Do I have to use LegalZoom as my registered agent?

No. A registered agent must be an adult or authorised business available during normal business hours at a physical address, not a PO box, in the state where the business was formed or foreign qualified. Most states require one, and LegalZoom says you are free to name whichever agent you want, including yourself.

What does the registered agent charge cover, and does it renew?

The service alerts the owner to legal notices and other important mail received on the company's behalf, and adds extras such as identity theft protection and deadline reminders. LegalZoom says the charge appears when documents are sent to the state, and that the service renews automatically each year at the purchase rate, which is subject to change.

What does the $0 LLC package actually include?

Only the articles of organisation filed with the state, plus a name check to confirm the preferred business name is available and a tax consult from 1-800Accountant. State filing fees are charged separately. An operating agreement, EIN and attorney consultations come with the $249 package.

Entity services

LegalZoom

LegalZoom sells legal services online across business formation and compliance, intellectual property, and personal legal documents. For property investors the relevant products are LLC and corporation formation, DBA registration, registered agent service, annual report and compliance filings, trademark registration and monitoring, and property deed transfers, alongside wills, trusts and healthcare directives on the personal side.

Formation is packaged. A basic tier at $0 plus state filing fees covers only the articles of organisation filed with the state and a name availability check; a $249 tier adds an operating agreement, an EIN and a 30-day subscription of unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations on new legal topics, which auto-renews at $49 a month unless cancelled. Business compliance plans start at $199 a year and cover initial and annual report filing, amendment filings with the Secretary of State, business taxes prepared by independent tax professionals, compliance alerts, licence and permit management at federal, state and local level, and AI-generated meeting minutes. Registered agent service renews automatically each year at the purchase rate.

The company was founded in 2001 as the first to offer LLC formation and will services online, expanded into intellectual property, nonprofit formation and real estate legal services between 2002 and 2008, launched an independent attorney network in 2010, and in 2021 became the first publicly traded company in the United States to own and operate a law firm, LZ Legal Services. It cites more than 25 years in business, over 9 million legal solutions delivered, and attorney assistance in all 50 states. Customer support runs Monday to Friday and at weekends, and the site publishes separate phone numbers by department.

Registered agent and compliance subscriptions renew automatically and the renewal rate is subject to change, which the company states on its own contact page. State filing fees sit on top of every package, so investors forming entities in several states should price the filing fees separately before comparing providers.

Best for

Investors forming a straightforward holding LLC or series of LLCs who want filings, an EIN and a registered agent handled in one place. Anyone needing structured advice on multi-entity or multi-state asset protection should engage a lawyer directly.

What they do

LLC formation
Corporation formation (C corp, S corp)
DBA registration
Registered agent service
Annual report and compliance filings
Business licence and permit management
Trademark registration, search and monitoring
Property deed transfer
Wills, trusts and estate documents
Business and personal attorney plans
Business tax preparation through independent professionals

Details

Attribute	Value
Founded	2001
Ownership	Public
How they charge	LLC formation from $0 plus state filing fees, or $249 with an operating agreement and EIN; attorney consult subscriptions renew at $49 a month, and business compliance plans start at $199 a year.

What stands out

Founded in 2001 as the first company to offer LLC formation and will services online.
Became the first publicly traded company in the United States to own and operate a law firm, LZ Legal Services, in 2021.
Cites more than 25 years in business and over 9 million legal solutions delivered.
Offers attorney assistance in all 50 states through an independent attorney network launched in 2010.
Business compliance plans start at $199 a year; LLC formation starts at $0 plus state filing fees.

Common questions

Do I have to use LegalZoom as my registered agent?: No. A registered agent must be an adult or authorised business available during normal business hours at a physical address, not a PO box, in the state where the business was formed or foreign qualified. Most states require one, and LegalZoom says you are free to name whichever agent you want, including yourself.
What does the registered agent charge cover, and does it renew?: The service alerts the owner to legal notices and other important mail received on the company's behalf, and adds extras such as identity theft protection and deadline reminders. LegalZoom says the charge appears when documents are sent to the state, and that the service renews automatically each year at the purchase rate, which is subject to change.
What does the $0 LLC package actually include?: Only the articles of organisation filed with the state, plus a name check to confirm the preferred business name is available and a tax consult from 1-800Accountant. State filing fees are charged separately. An operating agreement, EIN and attorney consultations come with the $249 package.