Northwest Registered Agent ($39 + state fee) review 2027

What problem does Northwest Registered Agent solve for an LLC owner?

When you file an LLC, the state publishes your formation documents. In most states that means the address you file with becomes public record, and for anyone working from home that is the home address. Northwest's answer is to put its own address on the articles wherever the state allows, keeping your home address off the public record. That is the first of its four test pros, and it is the reason the service sits at number one in this category.

The second problem is the checkout. Northwest runs one upsell screen in the whole checkout, clearly priced. Its stated policy is "privacy by default": it does not sell customer data. And when we called, support answered both our questions on the first call, no script. The verdict puts it plainly: Northwest charges a small honest fee, protects your address and does not spend the relationship on upsells. Over three years it is also cheaper than most of the "free" services.

How did Northwest score 9.1 out of 10?

The score comes from five weighted criteria, each measured against what we actually paid and experienced.

• True first-year cost — 27 of 30. What we actually paid in year one: package, registered agent, and anything the checkout added, on top of the state filing fee.
• Renewal cost — 17 of 20. Registered agent and compliance fees from year two, which is where these services make their money.
• Filing & compliance service — 18 of 20. Days from order to approved articles, EIN handling, operating agreement quality, annual-report reminders and filing.
• Checkout transparency — 15 of 15. How clearly the state fee and renewals were disclosed, and how many upsell screens stood between us and the order.
• Support & extras — 14 of 15. Phone and chat support quality, attorney access, banking and bookkeeping add-ons, privacy of your home address.

Checkout transparency is a clean sweep. The points lost sit in first-year cost, renewal cost and support, and the reasons are specific: no $0 headline, a paid EIN, and no attorney access.

What does Northwest do better than the $0 services?

Four measured strengths stand out. It uses its address on the articles wherever the state allows, keeping your home address off the public record. There is one upsell screen in the whole checkout, clearly priced. Its "privacy by default" policy means it does not sell customer data. And support answered both our questions on the first call, no script.

The measured numbers back the value claim. Our year-one total, excluding the state fee, was $39. Year two is $125. Our order was approved in 6 days, the fastest in this comparison. The verdict notes that over three years it is also cheaper than most of the "free" services — a claim that rests on the $39 entry and the $125 renewal rather than on a headline price.

What is in the package and how is it built?

The nine spec rows cover the whole offer.

• Entry package: 39 USD.
• $0 package: No ($39).
• Registered agent year 1: Yes, 1 year.
• Registered agent from year 2: 125 USD/yr.
• Our year-one total (excl. state fee): 39 USD.
• EIN: $50 add-on.
• Operating agreement: Included, editable.
• Attorney access: No.
• Approved in (our order): 6 business days.

The registered agent is bundled for the first year and renews at $125. The operating agreement is included and editable. The EIN is a $50 add-on, and the test notes the IRS issues one free in ten minutes. There is no attorney access at any tier.

How does it compare with Harbor Compliance, Bizee and ZenBusiness?

Harbor Compliance scores 8.4 at $99. It is built for businesses that must stay licensed in several states, with registered agent at $99 a year and real licensing expertise rather than a $0 headline. Its registered agent is not included in year one, so our year-one total there was $198, and it was approved in 7 business days. Northwest is ahead on entry price, on the included first year of registered agent and on filing speed, and behind on licensing expertise, which Harbor has and Northwest does not.

Bizee scores 8.3 at $0 plus state fee. It is a genuine $0 package with a free first year of registered agent service, and its renewal is $119/yr. Our year-one total there was $0, and it was approved in 8 business days. Bizee is ahead on the headline price and on the free first year; Northwest is ahead on filing speed, on the included editable operating agreement and on privacy of your home address. Bizee's EIN comes with the Gold package or costs $70, and its operating agreement is Gold-package only.

ZenBusiness scores 8.0 at $0 plus state fee, with the most polished dashboard and the widest set of add-ons. Its registered agent is not included in year one and renews at $199/yr, its EIN is Pro plan or $99, and our order was approved in 10 business days on Starter. Northwest is ahead on renewal cost, on filing speed and on including the operating agreement; ZenBusiness is ahead on add-on breadth and on attorney access, which it sells as a $199/yr legal advisory add-on.

Where does Northwest fall short?

The losses are stated in the material. No $0 headline; paid EIN. The three test cons are equally direct: $39 is not the $0 that competitors advertise; the EIN costs $50 while the IRS issues one free in ten minutes; and there is no attorney access. Anyone who wants a free filing, a free EIN or a lawyer on call will find those elsewhere in this comparison.

What does Northwest cost in year one and after?

The price summary is $39. Measured, year one came to $39 excluding the state fee, and year two is $125. The registered agent is included for the first year and renews at $125/yr from year two. The EIN is a $50 add-on if you want Northwest to handle it.

Who should buy Northwest Registered Agent?

Almost everyone, and anyone who works from home. If keeping your home address off the public record matters, if you want a checkout with one clearly priced upsell screen, and if you would rather pay a small honest fee than sit through a $0 funnel, this is the service the test points to.