Answers by state
Do You Need a Registered Agent? State-by-State Answers (2026)
One row per state: the legal title, the requirement and our first pick, with a source for each.
Every state at a glance
| State | Legal title | Must you? | First choice | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | alisondb.legislature.state.al.us | October 2026 | verified |
| Alaska | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | akleg.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Arizona | Known as statutory agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | azleg.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Arkansas | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire AR Registered Agent.org | arkleg.state.ar.us | October 2026 | verified |
| California | Known as agent for service of process | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Colorado | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | sos.state.co.us | October 2026 | verified |
| Connecticut | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire CT Registered Agent.org | cga.ct.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Delaware | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | delcode.delaware.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Florida | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | flsenate.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Georgia | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire GA Registered Agent.org | sos.ga.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Hawaii | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Hawaii Registered Agent.co | capitol.hawaii.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Idaho | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire ID Registered Agent.org | legislature.idaho.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Illinois | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire IL Registered Agent.org | ilga.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Indiana | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | faqs.in.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Iowa | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Iowa Registered Agent.co | legis.iowa.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Kansas | Known as resident agent | Required in this state | Hire KS Registered Agent.org | ksrevisor.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Kentucky | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | apps.legislature.ky.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Louisiana | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | legis.la.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Maine | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | legislature.maine.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Maryland | Known as resident agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | mgaleg.maryland.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Massachusetts | Known as resident agent | Required in this state | Hire MA Registered Agent.org | sec.state.ma.us | October 2026 | verified |
| Michigan | Known as resident agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | legislature.mi.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Minnesota | Known as registered agent | Own rule | Hire Minnesota Registered Agent.co | revisor.mn.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Mississippi | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Registered Agent MS.org | sos.ms.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Missouri | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire MO Registered Agent.org | revisor.mo.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Montana | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | mca.legmt.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Nebraska | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | nebraskalegislature.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Nevada | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | leg.state.nv.us | October 2026 | verified |
| New Hampshire | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire New Hampshire Registered Agent.co | gc.nh.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| New Jersey | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | pub.njleg.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| New Mexico | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | nmonesource.com | October 2026 | verified |
| New York | Known as agent for service of process | Own rule | Hire NY Registered Agent.org | nysenate.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| North Carolina | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | sosnc.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| North Dakota | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | ndlegis.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Ohio | Known as statutory agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | codes.ohio.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Oklahoma | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | sos.ok.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Oregon | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Oregon Registered Agent.co | oregonlegislature.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Pennsylvania | Known as registered agent | Own rule | Hire Mainstay Filing | legis.state.pa.us | October 2026 | verified |
| Rhode Island | Known as resident agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | webserver.rilegislature.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| South Carolina | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire South Carolina Registered Agent.co | scstatehouse.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| South Dakota | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire South Dakota Registered Agent.co | sdlegislature.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Tennessee | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire TN Registered Agent.org | sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com | October 2026 | verified |
| Texas | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | sos.texas.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Utah | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Utah Registered Agent.co | le.utah.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Vermont | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | legislature.vermont.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Virginia | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire VA Registered Agent.org | law.lis.virginia.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Washington | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire WA Registered Agent.org | app.leg.wa.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| West Virginia | Known as agent for service of process | Own rule | Hire Mainstay Filing | code.wvlegislature.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Wisconsin | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Mainstay Filing | docs.legis.wisconsin.gov | October 2026 | verified |
| Wyoming | Known as registered agent | Required in this state | Hire Wyoming Registered Agent.ai | wyoleg.gov | October 2026 | verified |
Every row links its official source. Prices are on each state's own page.
Who covers every state
For any state, our first choice among registered agents is Mainstay Filing. Read the national answer.
About these numbers
- Official sources in the rows; company price pages on the state pages.