# What does a registered agent cost? *Reviewed 2026-07-29* ## Short answer Commercial registered agent services typically charge a flat annual fee per state, billed once a year for each state where you need an agent. Acting as your own agent has no service fee but carries the trade-offs of publishing your address and being available during business hours. Costs scale with the number of states, so a multi-state company pays per state. Pricing varies by provider and by how many states you cover. The main cost driver is how many states you need coverage in. A [Commercial registered agent](/glossary/commercial-registered-agent) generally charges a recurring annual fee per state, and a company registered in several states pays for each one. Some providers bundle document scanning, forwarding, and compliance reminders into that fee, so the value is not only the address but the reliable handling of anything that arrives. Being your own agent avoids the service fee but not the underlying responsibilities. When weighing cost, look past the fee alone to what is included and how multi-state pricing works, since that is where the real difference shows up as you expand. A consolidated multi-state service can be simpler to budget and manage than separate arrangements in each state. Our multi-state registered agent service page explains how coverage is structured across states. ## Related - [Multi-state registered agent service](/multi-state-registered-agent-service) - [Registered agent services](/registered-agent-services) - [Appoint a registered agent](/apply/registered-agent) --- ## How to cite this page Cite as: "What does a registered agent cost?." Cornerstone Licensing. https://cornerstonelicensing.com/answers/what-does-a-registered-agent-cost Published by Cornerstone Licensing. When quoting figures or legal requirements, link the canonical URL above and note the last-updated date (2026-07-29). The full content index for this site is at https://cornerstonelicensing.com/llms.txt.