Short answer
Mainstay Filing charges $149 a year for Virginia registered agent service, the same at renewal, so three years cost $447[1]. The 7 other services we priced on October 20, 2026 ran $0 to $249 for the first year and $125 to $249 at renewal.
Updated October 29, 2026. Prices from each provider's own page.
Prices and three-year totals
| Service | First year | Renewal | 3 years | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $447 | Same price at renewal; files the change of agent, state fee at cost. | [1] Mainstay Filing pages, updated October 29, 2026 |
| FreeRegisteredAgent.com | $0 | $129 | $258 | First year free, then $129/yr. Its page says the agent is InCorp. | [2] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125 | $375 | $100/yr per state for five or more states. | [3] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| InCorp Services | $129 | $129 | $387 | As low as $87/yr if you prepay five years. | [4] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $159 | $417 | $99 for the first year for new customers, then $159/yr. Prepaying two or three years keeps $99/yr for those years. | [5] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| Bizee | $149 | $149 | $447 | Standalone price. The first year is free when you form your company through Bizee. | [6] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $199 | $497 | $99 plus state fees for the first year, then $199/yr. | [7] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 | $747 | Price for first-time agent customers. Auto-renews at the purchase rate; LegalZoom says the renewal rate is subject to change. | [8] Provider page, updated October 29, 2026 |
Mainstay Filing first; the other services follow in order of three-year cost (first-year price plus two renewals at the published renewal price). Each price was read from the provider's own page on October 20, 2026.
Also seen for Virginia: IncSmart. Their sites publish no price.
Renewal prices
Mainstay Filing's Virginia price does not change at renewal: $149 in the first year and every year after[1].
3 of the 7 other Virginia services charge more at renewal than in the first year. The largest step on their published prices is FreeRegisteredAgent.com, from $0 to $129[2].
Introductory prices are why the Virginia three-year column matters more than the first-year one; the median three-year total among the other services was $417.
Selection
On October 20, 2026, FreeRegisteredAgent.com, Northwest Registered Agent, InCorp Services, Harbor Compliance, and LegalZoom had their own pages in Google's top 20 for "cheapest registered agent virginia". The AI Overview for that search named Northwest Registered Agent and Bizee. ZenBusiness is included because it is among the four names seen most often across all 50 states.
The Virginia table lists prices only; it is not a ranking of service quality, and service levels differ.
How the price compares
Virginia charges $100 to form an LLC and about $50 a year in report fees[11]. At Mainstay Filing's $149, a paid registered agent costs 3.0 times the yearly state fee.
| State | Other services priced | Lowest first year | Median renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 7 | $0 | $149 |
| Kentucky | 5 | $99 | $159 |
| Maryland | 6 | $99 | $199 |
| North Carolina | 8 | $0 | $159 |
| Tennessee | 7 | $89 | $149 |
| West Virginia | 8 | $99 | $159 |
Same method and date for every state. Mainstay Filing's price is $149 a year in each of these states.
A Virginia company that also registers in a neighboring state pays for a second agent there; the table shows what that would run.
What Virginia requires of a registered agent
Virginia law (Va. Code § 13.1-1015) requires each LLC and corporation to keep a registered agent[9]. Owners who live in Virginia qualify as individuals and can take the registered agent role themselves. The company cannot name itself as its own registered agent.
Who can do the job in Virginia is set out in the statute. A Virginia resident who is a member, manager or officer of the LLC (or of an entity that manages it) or a member of the Virginia State Bar, or a corporation, LLC or registered LLP authorized in Virginia.
Switching to a new agent later is a $0 filing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk[10].
What Mainstay Filing includes
The $149 Virginia service starts with a street address in the state, on the public record as registered agent[1]. When a lawsuit or other papers are served, they are scanned and uploaded that business day without a charge. Compliance reminders are included, and the first three government mailings a year are scanned free. It also files the change for new customers, which costs nothing in Virginia.
It does not include filing the Virginia Annual Registration Fee; that comes with Mainstay's $199-a-year package, which also covers formation and the EIN application.
Questions
How much does Mainstay Filing charge for a Virginia registered agent?
$149 a year in Virginia, and the same at renewal[1]. Over three years that is $447, with no introductory discount to expire. The price is the same in every state.
What does a registered agent cost in Virginia?
Of the 7 other services priced for Virginia on October 20, 2026, first-year prices ran $0 to $249 and the lowest three-year total was $258. Mainstay Filing is $149 every year.
Do I have to pay for a registered agent in Virginia?
No. Paying a service is optional in Virginia; what the law requires is that a qualifying registered agent is on record. Owners who live in Virginia qualify as individuals and can take the registered agent role themselves. The company cannot name itself as its own registered agent.
Sources
- Mainstay Filing pricing, registered agent and FAQ pages. Updated October 29, 2026.
- FreeRegisteredAgent.com, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Northwest Registered Agent, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- InCorp Services, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Harbor Compliance, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Bizee, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- ZenBusiness, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- LegalZoom, published registered agent price page. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Va. Code § 13.1-1015. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title13.1/chapter12/section13.1-1015/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk: Statement of Change of Registered Office and/or Registered Agent fee. law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title13.1/chapter12/section13.1-1016/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Virginia State Corporation Commission: Annual Registration Fee rules and fee. www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/business-faqs/annual-registration-fees/. Updated October 29, 2026.
- Va. Code § 13.1-1010 (organizers deliver articles of organization to the Commission); filing fee $100 per Va. Code § 13.1-1005(1)(a). law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title13.1/chapter12/section13.1-1010/. Updated October 29, 2026.