The Pennsylvania Registered Agent (2026): 6 Procedures and the 3 Best Agents
Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and PA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) measured best, in that order, for appointing a registered agent in Pennsylvania in 2026. 6 procedures document what Pennsylvania requires of a registered agent, who may serve, which address passes and how the agent is recorded.
Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·
The short version
The requirement
See procedure 1Observed at legis.state.pa.us; entry dated October 2026
Prices of ranked services
$99 to $149 a yearCompany price pages
Annual report
$7 a yearObserved at pa.gov; entry dated October 2026
Procedures on this sheet
6Listed below
On this sheet
The Pennsylvania agent rule
Who qualifies and the address rule
Recording the agent
The ranked agents
Best reading
Pennsylvania: the ranked services
The order follows five published criteria, set out in how we measure.
Strongest result
1. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for single-state companies
$99 a year, $99 on renewal
Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co gives the best reading in Pennsylvania: $99 a year with no change at renewal, matched to an LLC that remains in one state.
On three-year cost it reads below Mainstay Filing, a large part of the measurement.
Pennsylvania does not require a registered agent. Every LLC keeps a registered office instead: an actual street address in Pennsylvania, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider named in its place by a company without a Pennsylvania address. See 15 Pa.C.S. § 8825.
Procedure3
Procedure 3: Apply the address test
The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Pennsylvania. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.
TipA service supplies a Pennsylvania street address, which keeps the owner's address off the filing.
Procedure4
Procedure 4: Act as agent or hire one
A qualified owner can act as agent. Otherwise the ranked agents charge $99 to $149 a year.
Procedure5
Procedure 5: Enter the appointment
The agent is identified in the filing made with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, and any change is a distinct filing there.
Specimen: Observed at pa.gov; entry dated October 2026
Procedure6
Procedure 6: Track the recurring filing
Filing the annual report on time ($7, September 30) keeps the agent record accurate.
Specimen: Observed at pa.gov; entry dated October 2026
The cost of this sheet
Line
Recipient
Total
Registered agent service
Service company
$99 to $149 a year
Each later year
Service company
$99 to $149 a year
Annual report
Payable to the state
$7 every year
Every state amount here can be verified against the specimens below. The three-year row combines formation, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists, and it never includes service prices.
How the Pennsylvania results were ordered
moved ahead of on measured cost over three years, which counts for 36%.
The cost criterion goes to Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: $297 across three years, against $150 more at Mainstay Filing.
Review questions on Pennsylvania
What does Pennsylvania say about keeping a registered agent?
Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.
Can I be my own registered agent?
Procedure 1 shows that an agent is not compulsory; the tests in procedures 2 and 3 matter only if one is named.
Can I change my registered agent later?
Yes; an existing LLC files a change with the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, as procedure 5 shows.
What does a registered agent cost in Pennsylvania?
Budget $99 to $149 a year.
What does the LLC pay the state each year?
Each time, the state collects the annual report fee of $7.
Which registered agent would you choose?
Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, because an in-state street address for the registered office, measured at $99 a year. Next: Mainstay Filing and PA Registered Agent.org.