The 6 steps to change your registered agent in Pennsylvania. Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations.
How to File
1
Obtain consent from your new registered agent
Before filing any paperwork, ensure your new registered agent agrees to serve and has a physical Pennsylvania address. If using a service company, they'll typically provide written confirmation of acceptance.
2
Complete Form DSCB:15-8821 (Statement of Change)
Download the Statement of Change form from the Pennsylvania Department of State website at dos.pa.gov. This form is used to update registered agent information for LLCs.
3
Fill out the required information
Include your LLC's name, entity number, current registered agent details, new registered agent's name and Pennsylvania address, and the effective date of the change.
4
Have an authorized person sign the form
The form must be signed by a member, manager, or authorized representative of the LLC. Include their printed name and title below the signature.
5
Pay the filing fee and submit
Submit the completed form with a $70 filing fee to the Pennsylvania Department of State. You can file online through the PA Business Entity Portal or mail to: Department of State, Corporation Bureau, P.O. Box 8722, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8722.
6
Update your internal records
Once the change is processed, update your LLC's internal records and notify banks, vendors, and other parties of the registered agent change. Keep a copy of the filed Statement of Change for your records.
Ready to file your annual report?
Go directly to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State portal.
Your current registered agent is moving out of Pennsylvania or closing their business
You're switching from a registered agent service to yourself or a different company
Your registered agent has become unresponsive or is providing poor service
You're relocating your business and need a registered agent closer to your new location
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because the penalty for missing a deadline can be administrative dissolution of the company.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pennsylvania processes registered agent changes within 2 to 3 business days if filed online through the PA Business Entity Portal, or 7 to 10 business days for paper filings with the Department of State. You'll submit Form DSCB:15-8101, the Statement of Change of Registered Agent, along with a $125 filing fee. The expedited processing option costs an additional $50 and guarantees processing within 24 hours, useful if you're removing an agent due to relationship dissolution or relocation. Until the Department of State officially processes your change, your old agent legally remains responsible for receiving service of process, creating potential liability gaps. To avoid missing critical legal notices, file online immediately rather than waiting for mail processing, then monitor your Business Entity Portal account for the "filed and processed" confirmation email, which typically arrives within 48 hours.
Changing your registered agent in Pennsylvania costs $70 when you file Form DSCB:15-8821 (Statement of Change) with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Corporation Bureau. This single fee covers your registered agent change regardless of how many additional business address updates you include on the same form, making it efficient to consolidate multiple changes.
If you need faster processing, expedited service costs an additional $25, completing your request within 24 hours instead of the standard 3 to 5 business days. This matters because your LLC remains technically without proper agent notification during processing delays, potentially affecting legal compliance.
You'll submit your form electronically through the Department of State's online filing system or by mail to the Corporation Bureau in Harrisburg. File your Statement of Change immediately after securing your new registered agent's written consent, since gaps in representation can create liability issues.
Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Pennsylvania if you're at least 18 years old and maintain a physical street address (not a PO Box) within the state. However, this decision has significant practical implications. As your own registered agent, you become personally responsible for receiving legal documents, lawsuits, and official notices from the Pennsylvania Department of State during standard business hours. Any missed service could result in default judgments against your LLC. You must file Form DSCB:15-8303 (Application for Reservation of Name or Change of Registered Agent) with the Pennsylvania Department of State and pay the $125 filing fee. If you're frequently unavailable or prefer privacy, hiring a professional registered agent service (typically $75 to 150 annually) is advisable. To change your registered agent, submit your completed form to the Department of State in Harrisburg within 30 days of your decision.
Changing your registered agent won't affect your Pennsylvania LLC's good standing status with the Department of State. However, failing to maintain continuous registered agent coverage will immediately jeopardize your good standing and trigger penalties.
Pennsylvania law requires all LLCs to designate a registered agent at every moment of operation. If you file your Form 8453 (Application for Change of Registered Agent) with the Department of State, ensure your new agent's information becomes effective on or before your current agent's resignation date, never leave a gap.
The practical implication: if your LLC operates without a registered agent for even one day, you lose good standing status. The Department of State may impose administrative penalties and revoke your certificate of organization.
Your next step is to coordinate the transition by submitting Form 8453 at least 10 business days before your current agent's departure, ensuring your new agent is ready to accept service of process immediately.
You can file your registered agent change online through the Pennsylvania Business Entity Portal at dos.pa.gov or by mail to the Pennsylvania Department of State. Mail filing requires submitting Form DSCB:15-8306 with a check or money order payable to "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," but takes 7 to 10 business days for processing. For LLCs, online filing eliminates delays that could leave your business without proper legal representation during agent transitions. You'll receive immediate confirmation of your filing online versus waiting for postal confirmation. To proceed immediately, visit the Business Entity Portal, select your LLC, and choose the registered agent amendment option to complete the change today. The Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations publishes a standard turnaround of 2-4 days.
Sources
Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Pennsylvania sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.
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Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.
