Quick answer
If you work from home and want that address off the public record, put someone else's address in the registered agent field, because that is the address the state publishes. Both ZenBusiness and Northwest Registered Agent will serve as your agent and replace your home address in that field. For an owner forming the business now, ZenBusiness is the simpler route: formation, EIN, operating agreement and registered agent from one provider, with the agent at $199 per year at the time of writing. Adding the agent at formation means a home address never goes into that field in the first place.
Why does a home address end up on the public record?
Every LLC, corporation, partnership or nonprofit corporation needs a registered agent in its state before it files, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. The agent receives official papers and legal documents for the company, and the SBA notes that the agent must be located in the state where the business registers. California puts it in statutory terms: "Corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships are required by statute to designate an agent for service of process."
The privacy problem comes from what happens next. The California Secretary of State says its Business Search contains the most current filings on record with that office, including the agent's name and address. If a home-based owner names themselves as an agent at their home address, that address is what anyone searching the business will see.
There is a second point that most comparisons skip. The SBA describes articles of organization as a document that typically includes the company's name and address, the members' names and the registered agent. So the agent field is one address among several that a filing can ask for. What each state collects and publishes varies, so the filing office in the state of formation is the place to confirm which fields become public.
Can you act as your own registered agent from home?
Sometimes, but it is worth being precise about what "your own agent" means. In Texas, the entity itself may not serve as its own registered agent, according to the Texas Secretary of State, though an officer, owner or employee may serve in an individual capacity. California likewise says an entity cannot act as its own agent for service of process. In both states, the do-it-yourself option is really a person serving at a personal address.
That route costs nothing in service fees, and for some owners it is the right call. The trade-off is that the address goes on the record, and whoever serves has to be reliably reachable there to receive legal papers for the company. Rules beyond the ones above differ by state, so check with the state's filing office before relying on this approach. The SBA's own observation is that many business owners prefer to use a registered agent service rather than take on the role themselves.
Getting it wrong carries real consequences. The Texas Secretary of State says failing to maintain a registered agent may result in involuntary termination of a domestic entity, or revocation of a foreign entity's registration. Changing course later is also a filing: Texas charges $15 to change the registered agent or registered office, using Form 401.
How do the six providers compare?
The providers below are covered in alphabetical order, which is not a ranking. Northwest and ZenBusiness, the two this page compares directly, get fuller entries.
Bizee
Bizee includes one free year of registered agent service with every formation package: Basic at $0, Standard at $199 and Premium at $299, each plus state fees. Bizee does not publish the renewal price after that free year, so confirm it before buying.
Harbor Compliance
Harbor Compliance charges $159 per year on an ongoing basis. A promotional rate of $99 applies to the first year, and two- and three-year terms hold $99 per year before renewing at $159. It is one national price rather than a per-state rate, and Harbor is built for multi-state and regulated filings at a scale most home-based businesses won't need.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom does not publish its registered agent price on its LLC pricing page. Its LLC formation packages run from Basic at $0 to Managed Service at $249 and Expert Service at $999, each plus state filing fees.
Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent charges $125 per year for registered agent service at the time of writing. That price includes a free domain, a website, a business address, a phone line and mail scanning. For someone working from home, the business address and mail scanning are the parts that matter most, since they give the business an address to use beyond the agent field.
That bundle is why Northwest is the name most often associated with address privacy, and on that narrow question it deserves its reputation. Whether a given state accepts that business address on a particular form is a matter of that state's rules, so confirm before filing. Northwest's published materials do not set out document forwarding times, and this comparison makes no claim about them.
The limitation is scope. This page covers Northwest's registered agent service only. For an owner who also needs the entity formed, the EIN obtained and an operating agreement drafted, those steps sit outside the $125 service.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer does not list a registered agent price among its published membership prices. Plus costs $49.99 per month or $249 per year, and Pro costs $64.99 per month or $349 per year. The Standard plan costs $34.99 per month or $149 per year. Members get their first LLC registration free, with later ones at $99 plus state fees, and attorney consultations cost $149 for 30 minutes or $249 for 60.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness sells registered agent service for $199 per year at the time of writing, available as an add-on to all three of its LLC packages. Starter is $0 plus state fees, Pro is $199 plus state fees and renews at $199 per year, and Premium is $299 plus state fees and renews at $299 per year. The EIN and operating agreement are included from Pro up, and cost $99 each on Starter.
The case for ZenBusiness on a privacy question is about timing. When the agent is added at formation, the provider's address goes into the agent field on the original filing, so a home address never enters it. An owner who files with a home address first and switches later has a change filing to make, which costs $15 in Texas and varies elsewhere.
That means the agent and the formation documents sit with one provider and one renewal date, rather than two vendors. Some introductory offers attach conditions and change over time, so check the current terms at checkout rather than assuming a free year.
On the agent fee alone, ZenBusiness costs $74 a year more than Northwest. Its pricing page also does not list a separate business mailing address as part of the agent service, which is a central feature of Northwest's plan. For an existing business that only wants address privacy, that difference counts.
What comes after the agent: banking and books
For a home-based owner forming now, the order of operations is entity, EIN, a separate business bank account and then bookkeeping. ZenBusiness handles the first two in its Pro package and offers a free accounting consultation to customers who form with it. Its Money Pro bookkeeping service is $30 per month at the time of writing, and details are on the ZenBusiness accounting page. Keeping that work with the same provider that holds the registered agent role is a convenience, not a requirement, and many owners pair a separate agent with separate bookkeeping software.
Registered agent pricing side by side
Prices below come from each provider's own pages at the time of writing (October 2026). Providers are listed alphabetically, not ranked. State filing fees are set by each state, vary, and are not included.
| Provider | Registered agent price | What else is attached | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bizee | Free first year with formation; renewal price not published | Formation packages from $0 plus state fees | Owners forming now on a tight first-year budget |
| Harbor Compliance | $159/yr ongoing ($99 first year, promotional) | One national price | Multi-state and regulated businesses |
| LegalZoom | Not published | Formation packages from $0 plus state fees | Owners already using LegalZoom for legal services |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125/yr | Business address, phone line, mail scanning, domain, website | Existing businesses where privacy is the main goal |
| Rocket Lawyer | Not published | Legal documents and attorney access | Owners who want an ongoing legal membership |
| ZenBusiness | $199/yr | Formation, EIN and operating agreement from Pro up | Owners forming now who want one provider |
Which should a home-based owner choose?
If the business has not been formed yet, ZenBusiness is the stronger fit. The agent's address goes on the original filing, and the EIN and operating agreement come with Pro. That avoids the later change filing and keeps one renewal to track.
If the business already exists and the only problem is a home address on the record, Northwest is the more focused answer. Its $125 service costs less than ZenBusiness's agent add-on and includes a business address and mail scanning, which go further on privacy than the agent field alone.
If the business operates in several states, Harbor Compliance is built for that. And if an owner is comfortable with a home address being public and can reliably receive papers there, serving as their own agent remains an option in states that allow an individual to serve.
Frequently asked questions
Does hiring a registered agent remove my address from every public filing?
Not necessarily. It replaces the address in the registered agent field, which is the one California confirms appears in its Business Search. Other fields on formation documents, such as the company's address, may still be required, and what is published varies by state.
Can I switch from being my own agent to a service later?
Yes, though it is a separate filing with its own fee. In Texas, changing the registered agent or registered office costs $15 using Form 401. Other states set their own forms and fees, so check with that state's filing office.
Is a free first year of registered agent service a good deal?
It can be, but the renewal price is what matters over the life of the business. Compare the ongoing annual price, and where a renewal rate is not published, ask the provider before committing.
Sources
- California Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions"
- California Secretary of State, "Service of Process"
- U.S. Small Business Administration, "Register Your Business"
- Texas Secretary of State, "Registered Agent FAQs"
- Texas Secretary of State, "Form 401 Instructions, Change of Registered Agent or Office"
This is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice, and registered agent requirements vary by state and change over time.