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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Module 2 · Pennsylvania

Registered Agent in Pennsylvania (2026): a 6-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Agents

PA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($99 a year) earned the top three grades for finding a registered agent in Pennsylvania in 2026, in that order. Follow the 6 steps below and your registered agent will be appointed correctly.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

This lesson at a glance

The requirementSee step 1Look it up at legis.state.pa.us; last checked October 2026
Yearly cost of our picks$99 to $149 a yearAs published
Annual report$7 a yearLook it up at pa.gov; last checked October 2026
Lesson steps6Numbered below

What you will learn

  • What the law says
  • The address and eligibility rules
  • How to name or change the agent
  • Who we would hire as agent

The Pennsylvania services we recommend

Graded on our report card: three-year cost (32%), lesson steps handled (33%), renewal, fit with Pennsylvania's steps and clear pricing.
First choice

1. PA Registered Agent.org: best for Pennsylvania-only LLCs

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

PA Registered Agent.org earns the highest mark because a street address in Pennsylvania for your registered office, at $99 a year.

It costs less than Mainstay Filing over three years, and three-year cost is 32% of the grade.

What the price covers

  • A physical Pennsylvania address
  • Online copies of served documents

Marks in its favor

  • $99 yearly
  • Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing

Where it loses points

  • No help in other states
  • You file the annual report yourself
Does the most for you

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a single agent nationwide

Annual price $149, renewal price $149

Mainstay Filing lands in second place, and the reason is clear: $149 per year is the agent fee in all fifty states.

Over three years it costs $150 more than PA Registered Agent.org, and cost makes up 32% of the grade.

What the price covers

  • A Pennsylvania street address for the record
  • A same-business-day scan of each served paper comes at no charge
  • Government mail scanned free, three pieces a year
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Marks in its favor

  • The same price in all fifty states
  • $149 a year

Where it loses points

  • PA Registered Agent.org is $50 a year lower
  • Reports are not filed on this plan
One-state plan

3. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for another Pennsylvania choice

Annual price $99, renewal price $99

Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co is a sound third choice because a street address in Pennsylvania for your registered office, at $99 a year.

Its prices equal PA Registered Agent.org's, so either is a sound choice.

What the price covers

  • A physical Pennsylvania address
  • Online copies of served documents

Marks in its favor

  • $99 yearly
  • Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing

Where it loses points

  • No help in other states
  • You file the annual report yourself

Our Pennsylvania picks side by side

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1PA Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit PA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co$99$99/yr$297Visit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent you name.

The Pennsylvania agent, in order

  1. Step
    1

    Find out what Pennsylvania asks of an agent

    Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at legis.state.pa.us; last checked October 2026

  2. Step
    2

    Confirm who may be the agent

    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. The statute is 15 Pa.C.S. § 8825.

  3. Step
    3

    Learn the address requirement

    The address has to be an actual street address or rural route box number in Pennsylvania. A P.O. box alone is not accepted.

    Hiring a service keeps your own address off the public record.

  4. Step
    4

    Do it yourself or hire an agent

    Our graded agents charge $99 to $149 a year; acting yourself is the other route if you qualify.

  5. Step
    5

    Put the agent on file

    A new LLC names its agent in the Certificate of Organization (Form DSCB:15-8821) sent to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State. An existing LLC that wants a different agent files a change with that same office.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at pa.gov; last checked October 2026

  6. Step
    6

    Look after it year by year

    The annual report costs $7 every year and is due September 30; any notices about it reach you through the registered agent.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at pa.gov; last checked October 2026

Agent and state costs

ItemPayeeCost
Hiring an agentYour service$99 to $149 a year
RenewalYour service$99 to $149 a year
Annual reportPaid to the state$7 every year
Official Pennsylvania fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Behind the ranking

Tuition over three years decided first place in Pennsylvania. It is worth 32% of the grade, and the rest comes from homework the price handles, year-two price, fit with the state's lesson plan and pricing a beginner can read.

Over years one to three, PA Registered Agent.org costs $297 and Mainstay Filing costs $150 more.

Questions students ask

Will my Pennsylvania LLC need 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?

Step 1 says an agent is not compulsory; the eligibility rules in steps 2 and 3 matter only if you choose to name one.

Can I change my registered agent later?

A change is allowed whenever you like, through the Pennsylvania Secretary of State, as described in step 5.

What does a registered agent cost in Pennsylvania?

From $99 to $149 a year on this page.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The recurring state cost is the annual report at $7 every year.

Which registered agent would you choose?

PA Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, graded from first to last.

See also

Class references

  1. Source for Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and: pa.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  2. Source for Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and: pa.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  3. Source for 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821: pa.gov, confirmed in August 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  4. Source for Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee, official source: pa.gov, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  5. Source for Pennsylvania registered agent statute: legis.state.pa.us, confirmed in October 2026, and the reason our figures match the official ones.
  6. November 13, 2026: the pricing page for PA Registered Agent.org
  7. November 13, 2026: the Pennsylvania service page for Mainstay Filing
  8. November 13, 2026: the pricing page for Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co