Forming a new business in Wisconsin can be incredibly time-consuming, especially for business owners who aren’t familiar with all the laws of the state. One way to ease your job and save time while running your business is hiring a professional registered agent service. That’s precisely why we created our guide on the best Wisconsin registered agent services – to help you choose an agent that will ensure that you stay compliant so you can direct your time towards other aspects of your business.
Our guide contains a total of eleven recommendations, but if you’re not in the mood to go through every single one, check out our summary table below of our top three choices.
Best Wisconsin Registered Agent Services
| Registered Agent Service | Cost | Wisconsin Office Location |
|---|---|---|
| IncFile | $119 a year/ first year free with incorporation | Not stated |
| ZenBusiness | $199 a year | Not stated |
| Northwest | $125 a year | Appleton |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 a year | Appleton |
| Wisconsin Registered Agent | $59 a year | Beckley |
| LegalZoom | $299 a year | Not stated |
| MyCorporation | $179 a year | Not stated |
| InCorp | $129 a year | Madison |
| Registered Agents LLC | $75 a year | Not stated |
| CSC Global | $381 a year | Madison |
| MyCompanyWorks | $99 a year | Not stated |
On top of our detailed reviews, we’ve also shared all the steps required to register a business in Wisconsin and included a helpful FAQ section at the end.
But first, let’s see what the role of a registered agent is.
What Is a Registered Agent?
A registered agent is a company or a person that’s responsible for handling all important correspondence for your business and forwarding those documents to you as quickly as possible.
Does Wisconsin Require a Registered Agent Service?
Yes, like most states, Wisconsin also requires businesses to appoint a registered agent during the formation process.
Benefits of Hiring a Registered Agent Service
If you hire a professional registered agent service, you’ll have:
- Added privacy
- More free time to dedicate to your business
- A flexible working schedule
- A clean business image
- The ability to travel without worrying about missing an important document
Without further ado, let’s move onto our recommendations.
1. IncFile
IncFile, a company that’s helped over 800,000 customers stay compliant, is known for its customer-friendly deals and user-friendly interface. They’re the perfect option for anyone who wants to purchase a formation package – with it, you’ll get a free year of the following registered agent services:
- Access to all your important correspondence in due time
- A personal dashboard
- Customized email and text notifications
- Automatic mail forwarding
Since they’re dedicated to sending you timely reminders of all your upcoming deadlines, you’ll never have to worry about missing a deadline with the state or getting a fine.
Their regular fee is only $119 and there are no hidden fees or unplanned contracts.
IncFile also offer the following services:
- Virtual address
- Foreign qualification
- Trademarking
- Certificate of good standing
- EIN Number
- Business licenses and permits
- Tax consultations
- Amendment
2. ZenBusiness
A distinguished name in the industry, ZenBusiness is a nationwide registered agent service that’s voted as #1 on Forbes, Investopedia, and MarketWatch. They have everything you’ll need from a professional registered agent service, including:
- Email notifications
- Fast turnaround
- Document scanning
- Expert handling of all your documents
- Access to a personalized dashboard
- Mail forwarding
One of the reasons why ZenBusiness has a stellar reputation is their $5K Grant Program, which funds entrepreneurs who don’t have the means to start and grow their businesses.
If you’re not someone who likes convoluted layouts, you’ll be glad to know that their website is incredibly easy and intuitive to use.
We also love how knowledgeable and responsive the team behind their customer support is.
ZenBusiness’ starting fee is $199. If you’d like to get access to more tools, you have the option of upgrading their services.
You can also hire them for:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Annual reports
- Taxes and accounting
- Operating agreement
- Business license reports
- Worry-free compliance
- Banking and finances
- Domain name and website
- EIN Number
3. Northwest
There are several reasons why Northwest are among the top registered agent picks in our guide on the best Wyoming registered agent services. With years of experience in the industry and thousands of positive online reviews, they will never fail to keep you compliant with the state. Their service comes with:
- Pre-filled state forms
- Document storage
- Compliance alerts
- Mail forwarding
- Annual report reminders
- Scanned documents
Northwest are known for providing top-notch customer support. Their team of experts, known as Corporate Guides, will serve as your guide through any compliance-related issues that might arise.
Moreover, they’ll never sell you data to third parties and, thanks to their Privacy by Default practice, all your personal information will remain safe.
During your first year with Northwest, you will be given access to their compliance calendar, completely free of charge.
If you own a startup or you’re working with a small budget, you’ll love their affordable fee that’s only $125 a year. If you use them as your agent in more than four states, your fee will be reduced to $100.
Their Wisconsin office is located in Appleton.
Other services include:
- Annual report filings
- Foreign qualification
- Virtual office
- Mail forwarding
- Payment processing
- Phone service
- Trademarking
4. Harbor Compliance
Choosing Harbor Compliance as your Wyoming registered agent comes with many perks, such as:
- Access to pre-filled state forms
- Same-day document delivery
- Customizable notifications
- Annual report reminders
On top of that, customers love how they never have trouble navigating their website, thanks to the user-friendly interface.
You’ll also like their rapid processing speed – since you’ll receive your documents as fast as possible, you’ll never risk missing a deadline or being charged.
A year of registered agent services with Harbor Compliance will set you back $99. If you purchase their multi-year service, you can receive a 10% discount.
Their Wisconsin office is located in Appleton.
Apart from registered agent services, they also offer:
- Amendments
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Business licenses
- Registration
5. Wisconsin Registered Agent
Wisconsin Registered Agent offer everything you’ll need from a reliable registered agent service, without the exorbitant pricing that can be found with some services. For only $49 a year, you can access the following services:
- Online account
- Email notifications
- Access to pre-filled state forms
- Online document storage
- Annual report reminders
They’re dedicated to providing you with transparent pricing – their starting fee will remain the same, and you’ll never have to deal with any unplanned costs or sneaky fees.
Their Wisconsin office can be found in Appleton.
In addition to registered agent services, you can hire Wisconsin Registered Agent for:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Filing services
6. LegalZoom
LegalZoom is an established company that offers premium legal services. They have millions of satisfied customers and a great reputation for delivering results. While their fee is quite steep ($299 a year), they offer a comprehensive list of benefits in return, such as:
- Mail alerts
- Annual report reminders
- Unlimited cloud storage
- $1M in identity theft protection
Plus, every customer gets access to their Compliance Calendar, where you can seamlessly track all your dates and deadlines.
Since they offer $1 million in identity theft insurance, they’re a great option for owners of larger businesses that want to protect themselves and their business.
If you already have a registered agent and you’re not entirely satisfied with the service you’re getting, LegalZoom offer to change your registered agent, free of charge, and cover any fees in the process.
Additionally, they care about the safety of your data and offer expert IP protection.
Their list of legal services is as follows:
- Business registration
- Residential lease
- Power of attorney
- Copyright
- EIN Number
- Business formation
- Incorporation
- Taxation
- Foreign qualification
- Annual reports
- Trademarking
7. MyCorporation
For a slightly more affordable yet equally effective registered agent service, check out MyCorporation. They offer a wide range of tools that will help you maintain your compliance with the state of Wisconsin, such as:
- Access to completed filings
- Expert handling of any paperwork
- Fast document delivery
Similarly to Harbor Compliance, they’re known for their fast processing speed, which ensures that you never fail to submit your documents on time.
Their annual fee is $120 for the first year, and $179 every year after.
Apart from registered agent services, MyCorporation also offer:
- Amendment
- Filings
- Copyright registration services
- Annual reports
- Dissolution
8. InCorp
InCorp is a budget-friendly A+ rated service that’s been helping thousands of customers for over 20 years. As your registered agent, they will give you:
- Access to their Entity Management System
- Annual report filings
- Mail forwarding
- Legal notifications
InCorp utilize their innovative EntityWatch technology to give you access to expert identity protection.
They offer an amazing deal for anyone who wants to purchase a multi-year service – their regular pricing is $129, but you will pay only $87 if you hire their services for multiple years.
Their Wisconsin office is located in Madison.
On top of registered agent services, you can also hire them for:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Articles of amendment
- Foreign qualification
- Trademarking
- Copyright
- EIN Number
- DBA Filing
- Apostille service
- UCC search
9. Resident Agent LLC
Resident Agent LLC is another A+ rated service that offers a comprehensive list of features for an affordable price. Costing only $75 a year, their service provides:
- Compliance reminders
- Annual reports
- Immediate notifications
- Pre-filled state forms
- Access to an online account
Another perk you’ll get by choosing Resident Agent LLC as your registered agent is that they cover all states, so in case you want to expand your business, you won’t have to change your agent.
Customers also appreciate their satisfaction guarantee, which you can make use of if you’re not entirely satisfied with the service.
10. CSC Global
A premium-level Wisconsin registered agent service, CSC Global is ideal for those who want to spend a little extra on a premium registered agent. For $381 a year, you’ll receive:
- Electronic delivery of documents
- Same-day document scans
- Access to SOC-2 facilities
- Annual compliance reminders
- Access to a personalized online dashboard
Their advanced SOC-2 technology is excellent at preventing any third party infiltration and providing expert data security.
We also love that they provide incredible customer support. Their team is always ready to help you solve any issues that might spring up with your business.
Their Wisconsin office is located in Madison.
CSC Global also offer:
- Entity management
- Legal management
- Corporate filings
- UCC
- Digital brand services
- Real estate and erecording
11. MyCompanyWorks
Last but certainly not least, MyCompanyWorks is a reliable nationwide registered agent service with an appealing registered agent package that features:
- Access to an online dashboard
- Access to their Startup Wizard
- Same-day processing
- Free E-delivery
- Compliance monitoring
- Online order tracking
MyCompanyWorks are a great option for entrepreneurs who are looking for a customizable service.
Their annual fee is only $99, so they’re quite affordable. If you’re not entirely satisfied with what you’re getting, you can get a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
You can also use the following services:
- LLC formation
- Incorporation
- Business licenses
- Annual reports
- Company dissolution
- Virtual office
- File a DBA
How Do I Register a Business in Wisconsin?
As promised, in this section, we’ll go over all the required steps for registering your Wisconsin business.
Name Your Business
First things firts, you should choose a name that’s a good representation of your business.
There are certain rules every business owner needs to comply with. For starters, your name must be original and different from the other businesses in Wisconsin. To see if this is the case, do an online business entity search on the Government of Wisconsin website.
Additionally, all states require you to add a word to your name that indicates its entity type. In the case of LLCs, you can use “LLC”, “L.L.C”, or “Limited Liability Company”.
If you want, you can reserve your name to ensure it’s still available after you’ve finished submitting your documents.
Choose an Entity Type
To pick the right name, you’ll also need to know what business structure you’re going for. The most popular business structures in Wisconsin are:
The main difference between sole proprietorships and partnerships, and LLCs and corporations, is limited liability for the owners – the latter two provide protection for the assets of the owners. If this is a benefit you’d like to access, then we recommend going for an LLC or a corporation.
File the Required Articles
Owners of Limited Liability Companies will need to file articles of organization with the state.
In this document, you’ll need to provide some basic information about your business, like contact information, address, and information about your registered agent. The cost of filing articles of organization is $130.
On the other hand, if you’re forming a corporation, you’ll need to file articles of incorporation. This document requires you to provide similar information to articles of organization, with the addition of some corporation-specific information.
Get an EIN
Obtaining an Employee Identification Number is a requirement for anyone who wants to hire employees for their upcoming business, as well as business owners who are taxed separately from their businesses.
You can apply for an EIN on the IRS website, free of charge.
Get the Required Licenses and Permits
Last but not least, you’ll need to have all the required licenses and permits to get your business up and running.
The state of Wisconsin doesn’t require business owners to get a general business license, but there are a few industry-specific licenses you might need to obtain.
For instance, if you sell goods, you might need to get a seller’s permit.
Make sure you check with your local city or county for any licenses that might be required for your specific location. Some businesses are also liable for a federal license, so we recommend checking with your federal department.
FAQs
Where Can I Do a Wisconsin Business Entity Search?
You can do a Wisconsin business entity search on the Government of Wisconsin website.
How Much Does It Cost to Register a Business in Wisconsin?
The cost of registering a business in Wisconsin is $131.
Final Thoughts
That completes our article on the best Wisconsin registered agent services! We hope we gave you ideas on what kind of registered agent services are available to you and that you can find one that suits your business plans perfectly.
If you don’t have an idea of what you’d like to receive from a registered agent, consider one of our top three options: IncFile, ZenBusiness, or Northwest. These companies have been in the industry for years and are experienced in keeping thousands of businesses compliant.
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