Best Registered Agent Services in New Hampshire

Every LLC in New Hampshire (and in any other state really) requires a registered agent.

The goal of this article is to help business owners better understand the importance of this position and in the end, find the most fitting registered agent for their LLC in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Registered Agent: All You Need to Know

A registered agent (statutory agent, resident agent, or agent for service of process) is a person or a company that receives business mail and correspondence on behalf of your LLC. Every limited liability company in the USA must employ an RA or it will be denied the right to do business.

Who can be a New Hampshire Registered Agent for Service of Process?

The main requirements for a New Hampshire agent are:

• Age – the individual must be at least 18;
• Location – individual agents have to be residents of NH; corporate agents must have a business office in NH;
• Availability – RAs must be present at their New Hampshire address during normal business hours to accept the delivery in person.

Typically, the role of the mail receptionist is assigned to one of the owners, a secretary, a company itself, or a specialized service. In this next segment, we will highlight the advantages of third-party agents and explain why you should stay away from doing this job yourself.

Benefits of Using Professional Registered Agent Services in New Hampshire

If you think you can save money by choosing to represent your own company, here are some facts that will make you think otherwise:

• You must rent or buy a New Hampshire property to use as your office if you are not a resident;
• You cannot leave the office during the day, including lunch breaks or business trips;
• You cannot have vacations or days off;
• Your personal information will be posted online and become available to the public;
• You will have full responsibility for missing a legal claim or a tax deadline notification which may put your LLC on the verge of existence.

In our opinion, all of this is worth much more than $150 per year which is an average price for a good statutory agent in New Hampshire. If you don't agree with us, then you should stop reading right here. But if we're on the same page, let's have a look at some of the best RAs that you can find in the Granite State and beyond.

Registered Agent Services New Hampshire: Best Domestic Providers

We'll start our quest for the ultimate New Hampshire agent in the state's largest cities: Manchester and Concord. The local RA companies might not be as well-equipped as their national counterparts, but they have two undeniable advantages: they're cheap and they know NH business laws like no other which is exactly what you'd want from a professional agent.

Top Domestic Agent in Manchester, NH: 1 Client Matters, LLC

Manchester is the largest city in New Hampshire with over 100,000 residents that has not only been a go-to spot for the local entrepreneurs but also has attracted lots of investors from other states. It’s constantly ranked among the most affordable and business-friendly places in the country, so your company will have a great foundation to thrive.

A good resident agent will make things even easier for you, and we just happen to know one. 1 Client Matters is a small law firm that provides all sorts of legal help, and it’s apparent from the name that they seem to care about what they do.

Client Matters Pros

• Straightforward Price. 1 Client Matters charges a fixed fee of $99 per year and guarantees no price changes for at least 3 years after the initial order. The company also offers multi-year discounts for New Hampshire registered agents that allow you to save up to $100 by buying a 3-year subscription;
• Market Awareness. The 1CM staff is comprised of experienced New Hampshire attorneys and lawyers who are very fluent in the state laws;
• Simple Registration. Setting up the agent services with 1CM can be done in just a few clicks. All you need is to enter your LLC name, address, and credit card info; 
• Quick Notifications. Once the mail is received and scanned, 1CM employees will send you an email with all the files attached to it. They also can give you a phone call and even meet in person if your office is located in Manchester or Nashua.

Client Matters Cons

• No Online Dashboard. 1CM’s website doesn't have as much glitz and glamour as its nationwide rivals, and it’s not a bad thing per se, but it does miss some aspects that we’d like to see. For example, you don’t get a dedicated online account with cloud storage where you can keep and download scanned documents;
• No Reviews. The Manchester provider has just a couple of customer comments on Google and Yelp, but they’re all positive. 1CM seems like a good company, so we’d like to see more clients prove that.

Client Matters Contact Information

Client Matters Overall

As a rule, law firms make good resident agents, and 1 Client Matters confirms this theory. If you value professionalism and a personalized approach, put this provider on your radar.

Top Domestic Agent in Concord, NH: Concord Search & Retrieval, Inc.

The next stop is the capital of New Hampshire, Concord. Despite its small size, the city employs quite a lot of law firms and similar services due to close proximity to the State Department. 

Concord Search & Retrieval, Inc has been helping businesses and individuals with finding and obtaining documents from the state archive since 2002, as well as providing help with the process of service. They’re on good terms with the New Hampshire Secretary, and they’ll help your LLC do the same.

CS & R Pros

• Amazing Price. $75 is about as low as you can get an agent for, so that’s a solid A for Concord Search in this category – no comments needed;
• Good Location. The office of Concord Search is situated 10 minutes away from the Department of State, so you’ll have one of the most prestigious addresses in the entire New Hampshire;
• Experience with Paperwork. CS & R’s main field of practice is corporate filings and document retrieval. It’s safe to assume that the company knows how to handle papers and sensitive information, so you don’t have to worry about your correspondence.

CS & R Cons

• Lack of Forwarding Options. You can choose to receive your scanned papers via regular mail, fax, or email. Unfortunately, there is no online cabinet for document storage which is a must-have feature in 2022;
• Lack of Customer Feedback. CS & R suffers from the same problem as many local small businesses often do: insufficient client reviews. We honestly believe in the company’s quality of work, but it would be great to find some feedback from its former customers.

CS & R Contact Information

CS & R Overall

If you live in Concord, you can end your New Hampshire registered agent search right now. Concord Search & Retrieval takes the cake with its unbeatable price and prowess with legal documents.

New Hampshire Registered Agent Services: Best National Providers

We’re leaving New Hampshire to find the best RA with a nationwide reach. These companies represent their clients in all 50 states by using a well-organized network of offices and agents and utilizing the latest achievements in digital technology.

Top National Agent: ZenBusiness

Cost: $119 per year

Let’s kick things off with ZenBusiness, a business formation service from Texas. If we had a popularity contest, ZB would probably win it in a landslide as it has firmly occupied the first pages of the LLC-related online queries. Let’s see what makes customers trust ZenBusiness with their companies time after time.

ZenBusiness Pros

• Basic Formation Plans. 

With ZenBusiness, you’ll get your company officially registered and also receive a free year of mail scanning for just $49 + state fees. This is the perfect offer for the new LLCs that need help with getting off the ground;

• Online Reputation. 

ZB has one of the most impressive online resumes that you will find in this industry. Thousands of people can’t be wrong, and even if some of those reviews are fake, the average scores speak for themselves;

• Convenient Dashboard. 

ZenBusiness instantly notifies its clients about new documents and uploads all scanned mail into well-protected user accounts where they can access and manage the files at any time;

• Advanced Compliance.

One of the main responsibilities of a statutory agent is to notify business owners about upcoming annual deadlines. ZenBusiness achieves that with the help of their trademarked Worry-Free Compliance program that tracks your business calendar and sends alerts in advance.

ZenBusiness Cons

• Extra Fees. 

Hiring ZenBusiness for one year to handle your correspondence will cost you $99, and then the price goes up to $119 for all the upcoming years. This somehow does not include the compliance perks that we’ve just discussed in the Pros section. To activate it, you’ll need to add $50 to the annual subscription, bumping the total price to $149;

• Not a Primary Focus. 

ZenBusiness is not an agent-first company, so there might be potential hiccups in the quality of service.

ZenBusiness Contact Information

ZenBusiness Overall

ZenBusiness lives up to the hype with top-of-the-line LLC formation products and the love of customers to back it up. As for the New Hampshire registered agent for service of process, it’s possible to find cheaper and more specialized offers, but ZB will not disappoint you either.

Top National Agent: Northwest Registered Agent

Cost: $125 per year

If you take at least a minute to look for a registered agent for LLC in New Hampshire online, there's a 100% chance that you'll see the name Northwest. And you shouldn't be surprised by our prediction as the company from Spokane, WA is one of the leading business formation assistants in the nation. Let's see why!

Northwest Pros

• Almost Unlimited Forwarding. 

NW guarantees that all business mail that comes to its office is scanned and uploaded to your user profile. The agent fee also covers 5 pieces of non-corporate correspondence, and you can expand the mail volume even further by purchasing separate items for $15 each;

• Increased Privacy. 

The company genuinely cares about its clients and their personal information, putting privacy at the top of its corporate values. Northwest uses its address and banking credentials instead of yours whenever it can, even when it files your annual reports. You can fully expect that no third party or rival agents find out your address or financial data;

• Stellar Customer Support.

Any time you call or message Northwest, there's always a knowledgeable person on the other end who's willing to help you by any means possible. From basic tips about setting up an account to complete guides on business formation, NW always comes in clutch;

• High Ratings. 

As of August 2022, NW scores 4.7 stars on Google with over 500 reviews. The TrustPilot rating is noticeably lower, but its sample size is just 10 comments, so we wouldn't overreact and hit the panic button just yet.

Northwest Cons

• OK Price. 

There are more than enough agents for service of process that charge less than $125 per year. But in the Northwest's case, the price is totally justified. Still, some people only want a New Hampshire address and basic mail scanning with no gimmicks, so they might as well choose someone else and save a few bucks.

Northwest Contacts

Northwest Overall

No matter what state you're starting your LLC or corporation in, Northwest Registered Agent can be your reliable business companion for many years in the future.

Top National Agent: Harbor Compliance

Cost: $99 per year and possible discounts

The last company on our list comes from one of New Hampshire's close neighbors, Pennsylvania. Harbor Compliance has been assisting businesses for only 10 years, but in that short period, it has built a positive image and a loyal client base.

Harbor Compliance Pros

• Flexible Pricing.

The basic annual price for a resident agent at Harbor is $99 which we already cannot complain about. But it can actually go lower than that by paying for several years in advance or enabling the multi-state option;

• User-Friendly Interface.

You can access your mail at any time by logging into your personal account called Client Portal. It has a pleasant design and high functionality, making it one of the best registered agent tools in New Hampshire and beyond;

• Report Tracker.

The provider uses smart notification software that keeps its clients updated on all upcoming deadlines and filing dates and ensures good standing with the state;

• Quick Registration.

You can assign HC as your agent in just a few minutes and start using some of the company's features, like the New Hampshire address, right away. 

Harbor Compliance Cons

• A Few Negative Comments.

We couldn't go past one particular customer review that blames Harbor Compliance for selling their personal data. Several clients continued the trend by questioning the company's competence and mentioning unexpected charges and bad turnaround times. However, the average Google score is still at a very respectable 4.4-star level;

• Out of Spotlight.

The reviews are good, but there are just too few of them, which can only mean two things: people either prefer other services to Harbor or they simply don't care to leave good feedback.

Harbor Compliance Overall

If HC keeps its pace, it has all the tools to catch up with its more successful rivals, like ZenBusiness and Northwest, but even today, the company is more than capable of covering all of your RA needs.

Top National Provider: Honorable Mentions

• LegalZoom ($299 per year);
• Rocket Lawyer ($149 per year);
• IncFile (first year – $0, after – $119 per year);
• InCorp Services (one year – $129; 5 years – $87 per year);
• Inc Authority (first year – $0, after – $200 per year).

New Hampshire Registered Agent Reviews: General Conclusions

All providers featured above are solid picks for a registered agent job in New Hampshire. You can support the local market and choose a cheap and experienced NH company, or you can pay a bit more and receive a digitally optimized service from a nationally recognized brand.

How to Appoint a Registered Agent in New Hampshire?

If you hire a specialized provider, all you need is to place an order on their website and follow the instructions. Sometimes, you may need to complete a registered agent consent form for New Hampshire services, but more often than not, it's not necessary.

If you've chosen yourself or one of your friends for the agent role, just enter the name and address of that person in the Articles of Organization.

New Hampshire Secretary of State Contact Information

Best Registered Agent Service New Hampshire – How We Choose

No matter how big or small, we aspire to review all business formation agencies that are authorized to operate in the USA. We’re also not biased in any way so a no-name provider is as interesting for us as a highly advertised national brand.

Why You Can Trust Our Choice

The mission of our platform is to bring you a complete breakdown of relevant services based on proven facts. We do not use any third-party assistants for our research and rely solely on personal experience. 

How We Selected the Best New Hampshire Registered Agent

We compared all companies that provide agent services in New Hampshire in the following categories:

• Price – annual fees and available discounts;
• User Experience – website navigation and order procedure;
• Customer Support – the quality of support (response times, staff competence, etc.);
• Features – mail forwarding options and additional services.

FAQ