The 5 Best Registered Agents in Oregon (2026)

Full transcript

0:00 The short answer

Dan The 5 best registered agents in Oregon in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, OR Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and Oregon Registered Agent.co.

Maya Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. Oregon. Where do owners trip up?

Dan On the address. Oregon won't accept a mail forwarder or a virtual office as your registered office. The good news is that changing agents costs nothing with the state.

0:31 What Oregon requires

Maya What does the statute say?

Dan Under chapter 63, an Oregon LLC has to continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in the state.

Maya Who can be the agent?

Dan An individual who lives in Oregon and whose business office is the registered office. Or a domestic LLC or corporation with its business office at that address. Or a foreign one authorized to do business in the state.

Maya Can I name my own LLC?

Dan No. An entity can't be its own agent, but an individual owner can.

Maya I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan.

Dan Thanks, Maya. Let's go through the five.

1:09 Mainstay Filing

Maya Number one?

Dan Mainstay Filing, $149 a year, and the same $149 at renewal.

Maya What do I get?

Dan Its Oregon address 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 a year are scanned free.

Maya What about switching in?

Dan Mainstay files the change for you, and Oregon charges no state fee for it.

Maya The honest catch?

Dan If you want the lowest flat price, two agents on this list are at $99.

1:46 Northwest Registered Agent

Maya Second?

Dan Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. Its page says the price hasn't gone up in 20 years. Up to 10 pieces of business mail a year are scanned free.

Maya The catch?

Dan Signing up auto-enrolls you in its annual report filing service. It's $100 plus state fees for each filing, until you cancel.

Maya And Oregon's own annual report?

Dan The state charges $100 for it. So that service would double the cost of the filing.

2:16 OR Registered Agent.org

Maya Third?

Dan OR Registered Agent.org, $99 a year, same at renewal. The office address on file, scanned legal mail and compliance reminders ahead of state deadlines.

Maya What does it cost to switch?

Dan No state fee at all.

Maya And the catch?

Dan Annual report filing is a separate service.

Maya Compared with number one?

Dan $50 less a year. That's $150 over three years.

2:46 Bizee

Maya Four?

Dan Bizee, formerly Incfile. Free the first year with any formation package, then $149 a year.

Maya What should I know?

Dan The free year needs a formation order. And the $149 renewal is automatic.

Maya Already formed?

Dan Then you pay $149 from day one. Two years would be $298.

3:11 Oregon Registered Agent.co

Maya And the fifth?

Dan Oregon Registered Agent.co, a flat $99 a year. The address on your filings, same-day scans of state correspondence, and deadline reminders.

Maya Is that different from number three?

Dan On the listings, no. Same price, and the same catch. Annual report filing is a separate service.

3:35 Naming the agent at formation

Maya Where does the agent go when I form the LLC?

Dan In the Articles of Organization. You give the agent's name and its Oregon street address.

Maya How much?

Dan $100, through the Oregon Business Registry or on paper.

Maya Does the agent have to agree?

Dan Yes. The Secretary of State says the person or business named must have consented to serve.

Maya What if someone names me without asking?

Dan You can deliver a signed written statement saying you aren't associated with the business and never consented.

4:09 What counts as an address

Maya What's the actual address rule?

Dan A physical street address where a process server can hand papers to the agent in person.

Maya What's ruled out?

Dan A commercial mail receiving agency, a mail forwarding business, and a virtual office. And a P.O. box, naturally.

Maya Why so strict?

Dan Because a process server can't physically serve an agent at a P.O. box or a mail forwarder. That's the point of the address.

Maya And the hours?

Dan The state describes it as the place where the agent is located during normal business hours.

4:43 Changing the agent

Maya How do I change it?

Dan With an Information Change. You log in to the Business Registry, enter your registry number, and submit.

Maya What's the fee?

Dan Nothing. The state fee schedule lists $0 for a change of registered agent or address.

Maya Is there a paper way?

Dan Yes. The same form can be sent by mail or fax.

Maya What does the filing say?

Dan The new agent, that the agent has consented, and that the registered office and the agent's business office will be identical.

Maya Any other route?

Dan When your renewal is available each year, you can report changes on the annual report.

5:18 Where state mail goes

Maya Does the agent get the state's mail?

Dan Only if you let it. Oregon mails correspondence, renewal notices and late notices to the registered office address, unless you give a separate mailing address.

Maya Is there a place for that address?

Dan Yes. The Articles and the Information Change both ask for a mailing address for notices.

Maya So that's worth setting on purpose.

Dan Yes. Otherwise a stranger's inbox gets your renewal notice.

5:45 If the agent resigns

Maya What if my agent quits?

Dan It delivers a signed statement to the state and sends a copy to your LLC's mailing address or principal office.

Maya When does it end?

Dan On the 31st day after the state files it, unless you appoint a new agent sooner.

Maya Any fee?

Dan The fee schedule lists none.

Maya And if I miss it?

Dan The state says failing to name a new agent results in administrative dissolution.

6:10 When there's no agent

Maya What happens to lawsuits with no agent?

Dan The Secretary of State becomes your agent if you fail to keep one, or the agent can't be found at the office.

Maya How?

Dan The person suing serves the state, and mails a copy by certified or registered mail to your last registered office and the address most likely to reach you.

Maya What does that cost?

Dan A $20 process service fee for each business served.

Maya Does the state tell me?

Dan No. The Secretary of State says it doesn't notify the business or contact its agent about the complaint.

6:42 The annual report

Maya What does Oregon want every year?

Dan An annual report, $100, due by your anniversary.

Maya Do I get a warning?

Dan Renewal notices go out about 45 days before the due date.

Maya And a late fee?

Dan There isn't one. But being without a registered agent or office is a ground for administrative dissolution. The LLC is dissolved if you don't fix it within 45 days after notice.

Maya So the agent's address matters twice.

Dan Yes. That's where the state's notices go.

7:12 Doing it yourself

Maya Can I be my own agent in Oregon?

Dan If you live there, yes. The LLC can't be its own agent, but you, as an individual owner, can.

Maya What's the catch?

Dan Your business office has to be the registered office. And you have to be there in normal business hours.

Maya And your home?

Dan It becomes the public address. Many owners don't want that.

Maya What does the agent do?

Dan Accepts physical delivery of legal documents, such as lawsuits, liens and subpoenas.

7:42 Picking one

Maya How should an Oregon owner pick?

Dan Check three things. Is the price the same at renewal, is the address a real Oregon street address, and who files the change when you move.

Maya And your pick?

Dan Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Oregon, at $149 a year.

7:59 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, OR Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. Five, Oregon Registered Agent.co: $99 flat.

Maya The links are in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.