Finding the best registered agent (also called a resident or statutory agent) in Oregon is crucial to your business success.
The right Oregon registered agent will keep your identity and privacy safe, keep your information and documents secure, and help your company meet its legal compliance obligations.
The wrong Oregon registered agent can put you at significant risk, with your personal details exposed to potential scammers, your assets at risk in lawsuits, and your company not meeting state compliance requirements.
I've assessed 64 Oregon registered agent services, investigated the top 12, and conducted in-depth reviews of the top 3. Here are my picks for the premier Oregon registered agent service:
1. Northwest Registered Agent Review — 9.13/10 (Top Registered Agent Service)
My pick for the best Oregon registered agent is Northwest because they ensure you meet all your legal requirements, while also providing customer support that goes above and beyond the rest of the industry.
Pros
Northwest provides everything you need to meet your legal obligations for establishing a business in Oregon:
- An office address
- All your documents scanned and uploaded to an online portal
- Online account access
- Mail forwarding
- Service of process
- Alerts for all your business compliance deadlines
Their sign-up and setup processes are easy to navigate, and their online system makes it easy to purchase registered agent services in multiple states, which means that they’ll be there to help your LLC grow from the state of Oregon to across the country.
They even provide the best LLC formation service in Oregon.
But the real reason they're #1 on this list is their customer support.
Northwest's US-based support team of former accountant, lawyers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs will not only answer any questions you have about your registered agent service, but they're also the only customer support team that will help with your small business challenges.
You can go to them with questions about your HR, logistics, or legal challenges and they will help you find the resources you need to overcome whatever is in your way.
If you've ever tried to find that level of support, you'll know that their $125 per state, per year price point is excellent value.
Cons
The only drawback with Northwest is also the same as their biggest selling point: their customer support.
There are some situations where you just want a quick answer to a quick question so you can get back to your ever-growing to-do list. There have been situations when I've called them for a quick answer and been stuck explaining the finer details to the support agent for more than five minutes, which was a little frustrating.
In saying that, the help I received was far more beneficial thanks to the additional time spent on the phone and I was able to solve my problem in a far more effective way. Yes, it was frustrating, but it was extremely beneficial in the long run.
Overall
Northwest is #1 on my list of the best Oregon registered agents because on top of providing every you need to meet your legal requirements for establishing your business, their customer support team is available and able to support you in starting, managing, and growing your new business.
If you want to ensure you meet your legal requirements, as well as getting small business support, sign up with Northwest Registered Agent now.
2. Harbor Compliance Review — 7.92/10 (Best Budget Registered Agent)
Harbor Compliance is #2 on my list because they provide all the basics you need from an Oregon registered agent service at the best price on the market.
Pros
Harbor Compliance ticks all the same boxes in terms of registered agent services as Northwest:
- Scanning all your documents and putting them online for you to access using an online account
- Mail forwarding
- Accepting service of process
- Notifications about upcoming compliance deadlines so your company remains in good legal standing with the Oregon Secretary of State
- An office address
The setup process for this Oregon registered agent service is pretty easy.
And while their customer support team will only answer questions about your registered agent service, they're only $99 per state, per year.
Cons
The drawback with Harbor Compliance is that while they do everything you need, they're not great at anything.
Their communication can sometimes be delayed or unclear, and their customer support, while adequate, doesn't go above and beyond to ensure you get the right advice.
So, while they're a good option, there are no standout features.
Overall
Harbor Compliance provides a reliable Oregon registered agent service that ticks all the basic boxes and do so at the best price on the market.
If you want to know more about their services, visit their website.
3. LegalZoom Review — 6.59/10 (Best Premium RA)
LegalZoom is the best Oregon registered agent on this list—if you’re looking for premium services.
Pros
As a premium registered agent, LegalZoom offers all the services of the full-service agents, like an office address, scanning of your documents with online access, mail forwarding, service of process, and compliance alerts for your business, keeping your business in good standing with the Oregon Secretary of State. They also offer up to $1 million in identity theft protection.
Cons
They charge a fee of $299 per year for their services, three times what Harbor Compliance charges. It's just not worth it when you can pay less than that for identity theft protection from other places for less than $200/year.
Registered agent service is just one of the services that LegalZoom offers, so it’s not highly prioritized. Their online system is hard to navigate, and their customer service isn’t adequate enough for such a clunky system.
Overall
LegalZoom is a reputable business in the state of Oregon and nationwide, so if you’re using them for other services, their registered agent service might be worth it to you. However, if you’re not, it’s better to go with Harbor Compliance or Northwest.
Here are the other eight registered agent service options I analyzed in Oregon, but in less detail.
4. ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness is an LLC formation service that offers everything you want from a registered agent, but for some reason, charges a premium price for basic services.
The Pro Package is $199 per state, per year and includes everything included by Northwest, with one notable exceptions—inferior customer support services.
This is probably because their primary focus is on LLC formation services, rather than registered agent services, so they haven’t fully optimized their offering. But, regardless of the reason, they’re still more expensive than Northwest and don’t offer the same level of support available.
If you want to know more about their services, read my full ZenBusiness Review.
5. IncFile
IncFile is a registered agent in Oregon that provides LLC services. They offer a bare-bones service package for full-service prices. They don’t offer compliance deadline notifications at all. Their fee is $119 per year.
Like ZenBusiness, they offer free registered agent services when you sign up for their LLC formation services, but it’s really not worth it because you’ll have to shell out more money to cover the services they don’t provide.
6. Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer is basically a cheap imitation of LegalZoom that still isn’t cheap. They, like LegalZoom, offer registered agent services in Oregon as an afterthought, not as their primary service. Their fee is $149 per year, and you really don’t get enough services for that price. You also don’t get the sort of customer support you’d expect for that price.
In saying that, they do provide a full range of online legal services, so if you want to know more about their complete offering, read my Rocket Lawyer review.
7. SunDoc Filings
SunDoc Filings is an LLC formation and Oregon registered agent service that provides minimal services. They charge $159 per year, which isn’t great for their meager service offerings, so obviously they’re not a great option.
8. InCorp
InCorp is an LLC formation and Oregon registered agent service that seems like a great value on the surface because they only charge a fee of $99 per year, the same as Harbor Compliance.
The drawback is that their online system is really hard to use, and their customer service is only passable in terms of satisfaction.
9. Swyft Filings
Swyft Filings is a registered agent service in the state of Oregon that does actually offer notifications for compliance deadlines and service of process, but they charge a fee of $149/year. That’s a lot more than others, and therefore not worth it.
If you want a detailed breakdown of their services, read my Swyft Filings review.
10. CSC Global
CSC Global is an Oregon registered agent service that offers premium services. They’ll cover any state fees that you incur for switching over to them in the state of Oregon. However, they charge $299 per year.
11. Registered Agents Inc.
Registered Agents Inc. is another registered agent service in Oregon with services similar to Northwest, but with a hefty price tag. Their fee is $200 per year, so save your money and just don’t bother.
12. Jumpstart Filings
Jumpstart Filings is an Oregon registered agent service that offers fewer services than Harbor Compliance, but they charge $129 per year. It’s also worth noting that they don’t offer free registered agent services when you sign up for their LLC formation services, so it’s probably not the best option for you.
Registered Agent Review Summary
My number one choice for the best Oregon registered agent service is Northwest. Their services will provide you with everything you need for $125 per state, per year, as well as providing US-based small business advisors to guide you on your journey.
They have an easy setup process, their online system is really easy to use, they alert you to your compliance deadlines, organize your documents, and keep your information safe.
If you need a reliable and complete registered agent service in Oregon that will help you navigate the inevitable challenges on the path to your dreams, head to Northwest Registered Agent now.
Best Registered Agent Review Methodology
Here’s all the information I used to make my decisions about the best registered agent in Oregon.
Why You Should Trust Me
I’ve spent more time investigating and learning about the registered agent industry in Oregon than many people experienced in this industry.
I was looking for a new project to start after I sold my health website and my cafe business when I noticed that my friends started asking me for information about resident agents. It became clear from talking to them that they didn’t have the time or the energy to go through all the information needed to find the registered agent suitable for their businesses.
I started writing down the information and advice I was giving to them and that’s how I founded this business. Now, I’ve got an online business helping people find the right registered agent for their corporations. So, when I say these are the PREMIER resident agents in Oregon, you can believe me.
How I Selected the Best Registered Agent
The process for choosing a top-class registered agent actually involved four stages. This started with over 50 registered agent offerings in Oregon, which was eventually narrowed down to 12, and then to the top 3.
Here is how my phases worked.
Stage 1: Reviews
My investigation started with reading online reviews about each registered agent in Oregon. You’d be surprised how much you can learn about a company from reviews that people leave online. There was a lot of information to be found on sites like Better Business Bureau, Facebook, TrustPilot, and others.
To be quite honest, I didn’t read all the reviews. There was no possible way to do that without dedicating years to it. However, I did read those that provided more than a paragraph or two of information and really painted a picture of what it was like to deal with each registered agent company, and whether they were legitimate, scammers, or used misleading pricing tactics.
Stage 2: Website Analysis
In stage one I eliminated the really low-grade registered agents that Oregon had to offer. After that, I analyzed the websites of the registered agent companies that remained.
I analyzed the services they offered, how many different ways they had to contact their customer support, the company history, where the company was located, and if they boasted any awards on their website.
This analysis gives you a better idea of what sort of services the registered agent offers, how the company got started, what they can offer an Oregon LLC or corporation, etc.
Stage 3: Speaking with Real Customers
Online reviews are great, but you’ll learn far more from actually talking to customers and asking questions than you will from a quick post they made online. This is how you get a good idea about how the Oregon registered agent company actually operates and treats business owners.
I consulted people who had used my recommendations, as well as people in Oregon who visited my site and were already using a registered agent service.
This gave me a more honest idea about what sort of services these Oregon registered agents actually provided, and not just what their website advertised.
Stage 4: Speaking with Their Sales Teams
The next stage was to call and talk to each Oregon registered agent’s sales team. I actually asked them about all the complaints people had about their registered agent services for their corporation.
This told me a lot about how the business actually addressed complaints. Some of these agents told me that the person complaining was just “crazy” and I shouldn’t pay attention, which isn’t a great way to do business. Others gave me more hope, however. They told me that they actually took the complaints as feedback and used it to fix the problems with their business.
This step really weeded out the competition and left me with a list that I was confident about.
Rating Factors
Each Oregon registered agent service that was on my top 12 list was rated based on the following factors.
Factor 1: Offerings
The first factor I looked at, and arguably the most important one, was what features each service offered. There are certain things that an Oregon registered agent must offer in order to be classified as a registered agent, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll cover everything that you need. And if they don’t do what you need them to, it’s not going to matter how inexpensive their fee is, or how stellar their customer service is.
I looked at a lot of factors like whether they offered online programs for you to access your documents from or simply forwarded your mail to you, whether they actually send notifications for all legal compliance deadlines or just give you some sort of static calendar, whether they also offer a cheap LLC service or even the best LLC service, and whether they actually offer identity theft protection services or simply say they’ll keep your information safe.
I placed the Oregon registered agents with the best services closer to the top of the list, and those with the fewest found themselves at the bottom of my list.
Factor 2: Value
The next factor I used to determine the best Oregon registered agent business for your corporation was value for money. As it turns out, there are three different price ranges for resident agents: budget, full-service, and premium.
The average budget business charged around $39 per year, while the full-service business charged $99–$129 per year, and the average premium business charged $299 plus.
You won’t find a budget Oregon registered agent business on my top three list because they offer the bare minimum in terms of services that a registered agent must provide (like mail forwarding and an office address for your corporation), and then they charge you more for services that you’d think would come standard when you purchase services from an Oregon registered agent business. And often the extra fees cost more than simply paying for a full-service business to begin with.
Factor 3: Ease of Sign-up
After you’ve found an Oregon registered agent business with the services you need, and the price is in your budget, the next thing to look at is how easy it is to sign up with the business. It really doesn’t matter if you’ve found a business with affordable fees and awesome services if it takes forever to get their system integrated, or if there’s a ton of paperwork to process.
So, you’ll find that the business with the easiest sign-up process is pushed to the top of my list, while the business with the most difficult sign-up is closer to the bottom.
Factor 4: Ease of Use
Even if a business has an easy sign-up process, it doesn’t matter if you can’t use their system. So for that reason, I made ease of use my fourth factor.
The business with the easiest online system is at the top of my list, while the business with the “nightmare” system is relegated to the bottom of the list.
Factor 5: Customer Service
It doesn’t matter how good the system is, you’re going to have a question about something at some time, but if the business doesn’t provide the customer service you need for your corporation, it’s enough to turn you off registered agents entirely. Therefore, customer service is my fifth factor.
The business with the fastest, friendliest, and most-accurate answers from the customer service team made the top of my list, while the business who took the longest to answer the phone or email back, or simply didn’t answer questions at all, went to the bottom of the list.
The Best Registered Agent in Oregon Results Summary
After my thorough analysis and rating process, I found that the best overall registered agent business in Oregon is Northwest Registered Agent.
Best Overall Registered Agent in Oregon — Northwest Registered Agent (9.13/10)
Northwest made the top of my list because on top of providing all the services you need for your business, they also offer industry-leading customer support.
When you sign up, they will provide a physical address in Oregon, scan all your documents and then let you access the documents online, accept service of process on your behalf, and provide mail forwarding and notifications about compliance for your office. They ensure that your company remains in good legal standing with the Oregon Secretary of State.
On top of this, their US-based customer support team are available to assist with not only your registered agent queries, but also support you with any challenges you face in starting, running, or growing your small business.
And with more than 3,000 positive online reviews, Northwest has a history of delivering when it counts.
If you want an Oregon registered agent service that will not only ensure you meet all your legal requirements but will also support you as you grow your small business, head to Northwest Registered Agent now.
Alternatively, if you're looking to start an LLC in Oregon, read my guide on the best LLC Services in Oregon here.
Best Budget Registered Agent — Harbor Compliance (7.81/10)
If you’re looking for a registered agent in Oregon that will handle the documents and mail for your business in Oregon, and don't want to pay additional for additional support, then Harbor Compliance is a reliable option.
If you choose them as your new registered agent, you’ll get the same range of services that Northwest Registered Agent offers (without the support team), including the all-important address in Oregon, and they also accept service of process on your behalf, but they'll do it for $99 per state per year.
And if you still aren't sure, just browse the hundreds of positive Harbor Compliance reviews online.
If you want to know more about what they offer, head to their website.
Best Premium Registered Agent — Legal Zoom (6.59/10)
LegalZoom is the best premium-level service in Oregon. They provide all the full-service options that Northwest and Harbor Compliance offer, such as a registered agent address in Oregon. But they also offer identity theft protection to keep your office and your information safe.
They charge fees that are $200 per year more than Harbor Compliance, but it might be worth that much to you to keep your office and your information safe.
In Conclusion
Assuring that you’ve picked the right Oregon registered agent is very important because it can mean the difference between making sure that all the needs for your office are met, that your information is safe and that you’ve met all your compliance requirements or complete ruin.
I assessed 64 different registered agents based on price, offerings, customer service, and ease of use. My investigations have concluded that Northwest is the top-notch registered agent for your Oregon small business.
They provide a complete range of products and services in a system designed to be easy to use and backed with excellent customer support for only $125—which is up to $174 cheaper than their competitors.
While they don’t offer identity theft insurance, you can purchase it for less than the cost difference between them and the registered agents that do.
If you need a registered agent for your Oregon business, head to Northwest Registered Agent.