Hiring a registered agent for your business has many perks and makes the whole process of running a business much easier and smoother. If you’re a Pennsylvania business owner and you’d like to hire a professional registered agent service to take care of all your documents, our article on the best Pennsylvania registered agent services will be of immense help.
If you’re only interested in the best of the best, check out our summary table below.
Best Pennsylvania Registered Agent Services
| Registered Agent Service | Cost | Pennsylvania Office Location |
|---|---|---|
| IncFile | $119 a year/ first year free with incorporation | Not stated |
| ZenBusiness | $199 a year | Not stated |
| Northwest | $125 a year | Erie |
| Pennsylvania Registered Agent | $49 a year | Erie |
| Registered Agent Net | $89 a year | Not stated |
| InCorp | $129 a year | Hummelstown |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 a year | Lancaster |
| MyCorporation | $120 a year | Not stated |
| LegalZoom | $299 a year | Not stated |
| CSC Global | $381 a year | Harrisburg |
| MyCompanyWorks | $99 a year | Not stated |
On top of individual recommendations, our article also contains a section where we go over how to register a business in Pennsylvania and an FAQ section.
Before we delve into our reviewing our recommendations, let’s define the role of a registered agent.
What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent is an individual or a company that’s responsible for receiving and forwarding all business-related documents and official government correspondence to the owners of the business.
Does Pennsylvania Require a Registered Agent Service?
Unlike many other states, the state of Pennsylvania doesn’t require business owners to appoint a registered agent. However, you’re still asked to have a registered office address that meets certain requirements, like being an actual address and not a post office box address.
Benefits of Hiring a Registered Agent Service
Here are the benefits you can expect if you hire an official registered agent service:
- You’ll have more privacy and won’t have to share your personal address with anyone;
- You will always remain compliant and be organized;
- You’ll have more flexibility in terms of travel and working hours;
- You won’t risk getting into awkward situations with clients in case you’re served;
- You can easily expand your business across many states;
- Your business image will remain pristine.
Now, let’s start with our first recommendation.
1. IncFile
On top of providing everything you’ll ever need from a registered agent service, IncFile offer one of the best deals if you’re just starting your business. If you purchase their formation package, you’ll get your first year of registered agent services with IncFile for free. This includes:
- Receiving all important correspondence in due time
- Tailored email and text notifications
- Access to said correspondence on your personal dashboard
- Automatic mail forwarding
Their interface is extremely user-friendly, which many customers appreciate and find useful.
Their standard registered agent fee is $119.
In addition to registered agent services, they also provide:
- EIN Number
- Trademarking
- Virtual address
- Foreign qualification
- Business licenses and permits
- Certificate of good standing
- Amendment
- Tax consultations
2. ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness, a company rated as #1 on Forbes, Investopedia, and Marketwatch, will ensure that you never miss an important document or risk getting fined by providing you with the following tools:
- Email notifications
- Access to a personalized dashboard
- Mail forwarding
- Fast turnaround
- Document scanning
- Expert handling of all your documents
ZenBusiness are known for their selfless $5K Grant Program, which aims to help struggling entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. By choosing them as your registered agent, you’ll be supporting a great cause.
Additionally, their website is very intuitive and easy to use, and the setup process is really swift.
Their starting fee is $199. If you want, you can upgrade their standard package to include additional perks, like submitted documents on your behalf, two free filing changes a year, and annual support alerts.
ZenBusiness also offer the following services:
- Incorporation
- LLC formation
- Annual reports
- Operating agreement
- Domain name and website
- Taxes and accounting
- Worry-free compliance
- Business license reports
- Banking and finances
- EIN Number
3. Northwest
Coming in as our third recommendation is Northwest, one of the most renowned names in our guide. The best advantage to using Northwest as opposed to other services is their outstanding customer support. Their registered agent offer includes perks like:
- Pre-filled state forms
- Document storage
- Mail forwarding
- Annual report reminders
- Scanned documents
- Compliance alerts
Also known as Corporate Guides, their amazing customer support team is always ready to guide you and help you resolve any compliance-related issue you might have.
Moreover, since they’re a nationwide registered agent, you can expand your offices across multiple states without changing agents.
We also love their Privacy by Default feature, which ensures that your data remains protected at all times and is never sold to third parties.
Their fee is $125 a year if you conduct business in 1 to 4 states. If you hire them for five or more states, you can use their multi-year discount, making the yearly fee $100.
Their Pennsylvania office is located in Erie.
Northwest also offer:
- Mail forwarding
- Payment processing
- Annual report filings
- Trademarking
- Virtual office
- Phone service
- Foreign qualification
4. Pennsylvania Registered Agent
If you’d like an affordable option that won’t cost you less than $50 a year, look no further than Pennsylvania Registered Agent. For just $49 a year, you get to enjoy the following perks:
- Access to pre-filled state forms
- Online document storage
- Annual report reminders
- Email notifications
While their pricing is transparent, you’ll never have to worry about additional fees or hidden costs.
Their Pennsylvania office is located in Erie.
You can also hire Pennsylvania Registered Agent for:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Filing services
5. Registered Agent Net
Another excellent option, if you’re looking for an affordable registered agent, is Registered Agent Net. Their registered agent services will set you back only $89 a year, all the while giving you access to the following useful benefits:
- Same-day document delivery
- Two-year price guarantee
- Access to their Compliance Calendar and Compliance Entity Manager
Thanks to their compliance tools, you can seamlessly keep track of all your important deadlines – you’ll never be at risk of getting fined or missing a submission.
Moreover, ahead of any due date, you will be notified via email.
6. InCorp
An A+ rated nationwide service that’s helped over 250,000 clients, InCorp offers a great deal for anyone looking to purchase a multi-year service. With their registered agent services, you’ll receive:
- Mail forwarding
- Annual report filings
- Access to their Entity Management System
- Legal notifications
On top of that, they’re dedicated to protecting the data of their clients and minimising the chances of identity theft, all thanks to their EntityWatch technology.
Their Pennsylvania office is located in Hummelstown.
Their yearly pricing is $129, but you can pay as low as $87 if you opt for their multi-year service.
On top of registered agent services, they also offer:
- Foreign qualification
- Trademarking
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- EIN Number
- Copyright
- UCC search
- Articles of amendment
- DBA Filing
- Apostille service
7. Harbor Compliance
Similarly to our last recommendation, Harbor Compliance offer a great deal if you use them as your registered agent in multiple states. They are one of the most popular registered agent services in the United States and have helped thousands of customers throughout the years. When it comes to features, they include:
- Annual report reminders
- Same-day electronic delivery of your documents
- Pre-filled state forms
- Customizable notifications
Known for their rapid processing speed, with Harbor Compliance, you can rest assured knowing you’ll never miss a deadline.
Their yearly fee is $99, but you can get an additional 10% discount if you use their registered agent services for multiple years.
Their Pennsylvania office is located in Lancaster.
Here are all the other services offered by Harbor Compliance:
- Business licenses
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Amendments
- Registration
8. MyCorporation
MyCorporation offer a reliable and affordable registered agent service that’s available nationwide. Their yearly fee includes:
- Expert handling of any paperwork
- Completed filings
- Fast document delivery
Much like Harbor Compliance, the fast processing speed is MyCorporation’s strong suit, so you’ll never have to worry about missing an important due date and paying a fine.
Their registered agent services cost $120 for the first year, and $179 every following year.
In addition to registered agent services, they also offer:
- Dissolution
- Copyright registration services
- Annual reports
- Amendment
- Filings
9. LegalZoom
Pioneers in providing top-notch legal services to businesses, LegalZoom have helped over 2 million businesses over the years. They are an excellent option for business owners who like the idea of easily accessing a plethora of legal services.
While their registered agent services are slightly on the expensive side, they come with many benefits, like:
- Mail alerts
- Annual report reminders
- Unlimited cloud storage
- $1M in identity theft protection
Additionally, each customer gets access to their Compliance calendar, where you can keep track of all your important dates.
Another thing we love about LegalZoom is that they offer to help you change your registered agent for free and cover any fees that come in the process.
Their yearly fee is $299. If you purchase their business formation package, the first year will cost you just $249.
Their other services include:
- Business formation
- Business registration
- Power of attorney
- Taxation
- Residential lease
- Annual reports
- Trademarking
- Copyright
- EIN Number
- Incorporation
- Foreign qualification
10. CSC Global
Apart from LegalZoom, another amazing option for a registered agent service for larger businesses is CSC Global. Their package includes:
- Access to a personalized online dashboard
- Annual compliance reminders
- Access to SOC-2 facilities
- Electronic delivery of documents
- Same-day document scans
Another reason why they’re a good match for larger businesses is their dedication to data and identity theft protection, which is enabled by their SOC-2 technology.
Their Pennsylvania office is located in Harrisburg.
CSC Global’s yearly fee is $381.
On top of registered agent services, they also offer:
- Entity management
- Legal management
- UCC
- Real estate and e-recording
- Digital brand services
- Corporate filings
11. MyCompanyWorks
Last but not least, MyCompanyWorks combines efficiency and affordability to provide you with a registered agent service that encompasses the following benefits:
- Free E-delivery
- Online order tracking
- Same-day processing
- Access to an online dashboard
- Compliance monitoring
- Access to The Startup Wizard
One of the customers’ favourite aspects of MyCompanyWorks is its customizable service.
Their yearly fee will only set you back $99. If you’re not satisfied with their services, you will receive a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Their other services include:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Business licenses
- File a DBA
- Company dissolution
- Virtual office
- Annual reports
How Do I Register a Business in Pennsylvania?
It’s time to go over all the steps required to register a business in Pennsylvania.
Choose a Business Name
One of the first steps to registering your business is choosing what to name it and proceeding with the business name registration.
Your business name has to be unique and different from other businesses in the state. To help you determine if this is the case, you can do a Pennsylvania business entity search on the Pennsylvania Secretary of State website.
Your business name should also contain a word that denotes its business entity. If you’re forming an LLC, you need to put “LLC” in the name or one of its abbreviations, like “Limited Liability Company”.
In addition, you can reserve your business name so no other business can use it while you’re gathering the official documents. The fee for a name reservation is $70.
Choose a Business Entity
Choosing a business entity and picking the right name go hand in hand. There are four main business entities in Pennsylvania:
Sole proprietorships are an excellent choice for those who want to make all the decisions themselves and don’t have a large starting budget. If you don’t mind sharing the decisions and cost with a business partner, then partnerships are a great way to start a business with a smaller budget. If you’re someone who wants limited liability, then look into LLCs and corporations.
File a Certificate of Organization
Most states require LLCs to file a certificate of organization. This document contains all the important information about your business, including the registered agent you choose. By this point, you need to have decided whether you’ll hire a professional service or serve as your own agent.
The fee for filing a certificate of organization in Pennsylvania is $125.
File Articles of Incorporation
Filing articles of incorporation is mandatory for any Pennsylvania corporation. This document has a similar purpose to articles of organization, with added information about some aspects that LLCs lack, like stocks and shareholders.
The fee for filing articles of incorporation in Pennsylvania is $125.
Get an Employee Identification Number
Getting an EIN is only mandatory for businesses that hire employees and are taxed separately from their owners. You can apply for an EIN on the IRS website.
However, even if you don’t have to get an EIN, there are many benefits to doing so, like making it significantly easier for you to open a bank account.
Get the Necessary Business Licenses and Permits
Getting all the right licenses for your Pennsylvania business is crucial in ensuring that your business operates legally.
While Pennsylvania doesn’t have a general business license, you might have to get additional licenses, depending on what industry your business is in. These occupational licenses also vary in terms of location, so check with your county to see if you have all the required licenses.
Just like many other states, one of the most common licenses found in Pennsylvania is a sales/ use tax. This type of license is required for any business that sells goods and services. Additionally, if your business includes selling alcoholic beverages, you might need a liquor license.
Similarly to performing an online business entity search, you can also do a license search to determine what kind of licenses you might need.
FAQs
Where Can I Do a Pennsylvania Business Entity Search?
You can do a Pennsylvania business entity search on the Pennsylvania Secretary of State website.
How Much Does It Cost to Register a Business in Pennsylvania?
The cost of registering a business in Pennsylvania is $125.
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of our article – we hope you enjoyed reading our top recommendations for the best Pennsylvania registered agent services.
If you don’t have specific preferences, you can’t go wrong with IncFile, Northwest, and ZenBusiness – our top three overall recommendations.
If you’re someone who’s just starting out and has a tight budget, check out Pennsylvania Registered Agent and Registered Agent Net.
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