Change Your Texas Registered Agent
Is your current Texas registered agent not cutting it? Maybe your agent is too expensive or unreliable. Or, maybe you serve as your own registered agent and you don’t want to anymore. Whatever the situation, it’s easy to switch to a new registered agent by filing a Change of Registered Agent/Office form with the state and paying a $25 filing fee.
Not to brag, but our registered agent service is pretty great. For one thing, it’s only $25 a year. That’s our regular rate, not an “introductory” rate. We’re not going to double or triple this price in a year’s time. Additionally, we provide a free Texas business address you can use on state forms to protect your privacy.
If you want to make things easy, just hire us as your registered agent. We can even file your Change of Agent paperwork with the Secretary of State. Or, learn how to change your registered agent on your own.
TX Registered Agent Service
$25 a year
- Free Texas business address for privacy
- Same-day document scans & instant notifications
- Free library of business documents & resources
- Lifetime customer service from local Texas filing experts
- Renewal Service Enrollment for PIR & Franchise Tax Report
- Easily add DBA registration, Virtual Office or other services
How to Change Your Registered Agent in Texas
To change your registered agent in Texas, you’ll need to submit a Change of Registered Agent/Office form with the TX Secretary of State ($25 filing fee). Here’s what you need to know:
1. Choose your new registered agent
The person (or company) that you want to be your new Texas registered agent must first agree to be your registered agent, so you’ll need to appoint them before you file the paperwork.
Your registered agent must:
- Have a physical street address in Texas (this will go on the public record)
- Be present at their registered office address during normal business hours
- Accept service of process and other state and legal notices on behalf of your company
- Forward state and legal notices to you promptly and confidentially
Our registered agent service is the most affordable in the state and includes a free Texas business address for privacy on state forms.
2. File the Change of Registered Agent/Office form
To officially change your registered agent, you need to submit a Change of Registered Agent/Office form with the Texas Secretary of State. This form can be filed by mail, fax, in person or online. If filing with the paper form, you must submit the form in duplicate. There’s a $25 filing fee.
If you hire us as your registered agent, you can have us file your Change of Registered Agent form for $50 total (includes state filing fee).
By mail:
Secretary of State
P.O. Box 13697
Austin, TX 78711-3697
In person:
James Earl Rudder Office Building
1019 Brazos
Austin, Texas 78701
By fax: 512/463-5709
Online: SOS Direct
Why Change Your Registered Agent?
There are a variety of reasons for wanting—or needing—to change your registered agent.
Too Expensive
If you hired a national registered agent service company, chances are you’re paying $100, $200, or more for service each year. Even if you started out at a reasonable price, you may have been surprised with a higher bill the second year. And the worst part? They might even charge you to view your documents on top of their annual fee!
Not Reliable
The point of having a registered agent is that you always have someone to receive important legal and state documents, which may include lawsuits and tax notices. If your agent isn’t regularly available and you receive a critical document late—or don’t receive it at all—your business could face negative financial and legal consequences.
Inconvenient
Not all registered agents are created equal. We scan your documents immediately, upload them to your secure account, and send you an email notification so you can easily view everything you’ve received. Some registered agents make clients pick up legal notices in person or charge extra to forward them by mail. We’ve even heard of registered agents emailing service of process, which is not a secure option!
Not Private
Being your own registered agent comes with a bunch of downsides. First, using your home address as your registered agent address means that it goes on the public record for anyone to find. Second, you may not always be available—what if you take a work trip or a vacation? And third, you may not appreciate being served with a lawsuit at home or at work in front of customers.
Whatever your reason for changing your registered agent, once you decide to change, you need to act quickly. A business entity that doesn’t have a registered agent is in violation of Texas law.
What Happens If I Don’t Have a Registered Agent in Texas?
Don’t put your company at risk by operating without an agent! Maintaining a registered agent for the life of your company is required by Texas state law (Texas Business Organizations Code Sec. § 5.201).
Here are some of the ways not having a registered agent could hurt your company:
You could miss important notices
If your company is sued but your summons isn’t received because you don’t have a registered agent, you may not be able to respond to the summons in time. And unfortunately, the plaintiff may be able to continue with the lawsuit without your company being involved, which could result in a default judgment in favor of the plaintiff even if you could have won the case easily.
You could lose your good standing with the state
When your business loses good standing with the state, you might not be able to:
- Obtain necessary financing through grants or loans.
- Bring a lawsuit against the state.
- Register to do business in other states.
You could face fines and other penalties
Depending on the situation, the state of Texas may levy additional fines or penalties against your company for non-compliance.
Why Switch to Texas Virtual Office?
Lowest Price in Texas
This one’s self-explanatory: our Registered Agent Service is just $25/year, and that’s the lowest price in the state!
Privacy Protection
To keep your private address off the public record, we let you use our Texas business address for free on state forms. You can list our address for your members, managers, officers, and/or directors on your Certificate of Formation and Public Information Report, keeping your home address away from prying eyes.
This is especially beneficial if you work from a home office or don’t have a set office location.
Unmatched Value
Just because we’re affordable doesn’t make us the “budget” option. We offer just as much value, if not more, than our more expensive competitors. That includes a free Austin business address, compliance report reminders, and a range of other affordable business services to choose from, like mail scanning and virtual office services starting at $49 a year.
Even more importantly, all of our services include free, local customer support whenever you need it. Our employees know Texas business registration like the back of their hand, and they’re happy to answer any questions you have.
Compliance Tools
If you forget to file your Public Information Report with the TX Comptroller, your company will become “inactive” and will eventually be dissolved by the state. That’s why our registered agent service includes real-time reminders before your Public Information Report deadline.
Registered agent service includes enrollment in our Renewal Service for compliance reports. We’ll email you well in advance of your Public Information Report (and Franchise Tax Report, if applicable) deadline, and then file for you for $100 plus any state fees or taxes you owe. If you prefer to file these reports on your own, you can cancel anytime in your online account.
Run Your Business from Anywhere
Registered Agent + Virtual Office Service