
- Digital and fast notifications
- Access to state forms
Customers love their intuitive design and easy-to-use website.
Their registered agent service costs $200 a year.
Some of their other services include:
- Incorporation services
- Business compliance
- BOC-3 process agent service
6. CSC Global
While they’re a little on the expensive side ($381 a year), CSC Global is a wonderful registered agent service that suits larger businesses and businesses that have a bigger budget to work with. Their package comes with a plethora of benefits, such as:
- Annual compliance reminders
- Same-day document scans
- Access to SOC-2 facilities
- Electronic delivery of documents
- Access to a personalized online dashboard
CSC Global are known for ensuring the safety of their clients and protecting their personal data, so you’ll never have to worry about any third parties getting a hold of your information.
Their Iowa address is located in Des Moines.
Their other services include:
- Annual reports
- UCC search
- Business license services
- Corporate filings
7. Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance are one of the most popular registered agent services in the United States that have over 35,000 customers throughout the years. With their registered agent services, you will be granted access to:
- Pre-filled state forms
- Annual report reminders
- Same-day electronic delivery of your documents
Their yearly fee is $99, but you can get an additional 10% discount if you use their registered agent services for multiple years.
One of the greatest features of Harbor Compliance is their rapid processing speed – you’ll receive all your documents promptly and you’ll never have to worry about missing an important deadline.
Their Iowa address is located in Waterloo.
On top of registered agent services, they also offer:
- Amendments
- Business licenses
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Registration
8. InCorp
Another affordable option for an Iowa registered agent service is InCorp. Their yearly pricing is $129, but you can pay as low as $87 with their multi-year service. In return, you’ll get:
- Annual report filings
- Legal notifications
- Mail forwarding
- Access to their Entity Management System
Another reason to opt for InCorp is their dedication to protecting their clients from identity theft.
Their Iowa address is located in Des Moines.
Other services provided by InCorp include:
- Incorporation
- Copyright and trademarking
- Apostille service
- EIN Number
- Entity dissolution
- Foreign qualification
- DBA filing
- UCC search
9. LegalZoom
LegalZoom is known for offering a plethora of services in the legal field and having helped over 2 million businesses. Their registered agent services include benefits such as:
- Unlimited cloud storage
- Mail alerts
- Annual report reminders
- $1M in identity theft protection
In addition, you’ll also get access to their Compliance Calendar, which allows you to seamlessly keep track of all important deadlines with the state.
If you’re in the process of changing your registered agent, Legal Zoom offer to do that on your behalf and cover any fees in the process.
Their services are slightly more expensive – the registered agent service will set you back $299 annually. However, considering the number of benefits and expert legal advice you get in return, it’s definitely a worthwhile investment.
Their other services include:
- Power of attorney
- Taxation
- Business registration
- Foreign qualification
- Annual reports
- Trademarking
10. Registered Agent Net
If you’re looking for a registered agent service that will cost you less than $100 a year, check out Registered Agent Net. For $89 a year, you’ll get the following benefits:
- Access to their Compliance Calendar and Compliance Entity Manager
- Three-year price guarantee
- Same-day document delivery
With the help of their Compliance Entity Manager, you can track all relevant business information and get reminders about your annual renewal filings.
Other services offered by Registered Agent Net include:
- Corporate filings
- Annual report services
- A change of registered agent
How Do I Register a Business in Iowa?
In addition to finding a registered agent, there are a couple more steps you’ll need to take to open a business in the state of Iowa. In this section, we’ll go over all the necessary steps you need to take to start your business.
Choose a Name for Your Business
Assuming you already have a business idea in mind, the first step to opening a business is deciding on a name.
The key aspect regarding naming your business you’ll need to keep in mind is that the business name you choose mustn’t be taken by another business existing in the state of Iowa. To ensure that the name you’ve chosen is available, do an online business name search which will give you information if other businesses are already registered in that name.
Some of the processes during the formation of your business might take a while, so, when you have a name in mind, it’s a good idea to reserve it for 120 days. You can do so online on the Iowa Secretary of State website.
In regards to name requirements, there are certain words your business name has to contain depending on which business structure you go for. For instance, LLCs are required to have “Limited Liability Company” or an appropriate abbreviation (LLC) in their name. If you’re opening a sole proprietorship or a partnership and you want to conduct business in a name that’s different from your legal name, then you’ll have to file a trade name form.
Decide on a Business Entity
You have a business idea and you’ve chosen your business name, so it’s time to decide what kind of entity you want to form. These are the most popular business entities in Iowa:
- Sole proprietorship
- Partnership
- LLC
- Corporation
Sole proprietorships and partnerships are much simpler and cheaper to form than LLCs and corporations because they don’t require you to file legal documents with the state of Iowa. However, if you decide to form an LLC or a corporation, you’ll have to file articles of organization and articles of incorporation, respectively. They are a set of legal documents that include important information regarding your business, such as the name of the business, its purpose, its address, and the name and address of every owner. These documents are essential for your business to be recognized as a separate legal entity by the state of Iowa.
Documents that aren’t legally required but can help tremendously in the organization of your business are operating agreements (LLCs) and bylaws (corporations). These contain the rules of the business and lay out the responsibilities of every member, so they can be extremely helpful in avoiding future conflict and remaining organized.
Apply for the Necessary Licenses and Permits
Some industries require you to have special licenses and permits to operate legally in Iowa. Additionally, there are different types of licenses that are granted on a state and county level, so it’s helpful to conduct an online business license search to double-check that you have all the required licenses. This can be done on the Iowa Business License Information Center website.
The state of Iowa doesn’t require a general business license, but you will need to register with the Department of Revenue if you’re planning on selling goods. Additionally, you might need a professional business license if you operate in specific industries, like healthcare and the food industry.
Get an Employee Identification Number
Last but not least, all businesses that hire employees and/or are taxed separately from their owners are required to get an EIN from the IRS. The application can be submitted online and is entirely free of charge.
Many businesses that aren’t required to get an EIN choose to do so to access many benefits, such as making it easier to open a business bank account. Even if your business doesn’t have any employees, you should consider getting an EIN.
FAQs
Where Can I Do an Iowa Business Entity Search?
You can conduct an online business entity search on the Iowa Secretary of State website.
How Much Does It Cost to Register a Business in Iowa?
The cost for registering a business in Iowa is $50 for domestic businesses and $100 for foreign businesses. There are additional potential charges which are optional, such as reserving a business name.
Does Iowa Require a Register Agent for LLC?
Getting a registered agent is a legal requirement in the state of Iowa for LLCs and companies. There are specific requirements a registered agent needs to fulfil to be recognized, such as having a physical address, being over 18 years old, and operating during normal business hours.
Can I Be My Own Registered Agent in Iowa?
While the state of Iowa allows business owners to appoint themselves as their own registered agent, there are a few reasons why it might not be such a good idea to do so. For instance, your privacy will be compromised and you won’t be able to maintain flexible business hours.
А Word of Farewell
We hope you enjoyed learning all about our best Iowa registered agent services recommendations and that you’ve managed to find a service that has caught your eye.
If you don’t have specific preferences and want to hire a registered agent service that’s efficient and professional, consider our top three overall registered agent service recommendations: Northwest, IncFile, and ZenBusiness.
If you’re just starting out and want to collaborate with a registered agent service that will cost you less than $100, we recommend Iowa Registered Agent. They provide all the tools necessary to stay compliant and cost only $49.