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Formation ClassClass is in session: LLC paperwork, state by state.

Class 2 · New York

New York Registered Agent Class (2026): 6 Assignments and the 3 Best Agents

Graded for 2026, the best help with getting a registered agent in New York comes from New York Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and NY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. In 6 assignments you will learn what New York requires of an agent for service of process, who qualifies, which address counts and how the agent is put on record.

Taught by the Formation Class faculty

Need-to-know facts

Must you have one?See assignment 1Check the textbook page: nysenate.gov (read October 2026)
What graded services charge$99 to $149 a yearRead from each company's price page
Biennial statement$9 every 2 yearsCheck the textbook page: dos.ny.gov (read October 2026)
Assignments6In order

Class goals

  • Why New York wants an agent on file
  • Who can act as agent
  • Getting the agent listed
  • The agents at the top of the class

Class favorites in New York

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year tuition and homework done count most.
Start with this one

1. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for owners with a tight budget

$99 yearly, the same at renewal

New York Registered Agent.ai gets first place, and the reason is that $99 a year, unchanged at renewal, for an LLC that stays in the state.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year tuition is 30% of the grade.

Covered by the tuition

  • A New York address for the registered office
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

Strengths

  • A flat $99 yearly
  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing

Weak spots

  • No help in other states
  • No help with the biennial statement
All fifty states

2. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs that may add other states

$149 yearly, the same at renewal

Our second pick, Mainstay Filing: the agent is $149 a year and can come along when the company adds a state.

Over three years it sits $150 behind New York Registered Agent.ai.

Covered by the tuition

  • An office address inside the state
  • Scans of papers served on the company, free and on the same business day
  • Three government letters a year are scanned free
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Strengths

  • Good in every state
  • A flat $149 yearly

Weak spots

  • Costs $50 extra every year
  • Reports stay on your plate
In-state service

3. NY Registered Agent.org: best for a second New York choice

$99 yearly, the same at renewal

NY Registered Agent.org lands in third place: $99 a year, unchanged at renewal, for an LLC that stays in the state.

On price, it is level with New York Registered Agent.ai.

Covered by the tuition

  • A New York address for the registered office
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

Strengths

  • Less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • A flat $99 yearly

Weak spots

  • No help in other states
  • No help with the biennial statement

3 services, side by side

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1New York Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3NY Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Every agent leaves the state fees unchanged.

The New York agent, in order

  1. Assignment
    1

    Read what New York requires

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

    Textbook page: Check the textbook page: nysenate.gov (read October 2026)

  2. Assignment
    2

    Find out who is allowed to serve

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

  3. Assignment
    3

    Use an office address that qualifies

    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.

    The public record shows the service's address, not yours.

  4. Assignment
    4

    Choose between acting alone and hiring

    A qualified owner may act as agent. If you would rather not, the graded agents charge $99 to $149 a year.

  5. Assignment
    5

    Put the agent on the state's record

    For a newly formed New York LLC, the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f) is where the agent is named. Any later switch is filed separately at the New York Secretary of State.

    Textbook page: Check the textbook page: dos.ny.gov (read October 2026)

  6. Assignment
    6

    Check the record every year

    New York keeps your agent's details current through the biennial statement ($9, every two years, due during the calendar month in which the Articles of Organization were filed, every 2 years); notices about it land with the agent for service of process.

    Textbook page: Check the textbook page: dos.ny.gov (read October 2026)

Agent and state costs

What forPaid toSum
Registered agent serviceThe service company$99 to $149 a year
Agent renewalThe service company$99 to $149 a year
Biennial statementThe state$9 every two years
Anything paid to New York is an official fee you can look up on the pages listed below. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where there is one, and service prices are not part of it.

How we graded the New York picks

Tuition across three years settled first place in New York. It is worth 30% of the grade, and the rest comes from homework the price does, year-two tuition, fit with the state class and fees a student can read.

New York Registered Agent.ai comes to $297 across three years, a saving of $150 next to Mainstay Filing.

New York pop quiz

Will New York insist that an LLC keep an agent for service of process?

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

Can I be my own agent for service of process?

Assignment 1 states the rule. Naming an agent is your call; assignments 2 and 3 cover it if you do.

Can I change my agent for service of process later?

Yes; the New York Secretary of State takes change filings, and assignment 5 says what to send.

What does a registered agent cost in New York?

Plan on $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Mainly the biennial statement, $9 every two years.

Which registered agent would you choose?

New York Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing and NY Registered Agent.org, from the highest grade to the lowest.

See also

Textbook pages and extra reading

  1. Study tip for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: everything above comes from dos.ny.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  2. Study tip for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: everything above comes from filing.dos.ny.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  3. Study tip for New York report due date: everything above comes from nysenate.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  4. Study tip for NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203: everything above comes from nysenate.gov, which we reread in August 2026. Open it and follow along.
  5. Study tip for New York formation fee: Filing fee, official source: everything above comes from dos.ny.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  6. Study tip for New York registered agent statute: everything above comes from nysenate.gov, which we reread in October 2026. Open it and follow along.
  7. The pricing page at New York Registered Agent.ai, November 13, 2026
  8. The New York service page at Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  9. The pricing page at NY Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026