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41 days start running the moment a Vermont agent files a one page resignation. Replacing them costs $35.
8
Services Tested Nationally
120+
Research Hours
50
States Tested
41 days start running the moment a Vermont agent files a one page resignation. Replacing them costs $35. Vermont law calls the job the agent for service of process, and every LLC here has to keep one at a street address in the state.
Vermont publishes that agent's name and street address in a public business database. Anyone can search it, free. A commercial service puts its own address there instead of yours, the one line on your public record you can still control.
| Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Northwest Registered Agent Best Privacy $125/yrSame price in year two$100 per state per year at five or more states 4.8 | $125/yrSame price in year two$100 per state per year at five or more states | 4.8 | |
 ZenBusiness Best Platform $99 first yearRenews at $199/yr after thatThe banner ties the $99 to forming an LLC there. Their FAQ sets no condition. 4.5 | $99 first yearRenews at $199/yr after thatThe banner ties the $99 to forming an LLC there. Their FAQ sets no condition. | 4.5 | |
 Harbor Compliance Best Multi State $99 first yearRenews at $149/yr after that 3.4 | $99 first yearRenews at $149/yr after that | 3.4 | |
 Rocket Lawyer Membership Required $374/yrSame price in year two$125 for the agent plus the $249 Plus membership it requires, the cheapest tier that qualifies 3.3 | $374/yrSame price in year two$125 for the agent plus the $249 Plus membership it requires, the cheapest tier that qualifies | 3.3 | |
 LegalZoom Industry Giant $249/yrSame price in year two 3.0 | $249/yrSame price in year two | 3.0 | |
 Bizee Free First Year $149/yrSame price in year twoFree the first year if Bizee forms your LLC 3.0 | $149/yrSame price in year twoFree the first year if Bizee forms your LLC | 3.0 | |
 Swyft Filings Most Expensive $596/yrSame price in year twoBilled $149 every quarter, per state and per entity, so $596 a year 2.9 | $596/yrSame price in year twoBilled $149 every quarter, per state and per entity, so $596 a year | 2.9 | |
 Inc Authority Best Free Start $249/yrSame price in year two 2.6 | $249/yrSame price in year two | 2.6 |
Starts at $125/yr · No setup fees
Northwest Registered Agent is our top recommendation for privacy-minded founders. They shield your home address on public records and process legal mail the same day it arrives. The stable $125 renewal rate saves you money long-term. We highly recommend them if you want reliable compliance without the endless upsell pitches.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Founders valuing privacy, consistent pricing, and human support over rock-bottom initial costs.
Same-day
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $125/yr · No setup fees
Starts at $99/yr · No setup fees
ZenBusiness delivers a premium registered agent experience tailored perfectly for first-time founders. We love the modern dashboard and the rare inclusion of weekend customer support. The main drawback is the $199 annual renewal fee, which is pricier than some budget competitors. We highly recommend ZenBusiness if you value an easy-to-use digital portal and fast document delivery over securing the absolute lowest long-term price.
Pros
Cons
Best for: First-time founders wanting a stress-free, all-in-one compliance dashboard
Immediate upload
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $99/yr · No setup fees
Starts at $99/yr · No setup fees
Harbor Compliance undercuts every national rival in year one at $99, and their multi-year plans keep that rate locked. Documents are delivered same day through the Entity Manager portal with unlimited storage, and service of process triggers a phone call, not just an email. The catch is the $149 renewal and a platform that is clearly built for compliance teams first, so solo founders who want something lighter may prefer Northwest's flat $125 with no year-two surprise.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Multi-state operators and compliance-heavy businesses that want the lowest locked-in national rate
Same day
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $99/yr · No setup fees
Starts at $374/yr · No setup fees
Rocket Lawyer advertises its registered agent at $125, and that number is real but incomplete. The condition is not hidden. Its own agent page says the price comes with a Plus or Pro membership, in the line under the heading. Standard at $149 does not qualify. The cheapest route is Plus at $249. So a founder who wants only an agent pays $374 in year one, and the same every year after. Already paying for Plus for the documents and attorney access? Then $125 on top is fair. If not, almost every other agent here costs less.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Businesses that already pay for a Rocket Lawyer membership and want the agent bundled in
Same day
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $374/yr · No setup fees
Starts at $249/yr · No setup fees
LegalZoom delivers on the core promise of a registered agent by scanning documents promptly and offering a clean, unified dashboard. However, at $249 per year, it is one of the most expensive options on the market. The aggressive upsells and notoriously difficult cancellation process make it hard to recommend for bootstrapping founders. We suggest this service only if you already use LegalZoom for other legal services and prioritize platform consolidation over cost.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Founders prioritizing brand name and platform consolidation over price
Same day
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $249/yr · No setup fees
Starts at $149/yr · No setup fees
Bizee delivers a fast, modern registered agent dashboard at a competitive $149 per year. Same-day scanning ensures you never miss a critical legal notice. However, we found their customer support lacking and the cancellation process unnecessarily difficult. We only recommend Bizee if you are bundling it with their free LLC formation package.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Entrepreneurs seeking the absolute lowest cost to form an LLC ($0 + state fees)
Same-day
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $149/yr · No setup fees
Starts at $596/yr · No setup fees
We do not recommend Swyft Filings for registered agent services. The company advertises a $149 fee, but this is charged quarterly, resulting in a staggering $596 annual cost. While their dashboard is clean and document scanning is fast, the service is ultimately outsourced to a third-party partner. Better alternatives offer superior in-house service for a fraction of the cost.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Business owners prioritizing filing speed over ongoing value
Same-day
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $596/yr · No setup fees
Starts at $249/yr · No setup fees
Inc Authority bundles the registered agent into its free LLC formation, so year one costs nothing if you form with them. A year of agent service on its own is $249, the same as LegalZoom and twice what Northwest charges, and it renews automatically. Cancelling means a phone call in business hours. Choose this one if you want the lowest possible cost to start and you are willing to move before that renewal lands.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Budget-conscious founders who want a $0 setup and will switch agents later.
Digital delivery
Response Time
All 50
States Covered
Starts at $249/yr · No setup fees
Ready to protect your privacy?
We recommend Northwest Registered Agent for Vermont.
Vermont's Secretary of State publishes your agent's name and street address in a free online database. Search any LLC name and it shows. That is why most Vermont owners buy a commercial service instead of listing a home address.
The annual report is due within three months of your fiscal year end, so January 1 to March 31 for calendar year LLCs. Miss it and the penalty is not a fine. Under 11 V.S.A. § 4034 the state terminates your articles of organization. Getting back in means the $45 report fee for every year you missed, plus $35 to reinstate. Five years past the due date, the name goes too.
Vermont does not offer anonymous LLC formation. Member and manager names sit on public filings. The agent address is the one piece of personal information you can realistically pull off the record.
A new Vermont LLC changes the math. Bizee and ZenBusiness both hand you a free year of agent service with a formation package. Read year two first. Bizee renews at $149 and ZenBusiness at $199.
If your LLC already runs and you only want to switch agents, the standalone price matters more. Northwest charges $125 and holds it. Harbor Compliance opens at $99 and renews at $149. Vermont charges $35 for the change of agent filing, so leaving is not free on the state side.
Vermont's compliance calendar is short. One report a year, no franchise tax, nothing else required after formation. You do not need an expensive dashboard for that. For formation packages rather than agent service, see our guide to the best LLC formation services in Vermont.
Vermont LLCs pay state income tax on Vermont sourced income. The $45 annual report is due within three months of your fiscal year end, so March 31 for calendar year filers. A good agent service sends that reminder early. Under 11 V.S.A. § 4034 an unfiled report ends the articles of organization, and reinstatement runs $35 on top of every missed report fee.
Yes, though the statute uses another name for it. Under 11 V.S.A. § 4007 every Vermont LLC must keep an agent for service of process at a street address in the state. The agent can be a Vermont resident, a domestic corporation or LLC, or a foreign one cleared to do business here. A PO box will not do.
Yes, if you live in Vermont and can be reached at a street address during business hours. Two costs come with that. Your home address lands in Vermont's free public database, tied to the LLC for as long as it runs. And changing your mind later is a $35 filing, so the address you name at formation is stickier than it looks.
Six of the eight services on this page run $99 to $249 a year. Harbor Compliance opens at $99. Northwest charges $125 and LegalZoom charges $249. Two on this page sit above that band for structural reasons. Rocket Lawyer requires a paid membership, and Swyft Filings bills its $149 price every quarter, which comes to $596 a year. Bundling with formation can make year one free.
Your agent files a statement of resignation with the Secretary of State. It costs them nothing. Under 11 V.S.A. § 4009 the job ends on the 41st day after that filing, or sooner if you name a replacement. Plenty of guides say 31 days. The state mails a copy of the resignation to your designated office, so watch that address.
About the Author
Legal & Compliance Analyst
Daniel grew up in the shadow of Silicon Valley but chose the legal route over engineering, working as a paralegal for a corporate law firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. He realized that early-stage founders were constantly making catastrophic legal mistakes because they couldn't afford a $500/hour attorney, prompting his move to B2B media.
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