All businesses in the State of Florida are required by law to have a registered agent. Registered agent services are assigned to undertake business tasks related to correspondence with state authorities and filing of documents in behalf of the business owners. They will basically be your business representatives so it’s essential that you choose the best Florida registered agent service for your business.
We did some research and have come up with a list of the three best Florida registered agent services in our opinion. Our top recommendation is Incfile particularly for their proven track record and first year zero cost offer. However, we still encourage you to check out the offers from LegalZoom and ZenBusiness that we also included in this review.
Navigation
Best Florida Registered Agent Service Comparison Chart
| Name | Incfile | LegalZoom | ZenBusiness |
 |  |  | |
| Plans | Check Packages | Check Packages | Check Packages |
| Basic Cost | Free when availing a business formation package, then $119/year | $299 / year | Only available in formation plans at $99/year |
| Year Started | 2004 | 2001 | 2015 |
| Document Handling & State Correspondence | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Notifications Upon Receiving Documents | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Mail Forwarding | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compliance Alert | Add-on | Yes | $50 add-on |
| Online Dashboard and Cloud Storage | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Why Hire A Florida Registered Agent?
All businesses operating in Florida are required to have a registered agent.
The State of Florida requires businesses to have a Florida registered agent to handle official paperwork and other legal processes. While a business owner may also register as an agent, hiring a Florida registered agent service is still more beneficial in the long run.
One of the perks of having the best Florida registered agent is security. If you don’t have an office address and operate your business at home, your home address will be publicly listed on the Florida Search Records database. Aside from that, you will have more liberty to do other tasks as a committed staff will handle correspondence on your behalf.
Another important advantage of having a registered agent is the fact that you’ll have someone to remind you of important dates such as filing of annual reports and taxes. Depending on the service plan you are subscribed to, you may get timely alerts based on your state’s compliance calendar. This helps you avoid paying fees arising from missed deadlines and other legal complications.
Lastly, should you plan on expanding your business to other states, your registered agent can easily help you with the filing process. This is especially true with registered agent services also operating in states other than Florida.
Incfile
Incfile is one of the business formation companies with a huge number of positive customer ratings.
Incfile has been in the business formation industry since 2004. Founded in Texas, the company offered valuable services to business owners at a time when forming a business meant tons of paperworks and expensive legal fees. Since it’s one of the early birds in this business, it is not a surprise that the company has already collected a significant amount of positive reviews from satisfied clients.
Incfile offers registered agent services for an annual fee of $119 but the first year comes free with their business formation packages. This is a good deal especially for startups and LLCs. Florida business owners availing of their services will have easy access to their own online dashboards, receive email and SMS notifications, and receive their legal documents automatically. Most of their clients rave about how user-friendly the online dashboard is.
Incfile also provides other services with applicable add-on fees. Volume discounts aren’t available as of this writing which may not be appreciated by companies with higher business requirements. Still, the prices are competitive when compared with other business formation service providers.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom has been helping business owners for more than two decades already.
LegalZoom is one of the popular business formation companies today as it is also one of the earliest in the field. The company has been in existence since 2001 and has already helped over two million entrepreneurs. Its services are available in all 50 states in the US so business expansion will definitely be a breeze for its clients.
Being one of the largest in the industry, LegalZoom also provides more legal services than other companies in the field. However, the $299/year price tag for its Florida registered agent service is pretty steep especially for startups and LLCs. More established entrepreneurs may appreciate this more as it already includes premiums services such as compliance calendar alerts and unlimited cloud storage.
If not for its steep asking price, LegalZoom may have been our top recommendation. But with new business formation service companies sprouting lately, we think that LegalZoom’s market will be limited to the more established companies that put more value on years of experience and not on the cost.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is still a baby in the industry compared to LegalZoom and Incfile.
ZenBusiness is still considered a baby in the business formation industry as the company was founded only in 2015 in Austin, Texas. It has become popular especially to startups because of its affordable packages. However, its registered agent service is only offered with a business formation package.
ZenBusiness provides all the standard services of a registered agent. Compliance calendar alert service is also available for a minimal add-on fee of $50. Clients who have already tried their services generally gave good feedback. Then again, it’s undeniable that ZenBusiness still has to earn more experience in the business formation industry.
Verdict
Incfile is our top choice among the three business formation service providers.
Incfile, for us, is the best Florida registered agent provider given its years in the industry and the affordability of its packages especially when compared with LegalZoom. Sure, it doesn’t have the perks that LegalZoom provides but the money that can be saved with Incfile cannot be ignored. This factor is the most important especially to entrepreneurs who are just starting out.
ZenBusiness is still a good option though we placed it at the bottom of our list because it’s still relatively new in the business. For more information about how it fares in comparison to our top choice, you may check out our Incfile vs ZenBusiness review.
FAQs
A Florida registered agent is required for all businesses formed in the state.
Yes, you or a trusted individual can be your registered agent as long as the minimum requirements are met. However, getting a professional registered agent service has more advantages and fewer hassles on your part.
Yes, you can. Just submit a Statement of Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent or Both form to the Florida Division of Corporations and pay the required fees.
LLC stands for Limited Liability Company. Being an LLC means business owners keep their personal assets separate from those of the business.