WEBVTT 00:00:00.219 --> 00:00:07.099 The 5 best registered agents in Vermont in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest 00:00:07.143 --> 00:00:13.339 Registered Agent, VT Registered Agent.org, Bizee, and 00:00:13.429 --> 00:00:15.979 Vermont Registered Agent.co. 00:00:15.979 --> 00:00:18.179 This is The Business Formation Podcast. 00:00:18.212 --> 00:00:20.299 Today we're in Vermont. What's the headline? 00:00:20.299 --> 00:00:23.819 A Vermont statement of change costs $35. 00:00:24.006 --> 00:00:28.619 So it pays to pick the right agent once, rather than switching later. 00:00:31.329 --> 00:00:33.937 Does Vermont want an agent for every LLC? 00:00:33.937 --> 00:00:40.337 Yes, and it wants two things. A designated office for notification, 00:00:40.517 --> 00:00:43.137 and an agent for service of process. 00:00:43.137 --> 00:00:43.937 Why two? 00:00:43.937 --> 00:00:47.697 The designated office is where Vermont sends notices. 00:00:47.964 --> 00:00:51.617 It doesn't have to be a place of business, or even in the state. 00:00:51.897 --> 00:00:55.537 The agent is who gets served with lawsuits. 00:00:55.537 --> 00:00:57.857 Who can be the agent? 00:00:57.857 --> 00:01:02.417 An individual who lives in Vermont, or a business that has a place of business here 00:01:02.517 --> 00:01:04.577 and is authorized to operate here. 00:01:04.857 --> 00:01:10.417 The Secretary of State puts it simply: the only qualification is a street and 00:01:10.467 --> 00:01:12.017 mailing address in Vermont. 00:01:12.017 --> 00:01:13.937 I'm Maya, by the way, here with Dan. 00:01:13.937 --> 00:01:16.977 Thanks, Maya. Now, the five. 00:01:18.970 --> 00:01:20.329 First pick? 00:01:20.329 --> 00:01:26.250 Mainstay Filing, $149 a year. When it renews, it's $149 again. 00:01:26.250 --> 00:01:27.130 What do I get for that? 00:01:27.130 --> 00:01:31.210 Its Vermont address goes on the public record in place of yours. 00:01:31.256 --> 00:01:34.890 Papers served on your company are scanned and uploaded the same business day, with 00:01:34.970 --> 00:01:38.570 no fee. And three government mailings a year are scanned free. 00:01:38.570 --> 00:01:40.570 What if I already have an agent? 00:01:40.570 --> 00:01:43.530 Mainstay files the statement of change. 00:01:43.570 --> 00:01:46.890 The state fee of $35 is passed through at cost. 00:01:47.882 --> 00:01:49.290 What's the catch? 00:01:49.290 --> 00:01:52.530 Two of the services below it charge $99. 00:01:52.586 --> 00:01:55.370 Mainstay costs $50 a year more than them. 00:01:56.170 --> 00:01:57.210 Second? 00:01:57.210 --> 00:02:00.970 Northwest Registered Agent, $125 a year. 00:02:01.210 --> 00:02:04.170 It says it hasn't raised its price in 20 years. 00:02:04.437 --> 00:02:07.610 Up to 10 business mail scans a year are free. 00:02:07.610 --> 00:02:09.130 And what's the catch? 00:02:09.130 --> 00:02:14.010 Signing up automatically enrolls you in its annual report filing service. 00:02:14.154 --> 00:02:19.370 That's $100 plus state fees each time you file, until you cancel. 00:02:19.370 --> 00:02:21.690 What would that do to a Vermont owner? 00:02:21.690 --> 00:02:26.090 Vermont's own annual report is $45 online. 00:02:26.330 --> 00:02:29.530 So the service would put $100 on top of it. 00:02:30.266 --> 00:02:31.306 Third? 00:02:31.306 --> 00:02:35.466 VT Registered Agent.org, $99 a year, the same at renewal. 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:39.786 It lists the registered office address, scans legal documents the same day, and 00:02:39.853 --> 00:02:41.546 sends state-deadline alerts. 00:02:41.546 --> 00:02:42.746 Cost to move? 00:02:42.746 --> 00:02:45.626 The $35 state fee, nothing from them. 00:02:45.626 --> 00:02:46.746 Downside? 00:02:46.746 --> 00:02:48.826 Annual report filing costs extra. 00:02:48.826 --> 00:02:50.426 How far under number one is that? 00:02:50.426 --> 00:02:54.666 $50 a year, so $150 over three years. 00:02:56.290 --> 00:02:57.570 And four? 00:02:57.570 --> 00:03:03.490 Bizee, formerly Incfile. Your first year is free if you buy a formation package, 00:03:03.522 --> 00:03:06.770 then it's $149 a year. 00:03:06.770 --> 00:03:07.970 Anything to look out for? 00:03:07.970 --> 00:03:14.930 The free year requires a formation order, and the $149 renewal is automatic. 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:17.330 And if the LLC is already formed? 00:03:17.330 --> 00:03:20.210 Then you pay $149 from the start. 00:03:20.370 --> 00:03:23.250 Two years is $298. 00:03:24.595 --> 00:03:25.475 Five? 00:03:25.475 --> 00:03:30.435 Vermont Registered Agent.co. A flat $99 a year. 00:03:30.635 --> 00:03:35.635 You get the office address on your filings, same-day scanning of legal mail, and 00:03:35.691 --> 00:03:37.555 reminders for state deadlines. 00:03:37.555 --> 00:03:39.795 Is the catch the same as number three? 00:03:39.795 --> 00:03:43.955 It is. Annual report filing is a separate service. 00:03:44.623 --> 00:03:46.543 Where does Vermont ask for the agent? 00:03:46.543 --> 00:03:50.863 In the Articles of Organization, which list the name and street address of the 00:03:50.913 --> 00:03:56.143 initial agent for service. That filing is $155. 00:03:56.143 --> 00:03:58.383 Does the agent have to agree? 00:03:58.383 --> 00:04:03.263 When you designate someone, you attest that the agent consents to the appointment. 00:04:03.356 --> 00:04:05.903 There's nothing for the agent to sign. 00:04:05.903 --> 00:04:07.743 Can the LLC be its own agent? 00:04:07.743 --> 00:04:13.023 No. The Secretary of State says the agent can be an individual or another registered 00:04:13.085 --> 00:04:16.063 business, but not the represented business itself. 00:04:16.250 --> 00:04:19.022 It also can't be an assumed business name. 00:04:19.775 --> 00:04:21.983 What does the agent have to share about itself? 00:04:21.983 --> 00:04:27.423 Name, email, and address. Vermont wants the agent's email on file. 00:04:29.315 --> 00:04:30.675 How do I change it? 00:04:30.675 --> 00:04:35.955 A statement of change. It can update the agent, the agent's address, or the email. 00:04:35.955 --> 00:04:36.995 How much? 00:04:36.995 --> 00:04:42.115 $35. The fee schedule lists it right there under the statute for statements of 00:04:42.172 --> 00:04:42.595 change. 00:04:42.595 --> 00:04:44.115 How long does it take? 00:04:44.115 --> 00:04:49.555 Online filing normally takes less than one business day, and online costs nothing 00:04:49.622 --> 00:04:53.075 extra. By mail, allow 7 to 10 business days. 00:04:53.075 --> 00:04:54.915 What does the change update on the record? 00:04:54.915 --> 00:04:59.875 The registered agent, the physical address of the registered office, the mailing 00:04:59.945 --> 00:05:01.475 address, and the email. 00:05:02.542 --> 00:05:04.462 What is the agent responsible for? 00:05:04.462 --> 00:05:09.422 Receiving service of any process, notice, or demand that the law says can be served 00:05:09.449 --> 00:05:10.222 on the LLC. 00:05:10.222 --> 00:05:13.582 Is the agent responsible for my business? 00:05:13.582 --> 00:05:19.422 No. The Secretary of State says appointment as registered agent neither gives the 00:05:19.489 --> 00:05:23.742 agent authority to sign documents nor creates liability for the business. 00:05:23.742 --> 00:05:26.542 So it's a narrow job. 00:05:26.542 --> 00:05:31.342 It is, which is why the address and the forwarding matter more than anything else. 00:05:32.797 --> 00:05:34.316 What if my agent quits? 00:05:34.316 --> 00:05:37.597 It files a statement of resignation and gives your company a copy. 00:05:37.757 --> 00:05:41.997 It costs nothing to file. The fee schedule shows $0. 00:05:41.997 --> 00:05:43.117 When does it take effect? 00:05:43.117 --> 00:05:48.797 The statute says the earlier of 30 days after the Secretary files it, or the day a 00:05:48.857 --> 00:05:50.797 new agent's change takes effect. 00:05:50.917 --> 00:05:54.877 The Secretary of State's page describes it as the 31st day. 00:05:55.637 --> 00:05:57.437 And if there's no new agent by then? 00:05:57.437 --> 00:06:02.237 Your business loses good standing and is marked Terminated until a new agent is 00:06:02.285 --> 00:06:03.036 appointed. 00:06:03.036 --> 00:06:05.037 Can the agent just say it never agreed? 00:06:05.037 --> 00:06:09.597 If the agent attests that it did not consent to the appointment, the resignation fee 00:06:09.677 --> 00:06:10.557 is waived. 00:06:11.263 --> 00:06:13.583 What if no agent can be found? 00:06:13.583 --> 00:06:15.983 Then the Secretary of State becomes the agent. 00:06:16.083 --> 00:06:20.383 The papers are left with the Secretary, who forwards a copy by registered or 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:23.183 certified mail, return receipt requested. 00:06:23.183 --> 00:06:24.943 Where does it go? 00:06:24.943 --> 00:06:28.143 To your company's principal office or last known address. 00:06:28.143 --> 00:06:30.383 When is service complete? 00:06:30.383 --> 00:06:34.863 At the earliest of when it's received, the date on the return receipt, or five days 00:06:34.903 --> 00:06:35.983 after it's deposited. 00:06:35.983 --> 00:06:38.623 So a lawsuit can still reach me. 00:06:38.623 --> 00:06:41.743 It can, and you'd find out late. 00:06:42.698 --> 00:06:44.617 What does Vermont ask each year? 00:06:44.617 --> 00:06:50.298 An annual report, $45 online. It's due within three months after your fiscal year 00:06:50.394 --> 00:06:53.818 ends, which means March 31 for a calendar year. 00:06:53.818 --> 00:06:55.498 Does it list the agent? 00:06:55.498 --> 00:06:59.658 Yes, the agent's name, email, and address. 00:06:59.658 --> 00:07:01.417 What if I skip it? 00:07:01.417 --> 00:07:04.138 Not filing leads to termination of the articles. 00:07:04.202 --> 00:07:06.138 That's worse than a late fee. 00:07:07.103 --> 00:07:09.183 Can I do this myself in Vermont? 00:07:09.183 --> 00:07:12.063 If you're a Vermont resident, yes, as an individual. 00:07:12.263 --> 00:07:15.824 You need a street and mailing address in the state and an email. 00:07:15.824 --> 00:07:17.183 The downside? 00:07:17.183 --> 00:07:22.143 Your address is on a public filing, and you have to be there when papers arrive. 00:07:22.143 --> 00:07:24.223 What does that mean in practice? 00:07:24.223 --> 00:07:27.423 Being reachable, and passing everything along right away. 00:07:28.178 --> 00:07:30.658 How would a Burlington or Montpelier owner decide? 00:07:30.658 --> 00:07:36.098 Three questions. Is the renewal price flat, is the address a real Vermont street 00:07:36.158 --> 00:07:39.498 address, and who handles the $35 change. 00:07:39.498 --> 00:07:41.058 What's the three-year gap? 00:07:41.058 --> 00:07:46.338 Mainstay is $447, a $99 service is 00:07:46.398 --> 00:07:53.298 $297. That's $150 apart, for the free scanned government mail and the 00:07:53.355 --> 00:07:54.499 change filed for you. 00:07:54.499 --> 00:07:55.299 And your pick? 00:07:55.299 --> 00:08:00.899 Mainstay Filing. Our pick for Vermont, at $149 a year. 00:08:02.055 --> 00:08:03.894 Give me all five one more time. 00:08:03.894 --> 00:08:08.695 One, Mainstay Filing: $149, the same at renewal. 00:08:08.915 --> 00:08:14.535 Two, Northwest: $125, with the report service to cancel. 00:08:14.695 --> 00:08:20.455 Three, VT Registered Agent.org: $99 flat. 00:08:20.551 --> 00:08:26.295 Four, Bizee: free the first year with a formation order, then $149. 00:08:26.551 --> 00:08:31.815 Five, Vermont Registered Agent.co: $99 flat. 00:08:31.815 --> 00:08:33.335 The links are in the show notes. 00:08:33.438 --> 00:08:36.615 Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.