[0:00] The short answer Dan: The 5 best registered agents in Wyoming in 2026 are Mainstay Filing, Northwest Registered Agent, WY Reg Agent.com, Bizee, and Wyoming Registered Agent.ai. Maya: Welcome to The Business Formation Podcast. Before the five names, give me the Wyoming twist, because I know it has one. Dan: It does. Wyoming wants your registered office at a physical street address where a real person is standing there to accept papers. And appointing a new agent costs just $5, but it goes in by mail. [0:34] The Wyoming office rule Maya: So no virtual address and no mail drop? Dan: Right. The Secretary of State's FAQ says post office boxes, drop boxes, virtual addresses, mail forwarding locations and UPS or FedEx stores don't qualify as a registered office. Maya: Then who is actually allowed to be the agent? Dan: An individual who's at least eighteen, lives in Wyoming and has a business office at the registered office. Or a business entity with a written agency agreement. Or a commercial registered agent, which is a business that serves more than ten entities and registers with the state. Maya: I'm Maya, by the way. Dan's across the table. Dan: And I'm Dan. Let's put some prices on it. [1:15] Number one: Mainstay Filing Maya: Start us off. Dan: Mainstay Filing, at $149 a year for the registered agent. It renews at $149, so year three costs what year one did. Maya: What's inside that number? Dan: Its Wyoming address is the one on the public record, not yours. Papers served on your company are scanned and uploaded the same business day, free. The first three government mailings of each year are scanned free too. Maya: And if I already have an agent? Dan: Mainstay prepares and files the change for you. The state's form is paper and carries the agent's signed consent, and the fee is $5, which Mainstay passes through at cost. Maya: What's the honest downside? Dan: If you only care about the lowest flat yearly price, two names later on the list come in at $99. That's $50 a year less than Mainstay. What you buy with Mainstay is the same price every year and the paperwork handled. [2:10] Number two: Northwest Registered Agent Maya: Who's next? Dan: Northwest Registered Agent, at $125 a year. Its page says it hasn't raised that price in 20 years, and up to 10 pieces of regular business mail a year are scanned for free. Maya: Where's the trap? Dan: Not exactly a trap, but read the sign-up screen. You're automatically enrolled in its annual report service, which is $100 plus the state's fee per filing, until you cancel. Its page says you can add or cancel that service at any time. Maya: In Wyoming that matters, doesn't it? There's a report every year. Dan: Every year, yes. So a customer who forgets to cancel pays for the agent and a $100 service on top. [2:51] Number three: WY Reg Agent.com Maya: And third? Dan: WY Reg Agent.com, at $99 a year, the same at renewal. It lists a physical Wyoming street address, same-day scanning of service of process, an online document portal and compliance reminders. Maya: What does it cost to move over? Dan: Only the $5 state fee. Its page shows a zero-dollar fee on its side. One catch: annual reports aren't part of the plan, that's sold separately. Maya: Three years of that? Dan: $297. Mainstay is $447 for the same three years, so the gap is $150. Stretch it to five years and it's $495 against $745. [3:37] Number four: Bizee Maya: Number four is a name people know. Dan: Bizee, formerly Incfile. The registered agent is free for the first year with any of its formation packages. After that it's $149 a year, and it renews on its own. Maya: So it ends up at Mainstay's price. Dan: Exactly, only after a free year that depends on forming your company through Bizee. If your Wyoming company already exists, that free year isn't on the table. [4:04] Number five: Wyoming Registered Agent.ai Maya: And the last one? Dan: Wyoming Registered Agent.ai, also $99 a year, flat. You get the registered office address, same-day scanning of legal documents and alerts before state deadlines. And, like number three, annual report filing is a separate purchase. Maya: So how do those two differ from each other? Dan: On the page, hardly at all. Same price, same promise to scan the same day. Pick the one whose site you'd rather log in to. [4:37] Wyoming's annual license tax Maya: You mentioned an annual report. What does Wyoming actually charge? Dan: Wyoming calls the money a license tax. It's $60, or two-tenths of one mill on the dollar of your Wyoming assets, whichever is greater. For most small companies, that means $60. Maya: When is it due? Dan: The first day of your company's anniversary month. Miss it, and the company is delinquent on the second day of the following month. If it still isn't filed within 60 days after the due date, the state administratively dissolves it. Maya: Does paying online cost extra? Dan: It does. A card payment adds a 2.4% processing fee, with a $1 minimum. Mailing a printed report skips that fee. Maya: And none of the agents on this list file that report in the base price? Dan: Right. Think of the agent fee and the report fee as two separate bills. [5:31] What your agent keeps on file Maya: I've heard Wyoming agents ask for more information about your company than in other states. Is that true? Dan: It is, and it comes from the statute. The agent has to keep your managers' names and addresses, a copy of the written agreement between you and the agent, and a designated communications contact at your company. Maya: Who's the contact? Dan: A natural person who's an officer, director, member or manager. They can't be the agent or one of the agent's employees, unless they're also a member or manager of your company. Maya: And what if I give the agent wrong records? Dan: The penalty can be a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both. So keep it current, and update within 60 days of a change. Maya: Do I also need to give the state an email address? Dan: Yes. Each business entity and each agent must keep an email address on file that the Secretary of State can use to serve documents. [6:28] Can you be your own agent? Maya: After all that, is doing it myself even realistic? Dan: The FAQ says yes. You must be at least eighteen, live in Wyoming, have a physical Wyoming address and a valid email address. Then you take on the work: being present to accept service, keeping the records, and putting your address on the public record. Maya: And if I use a company, is there something to check about the company? Dan: One thing. A commercial agent has to renew its state registration every year, which costs $50. The FAQ says if it misses December 31, it pays a $500 late fee plus administrative fees for each entity it represents. And on January 1 it's removed as the agent for all of them. Maya: Which would leave my company without an agent. Dan: Right, and that's the reinstatement scenario we talked about, with the $350 fee. It's worth asking any agent you're considering whether it is registered as a commercial agent. [7:26] Switching, resigning, and what happens with no agent Maya: Say I just want out. Can my agent quit on me? Dan: Yes. A Wyoming agent can resign, but the statute says it has to send you notice at least 30 days before it files. After that, you have 30 days to file a statement of change. Maya: And if I never name anybody? Dan: Papers can then be served on the Secretary of State, your company gets flagged as delinquent, and the reinstatement fee for having no registered agent is $350. That's a lot of money to waste for not having a $99 or $149 agent. Maya: What else should I know about switching? Dan: Processing for the change form can take up to 15 business days, and the form can't be sent by email. Start before your old agent's contract runs out. [8:15] Which one to choose Maya: Give me the quick test for Wyoming. Dan: Ask three questions. Is the price the same next year? Is anything added without my say-so? And will somebody handle that paper form with a signed consent? Mainstay Filing checks all three boxes. Maya: So that's the pick? Dan: Mainstay Filing, our pick for Wyoming, at $149 a year. [8:41] The ranking, one more time Maya: Run the list for the people in the car. Dan: One, Mainstay Filing, $149 a year and the same at renewal. Two, Northwest, $125, with the annual report enrollment to watch. Three, WY Reg Agent.com, $99 flat. Four, Bizee, free for the first year if you form with it, then $149. Five, Wyoming Registered Agent.ai, $99 flat. Maya: All five are linked in the show notes. Thanks for listening to The Business Formation Podcast.