Can I be my own Registered Agent in Texas?

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Deal alert! Northwest will form your LLC for $39 (60% discount). See details.

Yes, you can be your own Registered Agent in Texas as long as you meet the state requirements.

(Unfortunately, most Registered Agent Services and LLC filing companies hide this information.)

We explain the pros and cons below so you can make your own decision. For more insights related to starting an LLC, visit our in-depth article on how to start an LLC in Texas.

What is a Registered Agent for an LLC?

A Registered Agent is a person or a company who receives legal documents and official notices from the state for your LLC.

If your business is involved in a lawsuit, the Registered Agent will accept Service of Process for your LLC. This is when legal documents are delivered to or “served on” your business.

Note: Some states call the Registered Agent a Resident Agent or Statutory Agent. These all mean the same thing.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

Who can be a Registered Agent in Texas?

There are three options for who can be your Texas Registered Agent:

  1. You can be your LLC’s Registered Agent
  2. A friend or family member can be your LLC’s Registered Agent
  3. You can hire a professional Registered Agent Service for your LLC

What is a Texas Registered Agent Service?

A Texas Registered Agent Service is a company that you pay to be your LLC’s Registered Agent in Texas.

(A Registered Agent Service is also called a Commercial Registered Agent.)

The Registered Agent Service receives Service of Process for your LLC and forwards it to you electronically or by mail. Some Registered Agent Services also offer additional LLC services, like forming your LLC for you.

Texas Registered Agent Requirements

All Texas Registered Agents are required to be available at a physical street address in the state during normal business hours.

(Note: The Registered Agent’s address is called the Registered Office. The Registered Office address and the name of the Registered Agent will go on your LLC paperwork.)

If the Registered Agent is a person, they must be over 18 years old and have a physical address in Texas. PO Boxes aren’t allowed.

If the Registered Agent is a company (a Registered Agent Service), it must be authorized to do business in Texas.

Should I be my own Registered Agent for an LLC?

It depends. While being your LLC’s Registered Agent can save you money, there are some potential risks.

Pros and Cons of being your own Registered Agent in Texas

Let’s discuss the pros and cons of being your own Texas Registered Agent.

Pros of being the Registered Agent for your LLC:

  • You save money.
  • It’s one less online account to keep track of if you don’t hire a Registered Agent Service.
  • Documents go directly to you. You don’t have to wait for someone to forward or email them.

Cons of being the Registered Agent for your LLC:

  • You might miss important notices or legal documents. This could happen if you travel often or forget to check your mail.
  • Registered Agent information is public record. Companies can use public records to send you junk mail, or post your address online.

If you aren’t bothered by your address being public, being your business’s Registered Agent is a great way to save money.

Should I hire a Registered Agent Service?

You should hire a Registered Agent Service if:

  • You don’t live in Texas
  • You don’t have a friend or family member who lives in Texas
  • You live in Texas, but don’t want to list your home address, or don’t want to be your business’s Registered Agent

Our recommendation for a Registered Agent Service

We recommend Northwest Registered Agent.

Northwest has been the best Registered Agent company in the business for over 20 years, and they have excellent customer service. They’re also the service we use for our own LLCs.

Hiring Northwest Registered Agent will also keep your physical address off of public records. This is our favorite Northwest feature. And no other service in the industry offers this.

How to keep your address off public records

Northwest is a national Registered Agent Service, and lets you use their business office address throughout your entire LLC filing in all 50 states and D.C. This can keep your address off public records.

For example, you can list their business address for any or all of the following:

(Note: The list above is an example. Some states have more address fields than others. Wherever there is an address field on the LLC filing, you can list the Northwest address if you’d like. This can keep your address off public records.)

Any mail that Northwest receives gets scanned and uploaded to your online account.

Need to save time? You can also hire Northwest to form your LLC.

Special discount for LLC University® readers

Northwest usually charges $100 + state fees to form a Texas LLC. But they offer a special price (60% off) for LLC University® readers.

Special offer: Hire Northwest to form your LLC ($39 + state fee), and you'll get a free year of Registered Agent service.

(Why is Northwest the best? Read our Northwest Registered Agent review)

Can I be my own Registered Agent in Texas? FAQs

Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz
Matt Horwitz is the leading expert on LLC education, and has been teaching for 15 years. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.

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