Anyone who’s starting a business in Mississippi or is expanding their business in this state needs to appoint a registered agent before filing certain documents with the state. There are hundreds of registered agents to choose from, so, to help you narrow down your options, we’ve reviewed our top 11 recommendations for the best Mississippi registered agent services.
Don’t have a lot of time to read through 11 separate recommendations? Check out our summary table below, where we share the features of our top 3 recommendations.
Best Mississippi Registered Agent Services
| Registered Agent Service | Cost | Mississippi Office Location |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest | $125 a year | Ridgeland |
| ZenBusiness | $199 a year | Not stated |
| IncFile | $119 a year | Not stated |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 a year | Ridgeland |
| Mississippi Registered Agent | $49 a year | Ridgeland |
| LegalNature | $125 | Not stated |
| LegalZoom | $299 a year | Not stated |
| InCorp | $129 a year | Oxford |
| Registered Agent Net | $89 a year | Not stated |
| Registered Agent LLC | $75 a year | Not stated |
| CSC Global | $381 a year | Madison |
In addition to introducing you to the features and pricing of our picks, we’ll also go over the steps needed to register a business in Mississippi and answer all your pressing questions in the FAQ section.
But before we get into all that, let’s see what a registered agent is.
What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent, also known as a statutory agent, is a person or an entity that is responsible for handling all your important documents and official correspondence. Their role also encompasses forwarding those documents to you once they receive them.
Does Mississippi Require a Registered Agent Service?
Yes, Mississippi state law requires all businesses to appoint a registered agent during the formation process. The chosen registered agent should fulfil all the necessary requirements, like operating during normal business hours and having a physical address in the state of Mississippi.
Benefits of Hiring a Registered Agent Service
Still not convinced you need to hire a registered agent service for your business? Here are all the benefits you too can experience if you do so:
- You will have more privacy than ever since you won’t have to share your home address publicly;
- You will be able to easily expand your business to multiple jurisdictions;
- You can maintain a clean business image and you won’t have to risk being in awkward positions in front of clients in case you get served;
- You don’t have to maintain normal working hours;
- You will have more time to dedicate to the growth of your business.
1. Northwest
Northwest is one of our top choices for a Mississippi registered agent service. With over 15 years of experience in this industry, you will have no trouble staying compliant with the laws and regulations of the state. They offer a variety of tools, including:
- Document storage
- Compliance alerts
- Pre-filled state forms
- Scanned documents
- Annual report reminders
- Mail forwarding
The yearly fee of Northwest is $125. If you hire them as your registered agent service for more than four states, you can access their multi-year discount, reducing the yearly fee to only $100.
During your first year of registered agent services, you’ll get free access to their compliance calendar, which will make it easier than ever to keep track of all your important deadlines.
One of our favourite features of Northwest is their Corporate Guides – a dedicated team of experts who provide customer support and seamlessly guide you through any problem that might arise.
Moreover, with the help of their Privacy by Default practice, your data and personal information will remain secure at all times.
Their Mississippi location is in Ridgeland, Madison County.
They also have a wide range of other services available, such as:
- Virtual office
- Mail forwarding
- Payment processing
- Phone service
- Trademarking
- Foreign qualification
- Annual report filings
2. ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness provides everything you need from a registered agent service. They boast thousands of positive reviews from happy clients, corroborating their excellence. In addition, they’re rated as #1 on Forbes and Investopedia. Their registered agent package includes:
- Fast turnaround
- Email notifications
- Expert handling of all your documents
- Document scanning
- Access to a personalized dashboard
Their fee is $199 a year, however, customers have the option to upgrade their registered agent package to include two free filing changes a year and annual support alerts.
Another amazing reason to support ZenBusiness is their commitment to giving back to the community – they have created a $5K Grant Program that gives entrepreneurs a chance to apply and get $5,000 in funding to start and grow their businesses.
Customers value ZenBusiness for their outstanding customer support, as well as how intuitive and easy their website is to use.
Other services offered by ZenBusiness include:
- LLC Formation
- Incorporation
- EIN Number
- Taxes and accounting
- Annual reports
- Worry-free compliance
- Banking and finances
- Domain name and website
- Operating agreement
- Business license reports
3. IncFile
IncFile is an amazing choice for Mississippi entrepreneurs looking for a reliable and affordable registered agent service. With over 800,000 happy customers, you know your business will be in good hands. They offer the following features with their registered agent services:
- Access to all your correspondence on your personal dashboard
- Personalized email and text notifications
- Automatic mail forwarding
If you hire IncFile for their formation services, you will get a complimentary year of registered agent services. After that, their yearly fee will set you back $119 a year.
Thanks to their compliance reminders, you will easily keep track of all your state obligations and deadlines.
Apart from formation and registered agent services, IncFile also offer:
- Amendment
- Trademarking
- Virtual address
- Certificate of good standing
- Tax consultations
- EIN Number
- Foreign qualifications
- Business licenses and permits
4. Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance’s registered agent service offers competitive pricing and an appealing list of tools, including:
- Pre-filled state forms
- Same-day electronic delivery of all your documents
- Annual report reminders
Their yearly fee is $99, and you can access an additional 10% discount if you use their multi-year service.
In addition, Harbor Compliance are known for their fast processing speed, ensuring that you receive all your important documents as soon as possible. Thanks to their timely compliance reminders, you’ll always stay compliant with the laws and state deadlines.
Their Mississippi office is located in Ridgeland.
On top of providing registered agent services, Harbor Compliance also offer:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Registration
- Business licenses
- Amendments
5. Mississippi Registered Agent
Mississippi Registered Agent is a great choice for smaller businesses and start-ups. With a small yearly fee of $49, they provide amazing compliance tools, such as:
- Annual report reminders
- Online document storage
- Access to pre-filled state forms
- Email notifications
We found their transparent pricing extremely appealing – you’ll never have to worry about unplanned costs, hidden fees, or auto-renewals.
Their Mississippi office is located in Ridgeland.
Apart from offering registered agent services, you can also hire them for:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Filing services
6. LegalNature
Meet all the Mississippi requirements and remain compliant throughout the year with the help of LegalNature. For the price of $125, you will receive:
- Email notifications
- Dashboard alerts
- Compliance notices
LegalNature are known for providing a wide range of business, real estate, and legal services at a reasonable price. Apart from registered agent services, they also offer:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Business plan
- Operating agreement
- Banking resolution
- Corporate bylaws
- License research
- Articles of dissolution
7. LegalZoom
LegalZoom is your ideal registered agent service if you have a larger business that would benefit from a comprehensive list of legal services. They offer a plethora of legal services and have helped over 2 million businesses throughout the years. Their registered agent service comes with the following perks:
- Annual report reminders
- Mail alerts
- Unlimited cloud storage
In addition, every customer receives $1M in identity theft protection, allowing your business to remain protected at all times.
Plus, you’ll receive access to their Compliance Calendar, which will help you remain compliant with Mississippi’s laws no matter what.
On top of all that, if you’re unsatisfied with your current registered agent and you’d like to change it, LegalZoom offer to do that on your behalf and cover any fees in the process.
Their service is slightly more expensive – a year of registered agent services will cost you $299. With that said, it’s a worthwhile investment for businesses that can afford it, considering the benefits and protection you get in return.
Their other services include:
- Business registration
- Incorporation
- EIN Number
- Business formation
- Taxation
- Power of attorney
- Foreign qualification
- Annual reports
- Copyright and trademarking
- Residential lease
8. InCorp
InCorp provides all the tools you need to stay in compliance at a reasonable price. Your business will get:
- Annual report filings
- Mail forwarding
- Legal notifications
- Access to their Entity Management System
Just like LegalZoom, InCorp is dedicated to protecting its clients from identity theft and protecting their data. With their EntityWatch technology, you will also receive important information about the status of your filings.
InCorp’s yearly fee is $129, but you can pay as low as $87 if you use their multi-year service.
Their Mississippi office is located in Oxford, Lafayette County.
Other services provided by InCorp you should consider include:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Foreign qualification
- Apostille service
- DBA filing
- EIN number
- Articles of amendment
- Trademarking and copyright
9. Registered Agent Net
Registered Agent Net is a cost-effective nationwide registered agent that provides quality service and includes the following tools:
- Access to their Compliance Calendar and Compliance Entity Manager
- Two-year price guarantee
- Same-day document delivery
With the help of their complimentary compliance tools, you can seamlessly track all your state deadlines and due dates.
Their yearly fee is $89 and there are no additional costs or fees.
Other services by Registered Agent Net include:
- Corporate filings
- Change of registered agent
- Annual report services
10. Resident Agent LLC
Another excellent option for a Mississippi registered agent that will cost you less than $100 a year is Resident Agent LLC. This A+-rated nationwide registered agent service includes the following perks:
- Annual reports
- Compliance reminders
- Access to an online account
- Pre-filled state forms
- Immediate notifications
A year of registered agent services with Resident Agent LLC will cost you $75. Their price is affordable, but it doesn’t come with any strings attached – there are no hidden fees or contracts. In addition, they offer a satisfaction guarantee to every customer.
11. CSC Global
Although a slightly pricier contender, CSC Global is the perfect choice for larger businesses that have a higher budget to work with and want to access incredible compliance tools, such as:
- Annual compliance reminders
- Access to an online personalized dashboard
- Same-day document scans
- Electronic delivery of all your documents
- Access to their SOC-2 facilities
CSC Global prioritize the safety of their clients. With their SOC-2 technology, your personal data will always remain protected against any third parties.
Their yearly fee is $381 and their Mississippi office can be found in Madison.
Their additional services include:
- UCC
- Legal management
- Entity management
- Real estate and erecording
- Corporate filings
- Digital brand services
How Do I Register a Business in Mississippi?
There are various steps to registering a business in Mississippi. In this section, we’ll go over the mandatory steps you need to take to officially register your business with the state of Mississippi, as well as some optional steps, like creating bylaws.
Decide on a Name for Your Business
Choosing your business name is among the most important business-related decisions you’ll make, so take some time to brainstorm names that represent your business in a meaningful way.
There are a few rules you should keep in mind when choosing a name. For starters, in the state of Mississippi, it’s required by law for you to choose a unique name. To check the availability of the name you have in mind, you can do a business name search on the Mississippi Secretary of State website. Once you have ensured that your name is unique, it’s time to add the appropriate abbreviations to it.
There are certain naming requirements that depend on what kind of business structure you choose. If you’re starting an LLC, you can use “LLC” “Limited Liability Company”, or “L.L.C.”. If you’re starting a corporation, you can use “Inc.”, “Company” or “Corporation”.
Filing the right formation documents with the state might take months, so there’s a chance that the name you’ve chosen gets taken by another business. To avoid this scenario, you have the option of reserving your name with the Mississippi Secretary of State for 180 days.
Decide on a Business Structure
Another important decision you’ll have to make early on is the type of structure you want your business to have.
There are four main types of business structures:
- Sole proprietorship
- Partnership
- LLC
- Corporation
Sole proprietorships are great if you have a small budget to work with or if you want to be the one making all the decisions. Partnerships are quite easy and affordable to form, so they’re a good option if you’re starting with a small budget. The main advantage of LLCs and corporations is that they provide limited liability to their owners, but they are more complex to form and maintain. In addition, they require a slightly higher budget to form due to all the state requirements that come with forming one, as well as the yearly filings.
File Articles of Formation and Incorporation
Filing articles of formation and incorporation with the state of Mississippi is a mandatory step for entrepreneurs who want to start an LLC or a corporation, respectively. To get your certificate, you need to register on the Mississippi Corporation Register Filer account. Once you do so, you can choose the form depending on which business structure you’ve decided to form.
Although an optional step, creating corporate bylaws can help you operate your corporation more seamlessly. The bylaws are a document where owners lay out all the rules regarding the corporation to prevent any future conflict.
Obtain an EIN
Another mandatory step for anyone who wants to hire employees for their business and tax their business separately from them is to obtain an EIN from the IRS. The application is conducted online and is free of charge.
Even if your business isn’t legally required to have an EIN, applying for one comes with many benefits. You will have a much easier time opening a business bank account, getting a loan, and preventing identity theft.
Apply for Licenses and Permits
Last but not least, you need to make sure you have all the required licenses and permits for your business.
Mississippi doesn’t require business owners to obtain a general business license. However, you might need a state or professional license, depending on what industry your business is in. To check if your business qualifies for these, visit the “Do I Need a Mississippi Business License” section on the Mississippi Small Business Development Center website.
If your business includes selling goods, you need to register for a collect sales tax with the Mississippi Department of Revenue.
FAQs
Where Can I Do a Mississippi Entity Search?
You can do a Mississippi business entity search on the Mississippi Secretary of State website.
How Much Does It Cost to Register a Business in Mississippi?
The cost of registering a business in Mississippi is $50.
How Much Does a Registered Agent Cost in Mississippi?
The cost of a Mississippi-registered agent depends on what service you opt for. You can hire a registered agent service for as low as $49, whereas some services can cost up to hundreds of dollars.
Final Thoughts
We hope you found our article on the best Mississippi registered agent services informative and that we helped you pick the ideal registered agent service for your business!
Our top three recommendations are Northwest, IncFile, and ZenBusiness. All three will cost you less than $200 annually and come with many appealing features like mail forwarding, document scanning, and access to a personalized online dashboard.
Which of these registered agent services caught your eye?
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