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Founder Mentor Guide

Walkthrough 2 · New York

New York Registered Agent Walkthrough (2026): 6 Stages and the 3 Best Agents

Here is the short answer for naming a registered agent in New York in 2026: New York Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and NY Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), ranked from first to last. Stage 1 is the New York rule on an agent for service of process; by stage 6 the appointment is on file.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

The short version

Required by law
Read the rule
Official page: nysenate.gov (viewed October 2026)
Agent price range
$99 to $149 a year
From company pricing pages
Biennial statement
$9 every 2 years
Official page: dos.ny.gov (viewed October 2026)
Stage count
6
One at a time

What you will get from this walkthrough

  • What New York requires of an agent for service of process
  • Who can serve and from what address
  • Getting the agent listed
  • The agents at the top of the list

New York: our recommended services

Cost over three years leads, then work taken off your desk, year-two price, New York fit and honest pricing (scoring page).

Our call

1. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for LLCs that live in New York only

Start with this oneFirst year $99, second year $99

Start with New York Registered Agent.ai; $99 yearly, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and three-year cost is 32% of the ranking.

What you get

  • A New York street address
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

What works

  • $99 each year, no increase
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • Biennial statement is left out of the price
Visit New York Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a nationwide agent at one price

Upkeep coveredFirst year $149, second year $149

Our second call, Mainstay Filing: one annual fee of $149 follows the company when it expands, and renewal stays $149.

Three years here run $150 above New York Registered Agent.ai, and cost is 32% of our ranking.

What you get

  • An office address inside the state
  • Papers served on the company are scanned for you, no charge
  • Up to three government mailings a year are scanned for free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • Goes with you to any state
  • A flat $149 yearly

What to watch

  • Higher by $50 a year
  • Reports remain your job
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. NY Registered Agent.org: best for a local backup

One-state planFirst year $99, second year $99

NY Registered Agent.org is a solid third: $99 yearly, and scans of served papers land in an online account.

Its prices are identical to New York Registered Agent.ai's, so either is fine on cost.

What you get

  • A New York street address
  • Scans of anything served on the LLC

What works

  • $99 each year, no increase
  • Under Mainstay Filing on price

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • Biennial statement is left out of the price
Visit NY Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The services compared

#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.
Each price is copied from the company's own site, opened November 13, 2026. Your choice of agent leaves the state fees untouched.

The stages

  1. Stage 1

    Know 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.

    Check it yourself: Official page: nysenate.gov (viewed October 2026)

  2. Stage 2

    Find out who can 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. Read N.Y. LLC Law §§ 301 and 302 for the wording.

  3. Stage 3

    Choose a compliant address

    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.

    Hire a service and its New York street address goes on the record, not yours.

  4. Stage 4

    Be your own agent or hire one

    The agents we recommend cost $99 to $149 a year; serving yourself is for owners who qualify.

  5. Stage 5

    Name the agent in the filing

    A brand-new LLC lists its agent on the Articles of Organization (Form DOS-1336-f), which goes to the New York Secretary of State. Swapping agents later means filing a change with the same office.

    Check it yourself: Official page: dos.ny.gov (viewed October 2026)

  6. Stage 6

    Check the record each year

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

    Check it yourself: Official page: dos.ny.gov (viewed October 2026)

The bill

EntryPayeeCost
A professional agentThe service company$99 to $149 a year
From year twoThe service company$99 to $149 a year
Biennial statementGoes to the state$9 every two years
The state's fees come from official pages, listed below. Over three years they add up to the filing, two reports and, in a few states, a minimum tax.

How the scores came out

Three-year bill settled first place in New York. It is 32% of the score, and the rest comes from work taken off your desk, year-two price, fit for where you operate and honest pricing.

Add up three years and New York Registered Agent.ai lands on $297, $150 below Mainstay Filing.

What founders ask

Will New York insist on an agent for service of process for your LLC?

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?

The rule in stage 1 makes it optional, so stages 2 and 3 apply only if you appoint an agent.

Can I change my agent for service of process later?

You can. An existing LLC files a change with the New York Secretary of State; see stage 5.

What does a registered agent cost in New York?

The agents we recommend charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The state's yearly line is the biennial statement at $9 every two years.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Go with New York Registered Agent.ai: a one-state plan at $99 a year, renewing at $99. Then Mainstay Filing and NY Registered Agent.org.

Where we got the facts

  1. Backing for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: dos.ny.gov, August 2026.
  2. Backing for New York Department of State, Division of Corporations: filing.dos.ny.gov, August 2026.
  3. Backing for New York report due date: nysenate.gov, August 2026.
  4. Backing for NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203: nysenate.gov, August 2026.
  5. Backing for New York formation fee: Filing fee, official source: dos.ny.gov, October 2026.
  6. Backing for New York registered agent statute: nysenate.gov, October 2026.
  7. New York Registered Agent.ai pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  8. Mainstay Filing New York service page; prices copied November 13, 2026
  9. NY Registered Agent.org pricing page; prices copied November 13, 2026