Is a registered agent the same as forming the LLC?

No. Formation is the state’s creation filing. A registered agent is the person or company named to receive official papers at an in-state address. The SBA says you need a registered agent in your state before you file.

Why do “free LLC” pages mention a free registered agent?

Many vendors include the first year of commercial agent service in a formation order. That year can end. Inc Authority’s separate agent page has listed $249 per year. Rocket Lawyer lists registered agent at $125 per year on Plus and Pro, and not on Standard.

Can I be my own registered agent?

Some owners can. The agent must meet the state’s location and availability rules. Using your home address can put that address in the public record. This page does not tell you which choice to make.

Does the agent file my annual report or write my operating agreement?

Not by default on the pages reviewed here. An agent forwards papers. An annual report, tax election, operating agreement, EIN, and lawsuit defense are separate jobs.

Does Florida’s $25 registered-agent fee buy a commercial agent?

No. Florida’s LLC fee schedule charges $100 to file plus a required $25 registered-agent designation fee, for $125 total. That is money paid to the state to record who the agent is. It is not Inc Authority’s or Rocket Lawyer’s yearly service price.

Guide

Registered Agent vs Formation Service: What Each One Actually Does

Checkout pages often bundle “free LLC” and “free registered agent” on one receipt. Those are different jobs. One creates the company. The other stays on the public record so someone can receive service of process and official notices.

Quick answer

Pay a formation service, or file yourself, when you want the state to accept articles of organization or the equivalent. Appoint a registered agent because the state requires an in-state recipient for official papers. The SBA’s register-your-business guide says you need that agent before you file, and that the agent must be located in the state where you register. A first-year “free agent” line does not mean later years are free.

What a formation order does

A formation company collects the information the state asks for, prepares the creation document, submits it, and delivers what the state returns. Its core work ends when that filing and any contracted corrections are done. You still pay the state’s own fee. For how “free LLC” ads describe that split, see Is a free LLC really free?. Vendor-by-vendor filing language is on the formation comparison.

What a registered agent does

The SBA describes a registered agent as the person or company that receives official papers and legal documents on behalf of the company. The agent has to be in the state of registration. After formation, that appointment continues. If you use a commercial service, the charge is usually yearly and can renew until you change the agent on the state’s record.

Florida’s official LLC fee schedule shows the difference in money terms. A new Florida LLC pays a $100 filing fee and a required $25 registered-agent designation fee. That $25 is paid to the state to record the agent. It is not the same line as a vendor’s $125 or $249 yearly service.

Side-by-side

Formation service compared with registered agent service
Question	Formation service	Registered agent
Job	Prepare and send the creation filing	Receive and forward official papers
When it happens	Once, unless you file a correction or a new entity	As long as the company must keep an agent
Typical money	Vendor fee (sometimes $0) plus the state filing fee	State designation fee where one exists, then a yearly commercial price if you hire a service
What it is not	An operating agreement, EIN, or lawyer	A filing, a tax return, or a defense of a lawsuit

What two vendors publish about the agent line

These are published prices, not a ranking and not a hands-on test. Inc Authority’s homepage has listed a $0 registered-agent line next to a $0 filing-service line. Its separate registered-agent product page has listed $249 per year, and its terms say a registered-agent subscription renews. Rocket Lawyer’s pricing page lists registered agent at $125 per year on Plus and Pro and not on Standard. Ask which year is included before you treat “free” as permanent.

What neither purchase finishes

An EIN from the IRS is free on the IRS site. Form the entity with the state first, the IRS says, or the application can be delayed.
An operating agreement is the owners’ private contract. See LLC operating agreement options.
Licenses, sales-tax accounts, banking, and insurance are separate offices and vendors.

Questions before you accept a bundled agent

Is the first year included, and what is the published renewal price?
Does the subscription renew until you cancel and file a change of agent with the state?
Will the vendor’s address appear on the public record instead of yours?
If you serve as your own agent, can someone accept papers at that address during the hours the state requires?

For a browser-only list of questions, use the document preparation checklist.

FAQ

Is a registered agent the same as forming the LLC?: No. Formation is the state’s creation filing. A registered agent is the person or company named to receive official papers at an in-state address. The SBA says you need a registered agent in your state before you file.
Why do “free LLC” pages mention a free registered agent?: Many vendors include the first year of commercial agent service in a formation order. That year can end. Inc Authority’s separate agent page has listed $249 per year. Rocket Lawyer lists registered agent at $125 per year on Plus and Pro, and not on Standard.
Can I be my own registered agent?: Some owners can. The agent must meet the state’s location and availability rules. Using your home address can put that address in the public record. This page does not tell you which choice to make.
Does the agent file my annual report or write my operating agreement?: Not by default on the pages reviewed here. An agent forwards papers. An annual report, tax election, operating agreement, EIN, and lawsuit defense are separate jobs.
Does Florida’s $25 registered-agent fee buy a commercial agent?: No. Florida’s LLC fee schedule charges $100 to file plus a required $25 registered-agent designation fee, for $125 total. That is money paid to the state to record who the agent is. It is not Inc Authority’s or Rocket Lawyer’s yearly service price.

Related guides

Sources and review date

Reviewed October 24, 2026. Prices, trials, and plan limits below are taken from the provider and government pages linked here. Those pages can change. This site did not buy the products, and it does not publish ratings, testimonials, or user counts.