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What is inside · New York

3 Best Registered Agents in New York (2026): Unpacked

Opened up for 2026, the registered agents in New York rank New York Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), NY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), best on top. Year one runs $99 to $149, and three years stack up to $297 to $447.
Unpacked by the LLC Unpacked editorial team

Top layer

Required to name one?
Different here, see below
Label in the statute
Agent for service of process
What agents charge
$99 to $149 per year
Top of the stack
New York Registered Agent.ai, NY Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

New York: ranked

The order follows our five layers: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
Top of the stack

1. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for an LLC that stays in the state

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

What puts New York Registered Agent.ai first: inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

Its three-year cost is below Mainstay Filing's, and cost is the heaviest layer.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 a year, flat at renewal

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The biennial statement sits outside the box
New York only

2. NY Registered Agent.org: best for keeping the agent local

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

What puts NY Registered Agent.org second: inside the price is an agent in the state for $99 a year.

Its prices match New York Registered Agent.ai exactly, so the order between them is close.

Inside the price

  • An in-state street address
  • Legal papers scanned to your account

Inside, the good

  • $99 a year, flat at renewal
  • Costs less a year than Mainstay Filing

Inside, the catch

  • Nothing for other states
  • The biennial statement sits outside the box
Holds up anywhere

3. Mainstay Filing: best for an LLC that may expand

Annual price $149, renewal price $149

Mainstay Filing sits third because one account at $149 a year covers whichever state the LLC registers in.

New York Registered Agent.ai totals $150 less across three years, enough to outrank it.

Inside the price

  • A street address inside the state
  • Scans of three government mailings a year at no charge
  • Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Inside, the good

  • A single account works in any state
  • Annual price $149, renewal price $149

Inside, the catch

  • New York Registered Agent.ai charges $50 less each year
  • Agent role only, no report filing

Inside each price

#CompanyYear oneRenewalThree-year totalWhat is inside
1New York Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountSee New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2NY Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297An in-state street address; legal papers scanned to your accountSee NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447A street address inside the state; scans of three government mailings a year at no charge; Reaches beyond LLCs: corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofitsSee Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from company prices read November 13, 2026. State fees are the same whichever pick you open.

Opened up, question by question

Is an agent for service of process required?

The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional.

Statute: N.Y. LLC Law §§ 301 and 302. nysenate.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Who is allowed to be the agent?

If one is designated: a person who lives in New York or has a business address there, an LLC formed or authorized in New York, or a corporation formed or authorized in New York.

If you qualify, you can serve yourself at no cost.

How much does an agent cost?

Services we rank charge $99 to $149 each year, which adds up to $297 to $447 over three.

Changing agents never changes a state fee.

Why does the state want an agent?

Whatever legal paper is meant for the LLC in New York goes to the agent, who passes it along.

What matters is that nothing important sits unnoticed while you are away. What is service of process?

What does the LLC owe the state each year?

Year after year the recurring job is the biennial statement: every two years, costing $9. The calendar line from the state reads during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years.

dos.ny.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026

Why is the stack in this order?

On total across three years (34%), New York Registered Agent.ai comes out ahead.

Two layers carry most of the weight, total across three years (34%) and what is inside the price (29%).

Three years at New York Registered Agent.ai cost $297, which is $150 below Mainstay Filing.

How we open it up

New York agent rule, unpacked

PartAmount or ruleOfficial source
LLC filing fee$200dos.ny.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Agent for service of processDifferent here, see belownysenate.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
Biennial statement$9 every two yearsdos.ny.gov holds the original, confirmed October 2026
State fees, years one to three$209The rows above, stacked
The last row stacks the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax. A cost with no fixed amount, such as a newspaper notice, is explained above and kept out of the sum.

More boxes to open

May an owner serve as agent?

Yes. This state lets you skip the agent line.

What address does an agent need?

New York has no registered-office requirement. The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC and mails a copy of any papers served to the address the company has on file. A designated registered agent's street address goes on the filing.

What do the picks cost over three years?

New York Registered Agent.ai stacks up to $297, NY Registered Agent.org stacks up to $297, Mainstay Filing stacks up to $447

Are the fees official?

The state-side figures were taken from New York's own publications, and the service prices from the price page each company posts. Dates for both appear on this page.

Does the law require one?

Not required. The state takes filings from owners.

What is the best registered agent for New York?

New York Registered Agent.ai is on top: its service puts a street address on file for $99 a year. Under it sit NY Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing.

What the page rests on

  1. Under New York Department of State sits dos.ny.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  2. Under New York Department of State sits filing.dos.ny.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  3. Under New York report due date sits nysenate.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  4. Under NY Limited Liability Company Law sits nysenate.gov, dated August 2026, as the original document
  5. Under New York formation fee: Filing sits dos.ny.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  6. Under New York registered agent statute sits nysenate.gov, dated October 2026, as the original document
  7. New York Registered Agent.ai pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  8. NY Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  9. Mainstay Filing New York service page, read November 13, 2026