Under the law, every LLC owner is required to appoint a registered agent in Iowa before filing the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State.
In this article, we'll explain how important it is to meet this requirement and tell you which services are reliable by examining their advantages and disadvantages.
Best Registered Agent Service Iowa
Resident agents play a key role for businesses in a variety of niches and industries, as they are responsible for securing personal assets, ensuring confidentiality, and helping meet state requirements.
RA rules in Iowa, as well as in other states, are quite simple with no severe restrictions. So, you Iowa RA could be:
- An adult person over 18 years of age with a registered street address in IA;
- A legal entity registered and entitled to run business in the chosen jurisdiction.
There are no limitations on educational and professional backgrounds. The only rule for an RA is a permanent presence at the registered address during business hours to receive official mail, which is delivered during normal working time.
Registered Agent Services in Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a favorable city for opening an LLC in Iowa. You can find offices of popular services as well as lesser-known providers in this location.
For example, you can start with Harbor Compliance, which has an office located at:
50703 Waterloo,
Polk County
Its offerings include discount registered agent services Iowa for those who plan to work with them for 2 years or more.
A less popular service, IncSmart, provides agent's assistance for $49.
Another firm worth considering is Iowa Registered Agent™. Its office is located at:
315E 5th St Waterloo
IA 50703
Offers start at $49. It promises full compliance and automatic reminders on annual reports.
Registered Agent Services in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the administrative center of the state. It is home to the offices of national registered agents and local services.
Among others, Iowa Process Server service draws attention. Although they have an office in Des Moines, the main department is located at an address in Indianola. As for prices, they do not list them on their website. You can find out more by calling the toll-free number 877-816-4696.
In Des Moines, Clevver provides Iowa registered agent services for $119 a year. It should be noted that the service presented is willing to do more for its customers than just accepting mail.
Registered Agent Services for LLCs in Iowa: 4 Best Services to Collaborate With
The market is full of resident agent service offerings. But given how important quality agent's work is, you should choose from the best ones. Note that the best offer doesn't mean the most expensive one. Reputable companies can often inflate their prices, but they don't always provide you with a higher level of service.
1. Northwest Registered Agent
Cost: $125 per year
The service has been on the market since 1998 and has garnered a lot of positive reviews during that time.
Pros
- Prices. The first thing that grabs your attention is the pricing of the service. Iowa Secretary of State registered agent will cost firm owners $125 per year;
- Interface. The site is easy to use, and convenient navigation allows you to quickly find the service you need;
- Cancellation. Users can cancel the service free of charge in any cooperation period. Refunds can be requested provided that the customer paid for the assistance no more than 90 days ago;
- Privacy. Researching Iowa registered agent reviews, we haven't found any complaints regarding the sharing of customers' personal information with third parties. This proves that Northwest keeps its pledge;
- Customer support. This is one of the strengths of the service. The company does not employ ordinary managers but rather experts who know the business well.
Cons
- Legal assistance. Although the provider deals with firms' legal issues (e.g., registering an LLC or handling legal correspondence), the staff does not provide legal advice;
- Add-ons. Some services can be more expensive compared to other providers' offers.
Northwest Registered Agent Reviews
Checking independent rating sites for reviews regarding Northwest, we have found an average rating of 4.6 out of a possible 5. Most customers rate the service 5 stars and note the strong support and high level of Iowa registered agent for service of process performance.
However, we've managed to find a few comments indicating that the service withdraws funds without customers' consent from the account, and there are occasional communication problems. Still, Northwest managers respond to such complaints and try to resolve the issue as promptly as possible.
2. ZenBusiness Registered Agent
Cost: $99
ZenBusiness is considered a young representative among the U.S. registered agent service providers. The agency was launched in 2015 and has been able to serve over 200,000 different companies in America since then.
If you stop the Iowa business registered agent search by choosing this provider, you will get a permanent physical address in the state, protection, and your paperwork in order.
Pros
- Prices. This provider offers quite favorable packages, which cost from $49. Each offer includes a 25% discount on the agent's services;
- Interface. The site's modern design and user-friendly checkout system, powered by machine-learning technology, attract users. The system makes a survey and selects convenient tariff plans for users;
- Cancellation. Customers can opt out of working with an agent at any time, but the platform doesn't promise a refund. In order for the cancellation process to be initiated, you need to pre-assign a new agent and notify ZenBusiness of the change;
- Privacy. When it comes to privacy, you can put your full trust in this platform. Its registered agents control every document they receive. All paperwork is handed out confidentially;
- Customer Service. On rating sites, clients report that the support team is extremely knowledgeable about LLC registration and agent's work;
- Extras. Business owners can order accounting assistance and take advantage of expense and income management tools.
Cons
- Prices. When it comes to agent’s assistance as a separate type of service, this won't seem like the cheapest option. The Worry-Free package will cost $199 for the first year. It includes expert support, online access to documents, compliance, and mail processing. But there's another plan with limited functionality available for $99.
ZenBusiness Reviews
The platform has received positive recommendations from customers. Moreover, ZenBusiness is BBB accredited with a B+ rating. Regarding agent performance, customers note professionalism and quick responses to inquiries.
3. Incfile Registered Agent
Cost: $119 a year
Incfile was founded in 2004 and is considered one of the best and most affordable agent services in IA. It has more than half a million satisfied customers and thousands of positive reviews on various review platforms.
Pros
- Prices. With this provider, you can get an LLC formation package for $0 (+ state fee). This plan also includes RA service at exactly the same price for the first year of cooperation. After that, RA will cost $119 a year. And there are no hidden fees;
- Interface. The platform is simple and intuitive. You can order a service in a few clicks. Users also get access to the dashboard, expert email processing, customized notifications, and so on;
- Cancellation. Customers can cancel RA service after the first year of cooperation. You will need to contact the Incfile team via email to have them cancel your order. Upon request, they can notify the Secretary of State of the change.
- Confidentiality. Platform agents provide their contact information in public documents, which gives the owner more anonymity. Also, employees do not share their clients' personal information with third parties;
- Speed. Orders are processed fairly quickly during business hours (within one business day).
Cons
- Customer Service. Incfile's support service is not as good as one would hope. The long wait for a response is a frequent cause of customer dissatisfaction.
Incfile Reviews
In 2022, the platform is getting more and more positive comments regarding Iowa registered agent services. There are a few complaints on the BBB site, but they have all been responded to by managers. As for the average rating, Incfile deservedly gets 4.6 out of a possible 5.
4. Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent
Cost: $149.99 per year
Rocket Lawyer has been on the market since 2008. From its opening until today, it has served significantly more clients than its competitors. With its offerings, the platform is similar to the previous provider as it helps owners with legal advice.
Pros
- Prices. This provider will suit you if you're not just running a registered agent Iowa search but want to get a whole package of legal services. Thus, the client will end up paying $113 + $39. Separately, the price for an agent is $149.99 per year;
- Interface. The site is not as modern as the competitors' platforms, but that does not preclude easy navigation. Finding the right service is easy, as well as the ordering process itself;
- Cancellation. If you want to cancel your subscription to the agent's service, you just need to contact the support service and inform them about your wish to terminate the cooperation;
- Customer Service. The provider offers extended customer support hours. So, you can contact the consultants even after regular business hours and ask your questions;
- Extras. Rocket Lawyer's main advantage is that they are unparalleled in legal matters. If you need RA services and periodic consultations with attorneys, this is the best service for you.
Cons
- Cost. Relative to other competitors, resident agent services at Rocket Lawyer will seem expensive.
Rocket Lawyer Reviews
In reviews, clients note their satisfaction with working with Rocket Lawyer's agents and recommend the service to other businesses. In addition to the positive reviews, Rocket Lawyer has accreditation from the BBB, which increases trust in the brand.
Registered Agent Review: General Conclusions
The presented providers are leaders in their niche. But before finishing your Iowa registered agent search, we still recommend determining the list of additional services that you may need in the process of starting or developing your business.
For example, Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom are ranked as leaders in legal consulting services. ZenBusiness and Northwest are more budget-friendly options. Incfile offers free service for the first year of cooperation.
Benefits of Using an Iowa Registered Agent Service
Statutory agents are an important part of doing business not only in Iowa but in other parts of the United States as well. Moreover, appointing such a professional is a requirement that every company owner needs to meet.
By doing an Iowa business registered agent search and selecting the perfect candidate, the LLC owner will get a number of benefits:
- Eligibility. All of the agent's actions are aimed at maintaining the firm's positive reputation. The RA will send regular notices reminding you to file the annual report and other important documents, receive correspondence, and keep it in order;
- Confidence. If you are your own agent, you have to maneuver between the company's affairs and the RAs responsibilities. With an outsourced professional, you will be able to deal solely with business matters.
- Confidentiality. You can list the registered agent's name in the Articles of Ogranization, thus, maintaining anonymity. Plus, all legal correspondence initially does not go to the owner's hands but to the agent's office.
Best Registered Agent Review: How Do We Choose
Our main task is to help you understand all the details regarding the formation of an LLC, updating the registered agent for LLC in Iowa, and choosing a reliable specialist. So, if you need credible advice, you are right to choose us.
Why You Can Trust Our Choice
We have several answers to this question:
- We save you time. We know how difficult it is for young businesses to collect all the necessary information altogether. That's why we only provide the facts;
- Accuracy. Each company in our reviews is thoroughly checked by our experts to provide accurate and reliable information;
- Up-to-date. The law and regulations are constantly changing, and we need to be up-to-date regarding all the shifts. That's why we regularly consult with lawyers.
How We Selected the Best Registered Agent
The wide variety of offerings makes it difficult to choose one reliable registered agent. It can take a lot of time to research all the options. Or you can limit your search to a few options, but that's not a good decision either.
Our reviews are built on an in-depth analysis. All of them follow a clear algorithm that helps highlight reliable services to cooperate with. Our approach is based on 3 steps:
- Research. Customer reviews are a tool that helps identify the best providers. Therefore, we study popular rating sites;
- Analysis. We go to the sites of the services to evaluate the work of the platform, its offerings, and features;
- Testing. We contact service representatives and ask them lots of questions to check how their support team works and how good their service is.
Conclusion
We have provided you with comprehensive information about the best Iowa registered agents on the market. Any of these providers can be your partner in the long run. We hope you found the answer to your query! So, we wish you an easy start and big wins!
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