Best Registered Agent Services in Wisconsin

If you are planning to start your own business in Wisconsin, you will definitely need registered agent services. This is required by state law for all types of entities that are registered in the state.

A registered agent is your representative for contacting the state and tax authorities, as well as an intermediary to help you through the process of getting court papers in case you are sued.

Best Registered Agent Service in Wisconsin

When forming a new LLC or corporation, there are several steps you need to take. The first ones are choosing a unique name for your company that complies with state laws and conducting a Wisconsin registered agent search.

By law, the duties of an RA can be performed by:

1. An individual who is 18 years of age or older and has a permanent physical address in Wisconsin;
2. An entity that is registered in the state and has a permanent address (the office) within the state.

It is important that the person or employees of the company you choose be physically available to serve the process or to pick up documents hand-to-hand at the address listed during normal business hours.

Such duties cannot be performed by companies that only have a mailbox or a P.O. box. An agent needs to be present in person at all times.

You can choose a company or person from any locality in Wisconsin.

Registered Agent in Madison, Wisconsin

The capital of the state is the city of Madison. It is the second most populous city in this region. However, due to its status, Madison is home to the state government and many regulatory agencies.

If you consider it an important advantage to delegate your registered agent the right to visit government agencies in person to submit reports and documents, the state capital is the best choice for you.

Registered Agent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The most populous city in Wisconsin is Milwaukee. A lot of companies open their offices here. Some of them prefer to have a registered agent available for face-to-face meetings.

You can choose your own registered agent in the desired city by several methods:

1. Research advertisements and company websites;
2. Go to the State Secretary's website and check a list of organizations that provide the services you need in the selected city.

Northwest Registered Agent

Cost: $125 per year

Northwest is one of the best RA services in Wisconsin in terms of value for money. Despite the very reasonable cost of $125 per year, the provider can be considered a premium one.

You get all the services you need by law, reliable data protection, very high-quality customer support, reminders to send your reports on time, and other benefits.

Pros

• Impressive experience of the company: more than 20 years;
• High professionalism of employees: lawyers, accountants, experienced businessmen;
• Corporate guide. Each client from the moment of application cooperates with one person who answers all the questions and knows all the nuances of the business;
• Convenient website and reliable cloud service for clients;
• Northwest offers a wide range of different business consulting services.

Cons

The quality of customer support at Northwest is very high. But the effort of corporate guides to provide the most comprehensive support sometimes causes complaints, as people often need advice quickly and without unnecessary details.

Overall

Registered agent Northwest offers everything you might need as part of an RA service. Among other things, you get:

• A mailbox for your company that you can use for business purposes;
• Ongoing support and advice on the operation of your business and interactions with state government agencies;
• Reminders to send reports, license updates, or other important events;
• Reporting assistance (if needed);
• Lots of background information;
• A repository where all your documents will be uploaded with no restrictions or surcharges;
• Information privacy protection.

You can also take advantage of Northwest's assistance with business registration. Prices start at $39 (which is a bargain). The packages include many useful services, such as help with name selection, DBA registration, drafting of Articles of Organization, etc.

We consider Northwest to be the best deal for both business registration and registered agent service. You may choose a company that provides cheaper assistance, but when you compare the value for money, Northwest will prove to be the absolute leader.

ZenBusiness Registered Agent

Cost: $199 per year

ZenBusiness is a company that is rightfully considered one of the leaders on the market for helping business people register an LLC.  The basic plan here also costs $49 but includes an accountant's consultation and some other additional benefits.

The cost of a registered agent's assistance is $199. But for the first year, it will cost $99. Anyway, for this amount, you will only get the minimum list of RA services. For a reminder calendar and some other benefits, you will have to pay extra.

Pros

• High-quality customer support;
• A great number of reviews (most of them are positive);
• When ordering business formation services, 1 year of registered agent’s assistance is offered for $99.

Cons

• With ZenBusiness, you only get the minimum you need;
• A corporate reminder calendar of important events, as well as assistance in generating reports and other support are paid separately: $50 per year.

Overall

ZenBusiness is a very popular service, as evidenced by numerous Wisconsin registered agent reviews. This provider helps you save time and money. So, if you need to start a business from scratch, you should pay special attention to this company.

In many ways, ZenBusiness is in a position to challenge Northwest for the top spot. Although customers pay less, they get only the minimum required by law. To get a list of services close to what Northwest's default package includes, you have to pay $149 for the first year. 

Rapid Registered Agent

Cost: $100 per year

Rapid Registered Agent is another major service that provides RA services in 50 states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The company offers a wide range of services, a large selection of notification methods, and a convenient online service.

Pros

• The price for services does not change for many years;
• There are no hidden fees or commissions;
• The company does not impose additional services;
• The company sends your documents by fax without any commission, unlike many competitors;
• There are convenient business forms for quick reports;
• Company consultants provide assistance in compiling documents and reports.

Cons

Despite the fact that Rapid Registered Agent has been in the business services market since 2007 and is a national RA, the number of reviews is very modest. Therefore, it is difficult to assess the level of customer satisfaction.

Overall

The list of services included in the registered agent package is impressive:

• The company not only scans and uploads documents to cloud storage but also faxes and emails them at no extra charge;
• Business forms with auto-complete help quickly and competently prepare reports and other important documents needed when dealing with the state government;
• Consultants are always available to provide professional assistance.

Rapid Registered Agent offers a wide list of services at an affordable price. If you are not embarrassed by the fact that the number of reviews is very small, then pay attention to this service.

Harbor Compliance Registered Agent

Cost: $99 per year

Harbor Compliance is a reliable partner for those who need the cheapest RA service without any additional features. It takes just a few minutes to place an order, as the website is smart and intuitive.

Pros

• Reliable service;
• Fast uploading of all documents to the cloud storage;
• A simple, intuitive website;
• Availability of all the features you need for $99 per year;
• An account manager will help you at any moment.

Cons

• Customer support representatives will help you only with questions about the RA’s assistance. The company does not provide help with business-related issues;
• The provider will not scan and upload all documents to the repository but only legally important ones (whereas Northwest will scan all correspondence).

Overall

Overall, Harbor Compliance has a good reputation and is popular as an RA service provider in Wisconsin. Customer support responds quickly and expertly, and you'll see documents in cloud storage almost immediately after the RA receives them.

But do not forget that you will only get the assistance of a statutory agent (business assistance and other bonuses are not provided here).

Rocket Lawyer Registered Agent

Cost: $149.99 per year

Rocket Lawyer positions itself as an affordable mass-market legal service. The company also provides business consulting services, including business formation assistance and RA services in Wisconsin and any other state in the United States.

Statutory agent’s assistance costs $149.99 a year. But if you order additional legal services, you get a discount Wisconsin registered agent.

Pros 

• High level of professionalism. The company's employees are true experts in both legal matters and business consulting;
• A large number of positive reviews and excellent credibility ratings;
• Great experience. Over the years, the company has helped create more than 800 thousand companies;
• Wide range of services. You can choose only what you really need;
• The packages include only popular and demanded services;
• No intrusive presales;
• You can get both RA services and legal help;
• One of the plans includes a free year of RAs assistance.

Cons

• Only the "Premium" package includes a year of free RA service, while many competitors offer such a service along with cheaper plans;
• The cost of a statutory agent’s assistance is not the most favorable: $149.99 per year. 

Overall

Rocket Lawyer is a reliable service for business, and the work of RAs is not a cause for criticism. 

What's worth noting:

• You won't get anything beyond the requirements. But the provider is reliable, and you can get legal help;
• The discounts the company offers if you order the whole set of services are very appealing;
• The company has been working since 2008. Since that time, it has received a lot of positive feedback. This is the reason why you can trust this service.

If you only need a registered agent for LLC in Wisconsin, Rocket Lawyer will provide this service at a medium price. If you want, you can find offers just as reliable and convenient but much cheaper.

And if you need legal support, Rocket Lawyer may be the best choice for you. In this case, the discounts make the price of a RA’s help very attractive.

LegalZoom Registered Agent

Cost: $299 per year

LegalZoom is another popular service that offers both legal services and business consulting (including registered agent services Wisconsin). The company has been working all over the United States for many years and has the widest network of affiliates.

For more than 20 years, LegalZoom is widely known in the United States as a provider of premium business services. With this company, you will get help and support at a high level.

The RA service includes a reminder calendar, scanning of all documents, and $1 million worth of data privacy insurance. But premium services from such a well-known company are not cheap: $299 per year. 

Pros

• LegalZoom is the largest and one of the most well-known business consulting service networks in the United States;
• As part of the RA service, clients receive reminders, consultations, and assistance in drafting documents;
• Protection against information leakage and theft is multi-level, reliable, and is constantly being improved;
• The company offers legal help for businesses and individuals. This is convenient because you can order a wide range of services for business in one place;
• Extensive experience and a huge number of clients.

Cons

• Reviews about the company are average, along with a lot of positive, there are also a lot of negative ones;
• The fee for an RA’s assistance is very high: $299 per year;
• No packages include a free year of registered agent’s help, and there are no discounts either;
• RA services are not a core business, and there is still room for optimization in this regard.

Overall

Overall, the quality of LegalZoom’s work is very high, and its reputation is also excellent. The negative feedback is largely associated with clients dissatisfied with the results of court cases. Business services reviews are almost all positive.

Cooperating with this provider, you will also get a $1 million data privacy insurance, which includes your personal data, all the documents the company scans and uploads, the reports they help generate, and the information the company's employees receive from you.

Also, LegalZoom’s high reputation reflects positively on the reputation of the company as well. Still, many people prefer more affordable options for LLCs.

Registered Agent Review: General Conclusions

We recommend you carefully review the different offers and choose Wisconsin registered agent services before registering your business. Without the RA’s information, you won't be able to submit your application online.

If you are not too successful in choosing a specialist, you can update your registered agent in Wisconsin at any time in the future. To do this, you will need to fill out a special application to update your information and pay the $10 fee.

In our opinion, Northwest is the best registered agent service Wisconsin:

• The company offers the best value for money;
• The provider is reliable and provides quality information protection;
• Customer support: corporate guide service is exceptional;
• You always get timely notifications, reminders, as well as assistance in changing reports if you need it.

These are reasons why Northwest is ranked #1 in 2022.

If low cost is more important to you and you're not so interested in additional services, check out Harbor Compliance or ZenBusiness. You may also find even cheaper options.

But these companies are not included in our rating because either the company has been operating for less than 5 years and has almost no reviews, or the advertising and the actual cost of services do not match.

If you also need help from a lawyer, we have selected the best providers in different price categories. Each of them has its own advantages: Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom.

Individual or Commercial RA

If you start a corporation or LLC, you can become a Wisconsin registered agent for service of process for your organization. You can also appoint a relative, acquaintance, or employee for this position.

It seems easy to receive documents and correspondence. Therefore, there is no point in paying for these services to someone else. Some novice businessmen come to exactly that conclusion.

But keep in mind the important features of such a decision:

• Your name, phone number, and address will be in the public domain. The Secretary of State will publish your name and address when you register your business;
• Open-source data is traditionally used for marketing purposes. So, you will have to spend time selecting the really important information from a large amount of spam;
• You have to be present at the specified address from 9 am to 5 pm (except weekends) without any breaks. You can’t have a sick leave, vacation, or lunch break;
• Sometimes, home offices are used by small businesses. And then, you will have to interrupt assisting a client to get correspondence or service of process;
• Unnecessary information that customers find out inadvertently can lead to reputational damage.

Moreover, if you cannot receive documents from the court because of your absence, no one will postpone meetings or look for any of your other contact information. You will not find out about the claim in time, and the court will take place without your participation.

It's even worse if you, as an RA, are unable to receive requests and correspondence from government agencies. If your statutory agent is unavailable, you are considered to be breaking the law by operating without such a specialist.

This is the reason why experienced businessmen turn to reliable professional companies. What is more, you can order RA services for $99 per year or even cheaper.

Benefits of Using a Wisconsin Registered Agent Service

In compiling our current ranking, we conducted our own registered agent Wisconsin search, which included:

• Checking the relevance of information about companies we know;
• Searching Google, social media, and promotional materials for information about companies, including local ones we weren't familiar with.

This resulted in a list of about 60 companies, and we chose the best Wisconsin registered agents for you. You can fully trust the leaders of our ranking and be assured that you will get:

• Peace of mind. Your RA will get you the documents you need. Most companies will remind you when reports or license updates are due;
• Privacy. Your RA's information will be posted publicly. He/she is the one who will receive spam offers. So, your personal life will remain quiet;
• Corporate mailbox. Most companies offer this service, so you will be able to use the address provided by the agent as a corporate mailbox at no extra charge;
• Convenient work schedule. You don't have to be present in your office every day during business hours as your RA takes care of this responsibility;
• Reputation preservation. All of your correspondence, court records, and other sensitive information will be protected.

Best Registered Agent Review: How Do We Choose

To rank the best companies, we've studied different aspects of their work. Here are the most important ones:

1. Value and Cost of Service. We study company prices and pay special attention to the usefulness of additional services for the business;
2. Company reputation. We pay much attention not only to the average rating but also to what people write in their reviews;
3. Website analysis. It should be informative, modern, and the content should be complete and up-to-date. The client should quickly find answers to questions;
4. Presence and absence of intrusive presales, hidden commissions, and imposed services. We study packages, stages of ordering, and cost calculation;
5. Staff. We communicate with the provider’s employees. We are against the company imposing services, which value is low;
6. Responsiveness of support department. We contact the company and estimate the speed of response, the working hours, and the professionalism of employees.

Why You Can Trust Our Choice

Our service specializes in studying the US business consulting market and helping you choose the best service providers in such areas as:

• Business Creation;
• Registered Agent Services;
• Legal/accounting assistance and support, etc.

We have been working in this field for many years, and our specialists are real experts. They have learned all the peculiarities of doing business in the chosen state (Wisconsin or any other) and are able to evaluate how professionally the service can help you.

How We Selected the Best Registered Agent

We regularly research the market and prepare ratings of the best companies. This rating is updated for the year 2022. Our experts' experience allows us to say with confidence that Northwest Registered Agent retains the title of the best this year as well.

We studied the parameters described above for each company. Based on the total number of points, we compiled the current ranking.

In the process, we didn’t only study general information but also tried some services and requested various documents, including:

• Placing a business formation order;
• Requesting customer service consultations;
• Investigating how quickly the company would be willing to send a registered agent consent form in Wisconsin;
• Communicating over the phone with the sales department;
• Communicated with the company's clients who left positive and negative feedback.

That's how we chose the leader, Northwest Registered Agent, which we recommend to both new and existing businesses.

Conclusion

Under Wisconsin law, you need a registered agent if you are starting a corporation or an LLC. You have to decide in advance whether it will be a non-profit agent (you, a relative, or an acquaintance of yours) or whether you will contact professionals.

Be sure to agree on everything before you start incorporating, as you need to specify the  agent’s info in the formation papers.

Choose the registered agent carefully since the smooth operation of your business depends on his/her reliability. Use professional advice and ratings if you want to save time or have no experience in choosing the best agents.

FAQ