[0:00] The short answer Dan: The 5 best registered agents in Iowa in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, IA Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Iowa Registered Agent.co. Maya: Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. Iowa. What's the headline? Dan: Iowa's rule is short. The agent needs a place of business in the state, and changing agents has no state fee. That leaves the agent's own price as the thing to compare. [0:32] What Iowa requires Maya: Walk me through the law. Dan: Section 489.115 says every Iowa LLC must designate and maintain a registered agent in the state. The agent must have a place of business here. Maya: Any rules about who? Dan: The section sets no residency, age or business-hours rule. So the test is the place of business. Maya: And consent? Dan: Designating an agent is the company's statement that the agent agreed to serve. Maya: What does the agent do? Dan: Its only duties are to forward any process, notice or demand to the company at the most recent address supplied, to give notice if it resigns, and to keep its information current in the certificate. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Thanks, Maya. On to the five. [1:19] Mainstay Filing Maya: Number one? Dan: Mainstay Filing, $149 a year, the same $149 at renewal. Maya: What does that buy? Dan: Its Iowa address goes on the public record in place of yours. Served papers are scanned and uploaded the same business day with no fee, and the first three government mailings each year are scanned free. Maya: Changing over? Dan: Mainstay files the change of agent, and Iowa charges no state fee for it. Maya: The honest catch? Dan: It isn't the lowest flat price. Two agents further down are $99. [1:56] Northwest Registered Agent Maya: Second? Dan: Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. The page says the price is unchanged in 20 years, and up to 10 pieces of regular mail a year are scanned free. Maya: The catch? Dan: Auto-enrollment in an annual report filing service, $100 plus state fees per filing, until you cancel. Maya: Iowa's report is only every second year. Dan: Which makes that service even harder to justify. Add the state's $30 online fee and you're at $130 for a filing you can do yourself in minutes. [2:29] IA Registered Agent.org Maya: Third? Dan: IA Registered Agent.org, $99 a year, same at renewal. The office address on your filings, same-day legal mail scanning and reminders for state deadlines. Maya: And switching? Dan: No state fee. Report filing is a separate service. Maya: Against Mainstay? Dan: $50 a year less. That's $150 over three years. [2:53] Bizee Maya: Four? Dan: Bizee, formerly Incfile. Free the first year with any formation package, then $149 a year. Maya: The fine print? Dan: The free year requires a formation order, and the renewal is automatic. Its policy says automatic renewal fees can't be reversed once charged. Maya: If I formed my Iowa company myself? Dan: You skip the free year. It's $149 and then $149, for $298. [3:23] Iowa Registered Agent.co Maya: And five? Dan: Iowa Registered Agent.co, a flat $99. A physical address, scanned legal mail and compliance alerts. Maya: How does it differ from number three? Dan: On the listings, it doesn't. Same price, same catch, and report filing costs extra. [3:43] The place of business rule Maya: What counts as a place of business? Dan: The section just says the agent must have one in the state, with no further test. What it does require is a street address and a mailing address on the filing. Maya: Does that become public? Dan: Yes. The paper change form warns that what you provide is open to public inspection, so an agent's address is visible to anyone. Maya: Both addresses? Dan: Yes. The Certificate of Organization gives the name and the street and mailing addresses in Iowa of the registered agent. [4:13] Forming and changing Maya: Is there a state form for the Certificate of Organization? Dan: No. In Iowa you draft it yourself under section 489.201, and the fee is $50. Maya: And a change of agent? Dan: A statement of change of registered agent. The statute lists it as no fee, and the Secretary of State's forms page says the same for the online filing. Maya: What about paper? Dan: Form 635_0119. The new agent signs consenting to the appointment, or you attach a written consent. The LLC signs by an authorized person. Maya: Do the members vote? Dan: No. Members and managers need not approve it, and it takes effect when filed. Maya: Anything else on the form? Dan: It asks for the new agent's email address. [5:02] If the agent resigns Maya: What if my agent quits? Dan: Iowa has a resignation form, 635_0987. There's no fee. Maya: When does it end? Dan: At 12:01 a.m. on the 31st day after filing, or when a new agent is designated, whichever comes first. Maya: Does the agent warn me? Dan: The agent must send the company notice of the date it was filed, and the form carries a certificate of mailing that says a copy went to the company by certified mail. [5:31] When there's no agent Maya: What if the company is left with no agent? Dan: Papers can be mailed to the company at its principal office, as shown on its most recent biennial report. Maya: And the company's standing? Dan: Without an agent for 60 days or more, or if the state isn't told within 60 days of a change or resignation, the company is open to administrative dissolution. Maya: Warning first? Dan: Yes. The state gives notice, and there are 60 days to correct it. [5:59] The biennial report Maya: What does Iowa want regularly? Dan: A biennial report, in odd-numbered years. It's filed between January 1 and April 1, $30 online or $45 on paper. Maya: Does it matter for the agent? Dan: Yes. It lists the agent and the agent's street address, and a new agent must consent to being listed. So the report can be used to change the agent too. Maya: So what does a typical two years cost? Dan: With Mainstay, $298 for the agent plus $30 for the report, $328. With a $99 agent, $198 plus $30 is $228. [6:40] Three years of agent fees Maya: Can we line the agents up over three years? Dan: Sure. Mainstay is $149 a year, so $447. Northwest at $125 is $375, and either $99 agent is $297. Maya: And Bizee? Dan: With a formation order, free then $149 and $149 is $298. Without one, three years is $447, the same as Mainstay. Maya: So the gap between first and last? Dan: $150 between Mainstay and a $99 agent over three years. What you get for it is the same-day scan, the change filed for you, and a price that stays put. [7:30] Doing it yourself Maya: Can I be my own agent in Iowa? Dan: If you have a place of business in the state, yes. It costs nothing. Maya: Why not? Dan: Your address goes on the public record, and you have to be there to receive papers. If a process server arrives while you're away, a missed lawsuit can turn into a default. Maya: And a service? Dan: A service with same-day scanning gets you the papers wherever you are. [7:54] Picking one Maya: How should an owner in Des Moines or Cedar Rapids pick? Dan: Three things. Does the price hold after year one, is the address a real Iowa place of business, and who files the change. Maya: And your answer? Dan: Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Iowa, at $149 a year. [8:15] The five in a row Maya: All five once more? Dan: One, Mainstay Filing: $149, same at renewal. Two, Northwest: $125, with the report service to cancel. Three, IA Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Iowa Registered Agent.co: $99 flat. Maya: The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.