Your Texas
registered agent
Every Texas business needs one — a physical presence in the state to receive legal and government mail. We are that presence, we keep you compliant, and we tell you when you don’t even need us.
The short answer: Texas requires every LLC and corporation to continuously maintain a registered agent with a physical Texas address to accept service of process during business hours.
More than a mailbox — your legal front door in Texas
- ✓A physical Texas address. The “registered office” must be a real Texas street address — a PO box or mail service does not qualify.
- ✓Available in business hours. Someone must be there to accept service of process and official state mail, in person, during the working day.
- ✓Written consent on file. The agent must consent to serve (Form 401-A), kept in your records — it is not filed with the state.
- ✓Nothing slips through. Legal and state documents are forwarded to you promptly, so a lawsuit or a deadline never goes unseen.
Exactly what the state charges
Current Texas Secretary of State fees. Credit-card payments add a 2.7% convenience fee.
| Filing | Form | State fee |
|---|---|---|
| LLC Certificate of Formation | Form 205 | $300 |
| For-profit Corporation Certificate of Formation | Form 201 | $300 |
| Change of Registered Agent / Office | Form 401 | $15 |
| Foreign entity Application for Registration | by entity type | $750 |
| Certificate of Status / Fact (good standing) | via SOSDirect | $15 |
Need it fast? Texas Express expedited
Texas Express · received by 12 p.m., processed same business day
Texas Express · received by 12 p.m., processed next business day
Typically 2–3 business days
Estimate your Texas filing cost
Pick what you’re filing and how fast you need it — we’ll itemise the exact Texas state fees in real time. No email required.
Texas Secretary of State fees only (verified Aug 2026). LLCity’s service fee is quoted separately — and we’ll always show you the all-in number before you pay.
File this with LLCityHow to appoint or change your Texas registered agent
Four steps — or hand the whole thing to us and skip to a signature.
Confirm the agent qualifies
A Texas-resident individual or a company authorised in Texas — with a real Texas street address, not a PO box.
Get written consent
The agent signs Form 401-A (Acceptance of Appointment). You keep it in your records; it is not filed with the state.
File Form 401
Submit the Change of Registered Agent to the Secretary of State via SOSDirect — the fee is $15.
Keep proof on file
Store the consent and confirmation, and update your internal records. Done — coverage is continuous.
Texas has no annual report — but there’s a catch on May 15
There’s no Secretary of State annual report for Texas LLCs. Instead, you file a Franchise Tax report + Public Information Report with the Comptroller each year — and it trips up owners who assume “no tax due” means “nothing to file.”
Filed with the Texas Comptroller
Every year, without a reminder from the state
Below the 2026 threshold ($2.65M) you owe no tax — but the PIR is still due
The state can forfeit your right to do business in Texas — and your good standing.
To cure a forfeiture you must file every overdue report and pay all tax, penalty, and interest. LLCity tracks these dates and files them for you, so it never gets that far.
The honest side-by-side
Should you even hire a registered agent?
If you have a Texas street address, keep steady business hours, and don’t mind your address on the public record — being your own agent is perfectly fine, and free. Plenty of single-owner Texas LLCs do exactly that, and we’ll say so.
A commercial agent earns its keep when you value privacy, operate in more than one state, travel or don’t keep fixed hours, or simply refuse to risk missing a lawsuit or a Comptroller notice. That’s the honest trade-off — and it’s why we’ll tell you when you don’t need us.
Everything a Texas registered agent should include
A compliant Texas registered office
A real, monitored Texas street address that satisfies the Secretary of State — no PO boxes, no gaps.
Same-day document scanning
Any service of process or state notice is scanned and forwarded the day it arrives, so nothing waits in a mailbox.
Compliance calendar
We track your Franchise Tax report and Public Information Report (May 15) and file them on time, every year.
Privacy by design
Our address goes on the public record instead of your home — your personal details stay off state filings.
Online document dashboard
Every notice, filing, and deadline in one place, accessible any time, with alerts when something needs you.
One partner across 50 states
Expand beyond Texas and keep the same registered agent nationwide — no juggling providers state by state.
Answers, straight from the source
Do I need a registered agent in Texas?+
Yes. Every Texas LLC and corporation — and every out-of-state entity registered to do business in Texas — must continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in the state (Texas Business Organizations Code, Ch. 5).
Can I be my own registered agent in Texas?+
An individual owner, officer, or employee who is a Texas resident can serve in their individual capacity. The entity itself cannot be its own registered agent. Whoever is named must have a physical Texas street address and be available during business hours.
Can a registered agent use a PO box in Texas?+
No. The registered office must be a physical Texas street address where the agent can be served during business hours. A commercial-mail PO box does not qualify unless that mail company is itself the registered agent.
How do I change my registered agent in Texas?+
File Form 401 (Change of Registered Agent and/or Registered Office) with the Texas Secretary of State. The filing fee is $15. The new agent must have consented to serve (Form 401-A, kept in your records).
Does a Texas registered agent have to consent?+
Yes. For any agent designated on or after January 1, 2010, written or electronic consent is required (Form 401-A). Form 401-A is not filed with the Secretary of State — it is retained by the entity and agent as evidence of consent.
Does Texas require an annual report for LLCs?+
There is no Secretary of State annual report. Instead, LLCs file an annual Texas Franchise Tax report plus a Public Information Report (PIR) with the Texas Comptroller, due May 15 each year — even if no tax is owed.
What happens if I don't maintain a registered agent?+
The Secretary of State can involuntarily terminate a Texas entity, or revoke a foreign entity's registration, for failure to maintain a registered agent and registered office.
Get a Texas registered agent — the same people you trust
Appointment, consent, and every Texas filing handled — with deadline tracking so you never miss a Comptroller notice.
Figures verified against the Texas Secretary of State and Comptroller · Last updated August 2026