Northwest Registered Agent Review
Product Name: Northwest Registered Agent
Product Description: Northwest Registered Agent provides business formation and registered agent services.
Summary
Northwest Registered Agent provides business formation and registered agent services. It also offers ancillary services, including business identity, mail forwarding, virtual office, and more.
Pros
- Affordable formation and registered agent services
- The first year of registered agent services is free
- Free fillable business and legal templates
- Doesn’t sell or rent personal data
Cons
- Premium mail forwarding and virtual office in select states only
- Business Identity and additional add-ons can be pricey
- Free forms have minimal hands-on support
If you’re forming a corporation or LLC, you may be looking for a registered agent service – enter Northwest Registered Agent. In addition to being a registered agent, Northwest offers formation services, mail forwarding, and more. This Northwest Registered Agent review examines the company’s pricing and features and how it stacks up against its main competitors.
At A Glance
- LLC and corporation formation services
- Registered Agent services
- Won’t sell personal data
- Business identity and mail forwarding services
Get Started with Northwest Registered Agent
Who Should Use Northwest Registered Agent
We recommend using Northwest Registered Agent for hands-on help with corporation or LLC formation services. It can also provide new and existing businesses with registered agent and ancillary services, including business identity, mail forwarding, virtual office, and more.
Northwest’s pricing for core services, such as business formation and registered agent service, can be more affordable than other national online websites. For example, you might pay $200 or more with some platforms but $125 or less with Northwest.
Perhaps, most importantly, this platform strives to protect your personal data by not selling or sharing it with marketers, as is common amongst LLC formation services. Additionally, when possible, it uses its address instead of the customer’s for official documents that remain in the public record.
Northwest Registered Agent Alternatives
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| LLC and Corporation Formation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Registered Agent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Registered Agent Pricing | $299/year | $199/year | 1st Year Free, then $119/year |
| Learn More | Learn More | Learn More |
Table of Contents
- At A Glance
- Who Should Use Northwest Registered Agent
- Northwest Registered Agent Alternatives
- What Is Northwest Registered Agent?
- Business Formation
- Annual Report Compliance
- Registered Agent Service
- Business Identity
- Free Business Forms
- Additional Business Services
- Corporate Guides
- Privacy by Default
- Pricing
- Business Formation and Annual Compliance
- Registered Agent
- Business Identity Bundle
- Additional Services
- Northwest Registered Agent vs Alternatives
- FAQs
- Summary
As mentioned, Spokane, WA-based Northwest Registered Agent provides business formation and registered agent services. Additional services include mail forwarding and business identity packages.
A more extensive list of available services includes:
- Business formation (LLC, corporation, non-profit, and articles of incorporation)
- Business expansion
- Annual business filings
- Registered Agent
- Mail forwarding service
- Virtual office service
- Trademark service
- Order an EIN
- Beneficial ownership information (BOI) report
You can create a free account for DIY documents and storing existing forms, but you’ll pay a nominal fee for most of the above services. Generally, the per-service pricing aligns with the industry standard, but adding several services can still impact your bottom line.
Here’s a closer look at some of Northwest’s key services.
Business Formation
Business formation services are available for:
- LLC (articles of organization)
- Corporation (articles of incorporation)
- Non-profit (Non-profit articles)
Northwest can help you form a business in any state, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for $39 plus state fees. This introductory rate waives the $125 registered agent fee and $100 listing fee.
You will receive the required documents such as initial resolutions, operating agreements or corporate bylaws, and membership or share certificates.
Other perks include:
- One year of free Registered Agent service
- Business address
- Free domain, website, email, and phone
- Limited mail forwarding (5 free documents per year)
After submitting the initial business details, you can check your filing progress within the client dashboard.
✨ Related: How to Start a Business
Annual Report Compliance
You can continue using Northwest Registered Agent to file annual filings before the state deadlines. The guaranteed on-time filing can provide peace of mind and the convenience of professional preparation while saving time and preventing the overlooking of necessary forms.
You can also switch to Northwest Registered Agent if you’ve already formed a business. Switchover fee reimbursements might be available on select services.
Get Started with Northwest Registered Agent
Registered Agent Service
You can hire a full-time registered agent for one or multiple states. In fact, Northwest Registered Agent maintains properties in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
You can enjoy:
- Same-day scans
- Instant notifications
- Limited free mail forwarding
- Business address
- Free domain, website, email, and business phone
Northwest can also coordinate a BOC-3 process agent when you need a Motor Carrier Operating Authority license. This service is free for the first year when you do business through Northwest Registered Agent. You pay a per-state annual fee of $125 and can enjoy a discounted rate of $100 per state when you register with at least five states.
Business Identity
Northwest’s Business Identity bundle includes the following services with a 90-day free trial:
- Website and web hosting
- SSL security
- Business email
- Business phone (VoIP phone service)
Each service costs $9 per month after the trial period ends, and you can enjoy a 20% monthly discount by keeping all services active.
When using Northwest as a registered agent, you can also access a free business address. It can also procure a business website domain for free during the first year, and the 20% discount can apply towards the annual renewal fee.
While you don’t necessarily need to use Northwest for these services, it can help to create a professional appearance for your business. Just ensure you are comparing the monthly costs versus doing it yourself.
Free Business Forms
As mentioned, you can open a free account with Northwest to access business and legal document templates to self-file your business formation. Some forms include guides to make complex tasks more manageable, but you must pay for professional state-specific help.
There are customizable documents for LLCs, corporations, non-profits, and legal functions. For instance, you can fill out a free LLC resolution to open a business checking account or to apply for an EIN.
There are forms for sole proprietors and general partnerships, including meeting minutes and first shareholder meetings. These documents are accessible in your dashboard for future reference, and a registered agent subscription can allow you to automatically upload documents.
Additional Business Services
There are several optional services available that may help you save money:
- Premium mail forwarding: Available in 13 states and counting, receive a street address with a suite number to receive unlimited same-day digital scans or weekly mailings. Northwest’s free tier only forwards up to five documents per year.
- U.S. virtual office service: On-demand secretarial services in over 12 states to enjoy the benefits of a physical office lease for only $29 per month.
- Virtual phone service: Enjoy call forwarding from a business number with any area code to multiple personal phone lines. The 2nd line is complimentary with the virtual office subscription, and each additional number costs $9 monthly.
- Trademark service: Attorneys will review your trademark and offer advice while preparing and filing your application.
✨ Related: What Is Drop Servicing? How to Start a Drop Servicing Business
Corporate Guides
You can enjoy hands-on help by phone or mail from one of the Northwest Corporate Guides® who have real-world business experience. The company employs hundreds of guides with professional backgrounds as paralegals, lawyers, bank tellers, customer service agents, and other relevant fields.
Some guides are also Spanish-speaking and can provide bilingual support. The website states that these agents are the opposite of high-pressure salespersons whose performance hinges on selling products and earning a commission.
Instead, they can offer state-specific advice and help guide you through the formation and registered agent processes. Many customer reviews indicate a positive and responsive experience, although there are always exceptions.
Privacy by Default
Unlike many online business formation companies, Northwest Registered Agent emphasizes maximum privacy. You don’t have to worry about providing all of your personal and business details just to create an account or be bombarded with solicitations for the platform’s other services.
Here are some of the ways that Northwest Registered Agent safeguards your account privacy:
- They allow you to use a Northwest office address as your business address for official communications and lawsuits.
- States see Northwest’s banking details and IP address instead of yours.
- You don’t have to “opt-out” to prevent having your data sold or shared.
- Northwest has its own IT team, servers, and backups to protect your accounts from unauthorized breaches and log-ins.
- Northwest only collects the information they need to complete the services you’ve signed up for. For example, you only need to provide your social security number when applying for an EIN.
Finally, you can acquire a second phone number with a local area code that automatically forwards to your personal cell phone.
Get Started with Northwest Registered Agent
Pricing
Below is the pricing breakdown for Northwest’s various services. The business formation and registered agent packages are the most popular, but the additional services are also worth exploring.
Business Formation and Annual Compliance
Northwest charges $39, plus state fees, to file a formation application. Annual compliance renewals cost $100 per state. If you want to apply independently, you can use the fillable templates and file for free, except for the state fees.
Registered Agent
You must pay $125 annually per state for a registered or BOC-3 process agent. The per-state price drops to $100 annually with five or more states.
Business Identity Bundle
The following services are free for the first 90 days and then $9 monthly:
- Business website and web hosting
- SSL certificate
- Business email
- Business phone
If you bundle these four services after the 90-day trial period, you’ll qualify for a 20% discount. Thus, the bundle rate is $28.80 monthly.
The business domain renewal fee is also 20% cheaper when bundling. The annual cost varies with “.com” being among the most affordable and vanity website domains being more expensive to renew.
Additional Services
Several additional business suite services can make communication and federal filings easier:
- Premium mail forwarding: $20 monthly
- Virtual office service: $29 monthly
- Virtual phone number: $9 monthly per line ($0 for the first line with U.S. virtual office service)
- Federal EIN service: $50 (with an SSN) $200 (for foreign citizens or without an SSN)
- Trademark service: $249 (plus USPTO filing fees)
Get Started with Northwest Registered Agent
Northwest Registered Agent vs Alternatives
LegalZoom
LegalZoom provides free and premium business formation packages. You can also access fillable forms for other functions. Its top-tier plans offer unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations but are initially more expensive than Northwest.
In addition to fillable forms and formation services, you can opt for LegalZooms registered agent service, which costs $249 annually. This feature is notably pricier than Northwest. It includes unlimited cloud storage and uploads of your business documents and mail receivables.
ZenBusiness
You can use ZenBusiness as an all-in-one platform to form and grow your business. Formation package prices range from $0 to $349, depending on which additional services you seek.
A registered agent costs $199 annually.
ZenBusiness also offers business tax services, bookkeeping, invoices, and payments. Pricing varies by service, and some reviews indicate that these optional features can be pricey, but it’s still worth a look.
Bizee
Bizee (previously IncFile) offers free formation services, although a la carte pricing applies when you need specialty documents such as banking resolutions, operating agreements, and business contracts.
Paid packages cost $199 or $299 and include complimentary templates and services.
Its registered agent service is free for the first year and then $119 annually. Other noteworthy features include a virtual address, mail scanning, business license research packages, and accounting or bookkeeping.
FAQs
Is Northwest Registered Agent free?
Northwest Registered Agent charges fees for most services, though it offers free fillable forms if you want to form an LLC, corporation, or non-profit yourself (state fees apply). That said, Northwest’s paid services tend to be more affordable than many competitors. Further, you can get hands-on support to prevent paperwork errors, missed filing deadlines, and state-specific help. Your first year of registered agent service is also free.
Is Northwest Registered Agent safe?
Yes. Northwest Registered Agent won’t sell your personal data, and it performs as many IT tasks and database management “in-house” as possible to prevent relying on third-party services. Therefore, fewer platforms have access to your personal data and business details.
What are the Northwest Registered Agent customer service options?
Live chat and phone support are available weekdays between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST. You can also send an email at any time.
Get Started with Northwest Registered Agent
Summary
Northwest Registered Agent is one of the most affordable business formation and registered agent services available today. Its additional services, including business identity, virtual office, and unlimited mail forwarding, can add value and lend authenticity to your business. Just keep a close eye on your costs as they can add up.
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About Josh Patoka
After graduating in $50k with student loans in May 2008 from Virginia Military Institute with a B.A. International Studies and Political Science with a minor in Spanish (he studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain for 3 months), Josh decided to sell his soul for seven years by working in the transportation industry to get out of debt ASAP and focus on doing something else with a better work-life balance.
He is a father of three and has been writing about (almost) everything personal finance since 2015. You can also find him at his own blog Money Buffalo where he shares his personal experience of becoming debt-free (twice) and taking a 50%+ pay cut when he changed careers.
Today, Josh relishes the flexibility of being self-employed and debt-free and encourages others to pursue their dreams. Josh enjoys spending his free time reading books and spending time with his wife and three children.
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank or financial institution. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
