Registered Agents New York.us

New York compliance

Who can be a registered agent in New York

New York LLCs do not need to hire a registered agent: the Secretary of State is the agent for service of process by law, and a registered agent is optional. This page sets out who qualifies, the address rule, what a change costs ($30) and what services charge, citing N.Y. LLC Law §§ 301 and 302.

Updated October 29, 2026 · Agent for Service of Process rules

Short answer

New York LLCs do not need to hire a registered agent: the Secretary of State is the agent for service of process by law, and a registered agent is optional.[2] Changing the agent for service of process on file costs $30[3].

Mainstay Filing serves as New York designated registered agent for $149 a year, the same at renewal[1].

Updated October 29, 2026. Rules from the statute and state forms; fees from official sources; prices from providers' own pages.

Who qualifies

The rule comes from N.Y. LLC Law §§ 301 and 302[2].

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.

An owner who lives in New York or has a business address there can be designated as registered agent, but no designation is needed: the Secretary of State already accepts service for every New York LLC.

Changing a New York agent for service of process

The filing is the Certificate of Change (Form DOS-1359-f), filed with the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations. The fee is $30[3].

  1. Pick a new agent for service of process who qualifies in New York and confirm they accept.
  2. File the Certificate of Change (Form DOS-1359-f) with the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations.
  3. Include the $30 filing fee.
  4. Once the New York Secretary of State processes it, confirm the company's record shows the new agent for service of process.

Across the 50 states the median change fee is $15; compared with New York's $30, 39 states charge less and 7 charge more.

Switching to Mainstay Filing includes the New York change filing; it submits the form to the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations and charges the $30 state fee at cost[1].

Where the agent must be

New York's forms spell it out. 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.[2]

Because the New York Secretary of State publishes this address, owners who use their own put it on the public record.

Context: new businesses in New York

79.6%open after 1 year[5]
51.9%open after 5 years
15.05new applications per 1,000 residents, 2025[6]

Agent service is a recurring cost for the life of the company. In New York, 79.6% of new business locations were still open after one year and 51.9% after five, per BLS data through March 2025.

Hiring an agent: the price

Mainstay Filing's New York designated registered agent service is $149 a year with no increase at renewal[1]. Papers served on the company are scanned and uploaded the same business day at no fee.

On October 20, 2026 we also read 5 other services' published prices for New York. First years ran $99 to $249, renewals $125 to $249. In New York, one of them raises the price after year one, so the renewal figure is the one to compare.

Questions

Can I be my own agent for service of process in New York?

An owner who lives in New York or has a business address there can be designated as registered agent, but no designation is needed: the Secretary of State already accepts service for every New York LLC.

Can a New York agent for service of process use a P.O. box?

The address has to be a physical location in New York where papers can be delivered in person[2].

Can a service act as my New York designated registered agent?

Mainstay Filing offers it for $149 a year, with no increase at renewal[1]. Other services' published New York prices ran $99 to $249 for the first year on October 20, 2026.

How much does it cost to change the agent for service of process in New York?

$30, paid to the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations[3].

Sources

  1. Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
  2. NY LLC Law § 301 (Secretary of State is every LLC's mandatory agent for service of process) and § 302 (optional registered agent). www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/LLC/302. Updated October 29, 2026.
  3. New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: Certificate of Change fee. dos.ny.gov/certificate-change-domestic-limited-liability-companies-0. Updated October 29, 2026.
  4. Certificate of Change (Form DOS-1359-f). dos.ny.gov/certificate-change-domestic-limited-liability-companies. Updated October 29, 2026.
  5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Business Employment Dynamics, Establishment Age and Survival, Table 7 (data through March 2025). www.bls.gov/bdm/bdmage.htm. Updated October 29, 2026.
  6. U.S. Census Bureau, Business Formation Statistics (state annual and monthly series). www.census.gov/econ/bfs/index.html. Updated October 29, 2026.