[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.