Northwest Registered Agent Service is a professional registered agent service that offers business formation at a reasonable price. If you’re in the USA and willing to form an LLC, then you must hire a registered agent. Northwest, like its name, plays a pivotal role when you need a professional registered agent.
In this Northwest Registered Agent Review post, our editorial team looked deeper into their price structure and service offerings and compared them with other services for your reference. These are the turnaround time, quality of service, and, of course, price. If Northwest can meet these requirements, then you can easily buy their service.
We have shared one detailed video for those who are not into reading a lengthy article. Please watch it before you make any decision. 🙂
Northwest Registered Agent Review: Quick Summary
The Good👍
- Fast Service
- Outstanding Customer Review
- Flat rate for all services
- DIY Packages
- Purchase only the services you need
- Standalone Registered Agent Service
- Start and maintain businesses
- Lifetime guide service
- Transparent pricing
- Free operating agreement template
- 20+ years of experience in the business
The Bad👎
- Additional cost to obtain EIN
- Not BBB Accredited
- Does not offer legal services
- Service Quality: 4.5/5
- Turnaround Time: 4/5
- Pricing: 4/5
- Customer Feedback: 4.5/5
- User Friendly: 4/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Northwest Registered Agent Review: About The Company
Northwest registered agent is a Washington-based, family-owned company. It has its main office in Spokane, Washington, but they have operations in all the other 50 states. The company was formed in the year 1998. It has become one of the largest LLC formation companies in the United States. The reason behind it becoming so huge is its incredible customer support. Besides customer support, the company has an effective privacy protection policy. Northwest registered agent has flat pricing for the LLC formation service. They do not have a formation package, but they do have DIY plans for their customers.
While you form an LLC, it takes a lot of work, from getting a business address to handling legal documents. Northwest registered agent services, of course, take care of these things at a flat price. In this Northwest registered agent review, we will point out why you should get their service and when you should not. As an alternative to Northwest Registered Agent service, you can go for ZenBusiness which offers LLC formation at $0. Northwest has a company formation package at $39 + state fees.
The first thing to consider is that this company has top-notch customer support. If you look at the reviews in Trustpilot, you will see how satisfied people are with their responsive customer service. Their business formation service is as good as their customer support.
Note: Northwest registered agent has incredible user ratings. Their customer service team works round the clock to respond to emails, phone calls, and other modes of communication.
Northwest Registered Agent Review: Services & Pricing
As mentioned, NW Registered Agent Service offers a conventional formation package like other companies. Besides, they have other types of services. You can choose from the list which ones you prefer for your LLC or business structure. You can also purchase your own DIY plans. That means if you choose plans from business identity, you can also choose plans from other packages.
Note: Northwest Registered Agent offers an affordable business formation package. They also have DIY packages that you can buy according to your needs. They offer flat prices for their services.
Northwest Registered Agent has a long list of services for the users. From starting your business to maintaining it and expanding it in the future, with Northwest, you can do it all. Here is a list of services that Northwest offers.
List of Services and Prices
Starting a Business
- Registered Agent: First year free if purchased with any formation package. $125 every year afterward
- Company Formation: $39 (+ State filing fee) for incorporation package
- EIN: $50 to get a tax ID
- Email Forwarding: Premium US mail forwarding service in select states at $20 per month
- Virtual Office Service: Get your virtual office at $29 per month
- S-Corp Tax Election: Apply for the S-Corp election
Maintain a Business
- Change Your Registered Agent: Change a registered agent whenever you want and file a new one!
- Annual Report Compliance: An Annual Report Filing Service at $100
- BOI Reporting: File your Beneficial Ownership Information at $9
Expand a Business
- BOC-3 Blanket Agent Service: Designate a process agent or blanket agent for your motor carrier business at $125 + State fee
- Multi-State Registration: Register a foreign company at $100 + State fees
Build an Identity
- Business Identity: Get your business identity free with an LLC formation package for one year.
- Domain Registration: Get a domain name for your business free for a year with LLC formation.
- Business Websites: Hosted by us, owned by you. Get your business website ready without any charge for one year with the LLC formation package.
- Business Email Address: 90-day free trial, $9 a month afterward for your business email.
- SSL Security: Get free SSL security for 90 days (trial), $9 per month afterward
- Phone Service: VoIP Phone Service free for 90 days with the Registered Agent service or company formation package
- Trademarks Service: Attorney services to protect your brand by filing a Trademark at $249 plus USPTO filing fees.
Other Services
- International Corporate Services
- Affiliate Program
Additional Services (Add-Ons)
Apart from the above-mentioned plans, Northwest offers a few more individual services. They are as follows,
- Company formation for Non-US residents: Packages start from $925
- EIN for Non-US residents: $50
- Law on Call: $9 per month (get legal consultation on call immediately by paying the subscription fee)
- Certified copies of formation documents: The cost varies from state to state
- Certificate of good standing: The cost varies from state to state
- Corporate kits (books, seals): It costs from $30 to $80
Would You Choose Northwest Registered Agent?
Northwest offers a bunch of useful services that are much more affordable than other services. Despite having comparatively cheaper options, Northwest can still be bypassed by many. Due to the fact that many competitors offer free LLC formation, Northwest might not be chosen by entrepreneurs, especially businesses with small budgets.
On the other side, NW has incredible online customer reviews. According to the users, Northwest not only offers legal services but is also a pleasurable company that offers excellent customer service. However, the company lacks a strong reputation, unlike competitors like ZenBusiness and LegalZoom. For that, it fails to be the number one formation service company.
However, there are some points one has to take into consideration when choosing Northwest. The price tag is a bit higher than others. Northwest charges $125 for Registered Agents from the second year of LLC formation, while some competitors offer it at a low price.
On the other hand, LLC formation service is available at $39, while others offer this service for free. Their minimum pricing plan does not include mandatory services like an operating agreement draft. At the same time, other service providers include operating agreements as well. Services like obtaining EIN cost $50 in Northwest, which can be obtained for free if you apply directly on the IRS website.
When Should You Choose Northwest Registered Agent?
The USP of Northwest Registered Agent is the standalone registered agent service. If you are looking for only registered agent service and not the entire LLC formation package, then you can go with this service. However, you might find competitors offering a standalone registered agent service at a lower price. You can always compare prices and reviews before you purchase any service. On the other hand, it offers DIY packages. You can choose your required services and make your own DIY package at a reasonable price.
When Should You Not Choose Northwest Registered Agent?
It is a bit tricky to say when you should not choose Northwest. We felt it was difficult because Northwest offers basic business services similar to those of any of our competitors. However, it lacks some specialization, like legal services. Those who are looking for 360-degree business formation services, including legal services, Google Ads Credit, and some other services, are included in their formation packages. Hence, in those cases, Northwest isn’t the option for you.
Northwest Registered Agent Alternatives
You can always look for an alternative to this service. If you explore the other options for the best LLC services, you will see we have listed down some of the best services for you. ZenBusiness is one of the LLC filing companies that offer LLC formation at $0 + State Fees. ZenBusiness’ online reviews are excellent. On the other hand, if you do not want to spend anything, then we also have the cheapest company to mention. Bizee (formerly known as Incfile) is one such company that offers plenty of free services. It offers not only free LLC formation but also a free registered agent service, which is available with every package they have, like Northwest.
F.A.Qs
Yes, Northwest is a completely legit company. Based in Washington, this company has served its customers for the last 20+ years and counting. They have price transparency and excellent reviews by the users.
It is not mandatory to have a registered agent for your LLC. However, it is highly advisable to have one for proper & timely filing of various documents & taxes so that you don’t have to bear late fees or penalties.
You can cancel your account or services from Northwest anytime you want. All you need to do is log in to your Northwest Account via the company website. Go to the client portal and select Cancel Services. Your services will be canceled immediately.
Upon cancellation, Northwest refunds the money. However, the cancellation must take place within 90 days of purchase. If not written otherwise, the refund process will not take place after 90 days.
To form an LLC with Northwest, you need to spend $39 for government document filing. State fees should be paid separately. The cost of registered agent service is $125. Besides, you need to pay the state filing fee and expedited fee to the state separately if you want to form an LLC with Northwest Registered Agent.
In Conclusion
Northwest is a family-owned and managed medium-sized business with 20+ years of operation. The company has 200 employees who operate in 50 states. With decades of experience, the company has become one of the largest companies today.
Northwest might be well-fitted for some companies and for some, it is a big NO. For not having many formation packages or expensive add-ons (compared to some available competitors), the company lacks in some ways. Branding, Legal services, Google ads credit, Publication services, and some more are not available in Northwest. A recommended alternative to Northwest is ZenBusiness which offers LLC at $0. It not only offers free LLC formation but also has a bunch of packages plus add-ons that help a business grow. If you have used Northwest’s services, share your experience with us. Comment below and tell me how do you find this article.