[0:00] The short answer Dan: The 5 best registered agents in New Hampshire in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, NH Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and New Hampshire Registered Agent.co. Maya: Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. New Hampshire. What should a listener know first? Dan: A change of agent is $15 on Form 10. But the annual report is $100, and the state can dissolve an LLC that goes 60 days without an agent. [0:36] What New Hampshire requires Maya: What does the law require? Dan: RSA 304-C:36 says every LLC must have and maintain a registered office and a registered agent in the state. The office can be the same as one of your places of business. Maya: Who can be the agent? Dan: An individual who lives in New Hampshire and whose home or business office is the registered office. Or a corporation, an LLC or a limited liability partnership that's authorized in the state. Maya: Can I be my own agent? Dan: Yes. The Secretary of State says owners, managers or employees can be listed, as long as they can be located at the address. Maya: And the address? Dan: A physical business address in New Hampshire. It cannot be a post office box, and the agent should be available there during regular business hours. Maya: Is there a list of services? Dan: The Secretary of State keeps a list of companies willing to serve as agent. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. Dan: Thanks, Maya. Now the five. [1:37] Mainstay Filing Maya: Number one? Dan: Mainstay Filing, $149 a year, and it renews at the same $149. Maya: What do I get? Dan: Its New Hampshire address on the public record instead of yours. Served papers are scanned and uploaded the same business day with no fee, and your first three government mailings a year are scanned free. Maya: And if I already have an agent? Dan: Mainstay files the change for you. The $15 state fee passes through at cost. Maya: The honest catch? Dan: If the lowest flat price is what you want, two agents here charge $99. [2:16] Northwest Registered Agent Maya: Second? Dan: Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. Its page says the price hasn't changed in 20 years, and up to 10 pieces of regular mail a year are scanned free. Maya: The catch? Dan: Signup auto-enrolls you in its annual report filing service. It's $100 plus state fees per filing, until you cancel it. Maya: And the state's report? Dan: Is $100 on its own, so add that up before you decide whether the service is worth keeping. [2:45] NH Registered Agent.org Maya: Third? Dan: NH Registered Agent.org, $99 a year, same at renewal. The registered office address, service of process handling, and compliance alerts. Maya: Switching? Dan: Just the $15 state fee. Maya: Any catch? Dan: Annual report filing is a separate service. Maya: Against Mainstay? Dan: $50 less a year, $150 across three. [3:11] Bizee Maya: Four? Dan: Bizee, formerly Incfile. Free the first year with any formation package, then $149 a year. Maya: Fine print? Dan: The free year needs a formation order, and the renewal is automatic. Maya: If my company already exists? Dan: Then you start at $149. Two years is $298. [3:34] New Hampshire Registered Agent.co Maya: And five? Dan: New Hampshire Registered Agent.co, a flat $99. The address used on filings, same-day legal mail scanning, and compliance reminders. Maya: Different from number three? Dan: On the listings, no. Same price, same catch: annual report filing is a separate service. [3:54] Naming the agent at formation Maya: Where does the agent go when I form the LLC? Dan: In Form LLC-1, the Certificate of Formation, under Article Third. It asks for a street or physical address. Maya: What does the filing cost? Dan: $100, or $102 online. Maya: Why the extra two dollars? Dan: Electronic filings carry a $2 handling charge. It applies to the state's online fees. Maya: Is a P.O. box okay for the agent's address? Dan: Form 10 says if a post office box is given, the physical location must also be given. [4:33] Changing the agent Maya: How do I change it later? Dan: Form 10, the Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent, or Both. The fee is $15 under RSA 304-C:191. Maya: Online? Dan: Yes, on the state's QuickStart system. Online comes to $17 with the handling charge. Maya: Does the new agent have to sign? Dan: We found no consent requirement. The form is signed by an officer, a manager, a member or another authorized person, and has no line for the agent. Maya: What does the form promise? Dan: It recites that after the change, the street address of the registered office and the business office of the agent will be identical. Maya: Where do I mail it? Dan: The Corporation Division in Concord. But most people file online. [5:22] If the agent resigns Maya: What if my agent quits? Dan: The agent files a written notice of resignation with the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State mails a copy to the LLC at its principal office. Maya: When does it take effect? Dan: The appointment ends 31 days after filing, or when a successor is appointed, whichever comes first. Maya: Is there a fee? Dan: We found no specific resignation fee in the statute. Maya: So I have a month. Dan: At most. Name the replacement quickly, because the 60 day rule is next. [5:53] When there's no agent Maya: What if papers need to reach a company with no agent? Dan: RSA 304-C:37 lets service go by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the LLC's principal office. Maya: When does that count? Dan: At the earliest of receipt, the return receipt date, or five days after it's mailed. Maya: And the state? Dan: It can administratively dissolve an LLC that is without a registered agent or office for 60 days or more. The same goes if you don't tell the state within 60 days that your agent changed or resigned. Maya: Two ways to trip it. Dan: Right. That second one catches people who switch agents and forget to file. [6:40] The annual report Maya: What does New Hampshire want each year? Dan: An annual report, filed from January 1 to April 1. It lists your registered agent and office. Maya: What does it cost? Dan: $100, or $102 online. If you're late, there's a $50 late fee. Maya: So it's the biggest yearly cost after the agent. Dan: It is. With Mainstay, that's $149 for the agent, plus the state's $100 report. Maya: And with a $99 agent? Dan: $99 plus the $100, since the report is separate with both of them. [7:15] Doing it yourself Maya: Can I be my own agent in New Hampshire? Dan: Yes, if you live there and your home or business office is the registered office. Managers and employees can serve too. Maya: What's the tradeoff? Dan: The address is public, and you're expected to be there during business hours. Maya: Can I use a home address? Dan: The statute says a residential or business office, so a home works for an individual. It just can't be a P.O. box. [7:41] Picking one Maya: How would a Manchester or Nashua owner decide? Dan: Three questions. Does the price hold, is the office a real New Hampshire street address, and who files Form 10 when you switch. Maya: And your answer? Dan: Mainstay Filing. Our pick for New Hampshire, at $149 a year. [8:00] 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, NH Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, New Hampshire Registered Agent.co: $99 flat. Maya: The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.