Session 2 · Texas
Texas Registered Agent Class (2026): 6 Assignments and the 3 Best Agents
Read this first
What this class teaches
- The legal requirement
- Who is eligible and the address test
- Recording the agent
- Which agents we recommend and why
Class favorites in Texas
1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in several states
In Texas, Mainstay Filing sits at the top of the class: $149 a year, $149 at renewal, and the same plan is on offer in every other state.
Texas Registered Agent.ai is $150 cheaper over three years; this one still earns the higher grade because it does more of the work.
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
- Works in all fifty states
- $149 per year
Weak spots
- Texas Registered Agent.ai is $50 a year lower
- An agent-only plan, so no report filing
2. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for one-state companies
Our second pick, Texas Registered Agent.ai: $99 a year, with scanned copies of served papers placed in an online account.
Covered by the tuition
- A Texas street address
- Online copies of legal papers
Strengths
- $99 per year
- Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
Weak spots
- Texas only; each other state needs its own agent
- Filing the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report is not part of its service
3. TX Registered Agent.org: best for staying inside one state
Our third pick, TX Registered Agent.org: $99 a year, with scanned copies of served papers placed in an online account.
It charges exactly what Texas Registered Agent.ai charges.
Covered by the tuition
- A Texas street address
- Online copies of legal papers
Strengths
- Costs less per year than Mainstay Filing
- $99 per year
Weak spots
- Texas only; each other state needs its own agent
- Filing the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report is not part of its service
All the tuition in one table
| # | Service | Annual price | Renewal price | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149/yr | $447 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Texas Registered Agent.ai | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | TX Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99/yr | $297 | Visit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
The class, assignment by assignment
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Assignment
1Read what Texas requires
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Textbook page: sos.texas.gov, last read in October 2026
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Assignment
2Find out who is allowed to serve
A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent. Legal source: Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.201.
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Assignment
3Pass the address test
The address has to be a street address where papers can be handed to the agent during normal business hours. A mailbox service or answering service alone does not qualify.
Paying a service keeps your home address out of public records.
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Assignment
4Settle on the person or company
If you pass the tests above, you can name yourself; hiring one of the graded agents costs $99 to $149 a year.
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Assignment
5Get the agent listed publicly
For a newly formed Texas LLC, the Certificate of Formation (Form 205) is where the agent is named. Any later switch is filed separately at the Texas Secretary of State.
Textbook page: sos.texas.gov, last read in October 2026
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Assignment
6Check the record every year
Plan for the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report: nothing every year, due May 15. Any notice about it comes through the registered agent.
Textbook page: comptroller.texas.gov, last read in October 2026
Agent and state costs
| Line item | Goes to | Sum |
|---|---|---|
| The agent | The provider | $99 to $149 a year |
| Every year after | The provider | $99 to $149 a year |
| Report sent to the state | State office | No fee |
How the grades came out
On homework the price does (34% of the grade) came out on top, with close behind.
An agent that can follow your LLC into any state earned a higher grade than Texas Registered Agent.ai's lower price.
What students ask
Is having a registered agent the law in Texas?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Maybe. Assignments 2 and 3 show whether you meet both rules.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes; the Texas Secretary of State takes change filings, and assignment 5 says what to send.
What does a registered agent cost in Texas?
Plan on $99 to $149 a year.
What does the LLC pay the state each year?
Yearly it is the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, which has no fee.
Which registered agent would you choose?
Mainstay Filing, because the agent is $149 a year and can come along when the company adds a state. Behind it come Texas Registered Agent.ai and TX Registered Agent.org.
Textbook pages and extra reading
- Class notes on Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source come straight from comptroller.texas.gov (reread October 2026).
- Class notes on Texas report due date come straight from statutes.capitol.texas.gov (reread August 2026).
- Class notes on Tex come straight from sos.texas.gov (reread August 2026).
- Class notes on Texas registered agent statute come straight from sos.texas.gov (reread October 2026).
- Tuition figures from Mainstay Filing (Texas service page), November 13, 2026
- Tuition figures from Texas Registered Agent.ai (pricing page), November 13, 2026
- Tuition figures from TX Registered Agent.org (pricing page), November 13, 2026