How long does it take to change a registered agent in Texas?

Processing typically takes 3 to 5 business days if you file online through SOSDirect, the Texas Secretary of State's official filing portal, or 7 to 10 business days if you submit your form by mail to the Texas Secretary of State in Austin. To make the change, you'll file Form 2.02 (Statement of Change of Registered Agent) with a filing fee of $25 for online submission or $30 for mail delivery. Expedited processing is available for an additional $50 fee, reducing online processing to 1 to 2 business days. This timeline matters because your new registered agent won't legally represent your LLC until the Secretary of State processes and confirms the change, meaning you could face compliance issues if service documents reach your old agent during this window. To protect your LLC, submit your form online through SOSDirect today, since this provides both the fastest processing and immediate confirmation of receipt.

What does it cost to change a registered agent in Texas?

In Texas, changing your registered agent requires filing Form 401 (Certificate of Amendment) with the Texas Secretary of State, which costs $150 as of 2026. There are no hidden state fees beyond this amount. However, if you need the amendment processed within two business days instead of the standard 5 to 7 business day timeline, expedited processing costs an additional $25. For overnight processing, expect to pay $50 extra. If you're hiring a registered agent service like LegalZoom or Registered Agent Inc., anticipate $75 to $200 annually for their services, which is separate from the state fee. The practical implication is that changing agents mid-year won't significantly impact your budget. Plan for roughly $150 to $200 total if you expedite through a service. File your Form 401 directly through the Texas Secretary of State's online portal at sos.texas.gov to avoid delays and ensure your new agent information takes effect immediately upon approval.

Can I be my own registered agent in Texas?

Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Texas if you maintain a physical street address (not a PO box) within the state where you can receive legal documents during business hours. However, this creates significant practical challenges. As your own registered agent, you're personally responsible for accepting lawsuits, tax notices, and regulatory documents, missing a single deadline could result in a default judgment against your LLC. You must file Form 202 (Application for Registration of Registered Agent) with the Texas Secretary of State, paying a $25 filing fee, and update this information annually. Professional registered agents like CT Corporation or Northpoint Registered Agent cost $50 to $300 yearly but provide mail forwarding, document scanning, and legal compliance tracking. Most Texas LLC owners choose professional services to maintain privacy, ensure reliable document receipt, and avoid personal liability exposure. Contact the Texas Secretary of State online or call (512) 463-5555 to determine which registration method suits your business needs.

Will changing my registered agent affect my LLC's good standing?

No, changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing status in Texas, provided you maintain continuous registered agent coverage without gaps and file the proper amendment with the Texas Secretary of State. To change your registered agent, file Form 202 (Application for Reservation of Entity Name) or submit a Statement of Change of Registered Agent through the Secretary of State's online portal. The filing fee is $0 if submitted electronically through your existing LLC record, or you can pay $25 for expedited processing. Submit your amendment before your current agent's termination date to avoid lapses that could trigger administrative dissolution. The practical implication: your LLC remains in good standing throughout the transition, meaning your business licenses, tax certifications, and legal protections remain uninterrupted. However, any missed deadline or coverage gap could result in automatic administrative dissolution by the Texas Secretary of State. Next step: access the Secretary of State's website at sos.texas.gov, locate your current LLC record, and initiate the registered agent change amendment immediately to ensure smooth continuity.

Can I file the registered agent change online or do I need to mail it?

You can file Form 401 online through the Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect system at https://www.sos.state.tx.us, which is the fastest and most efficient option. The online filing typically processes within 1 to 2 business days and costs $0 for e-filing, compared to a $15 filing fee if you mail your form to the Secretary of State's office in Austin. If you prefer alternatives, you may mail Form 401 to the Texas Secretary of State, Corporation Section, P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697, though this takes 7 to 10 business days. In-person filing at 1100 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701 is also available during business hours and processes the same day. For most LLC owners, online filing through SOSDirect eliminates delays and fees. Create your free SOSDirect account today and upload Form 401 to update your registered agent immediately.

LLC Guide

How to Change Your Registered Agent in Texas

Complete guide to updating your LLC's registered agent with the Texas Secretary of State, including required forms, fees, and filing procedures.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: June 2026

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Step diagram for changing an LLC's registered agent in Texas, showing the 6 filing steps required by the Secretary of State. — The 6 steps to change your registered agent in Texas. Source: Texas Secretary of State.

How to File

1
Obtain consent from your new registered agent
Before filing any paperwork, ensure your new registered agent agrees to serve your LLC and has a physical Texas address (not a P.O. Box).
2
Complete Form 401 - Certificate of Amendment
Download Form 401 from the Texas Secretary of State website at https://www.sos.state.tx.us. This form is used to amend your LLC's certificate of formation to change the registered agent information.
3
Fill out the required information
Include your LLC's name, file number, the new registered agent's name and complete Texas street address, and indicate this is a registered agent change.
4
Sign and notarize the form
The form must be signed by a manager or member of the LLC and notarized before submission to the Texas Secretary of State.
5
Submit the form with filing fee
File Form 401 online through SOSDirect at https://www.sos.state.tx.us, by mail, or in person. The filing fee is $150 as of 2026.
6
Update your records and notify stakeholders
Once processed, update your internal LLC records and notify banks, creditors, and other relevant parties of the registered agent change.

Ready to file your annual report?

Go directly to the Texas Secretary of State portal.

File at Texas SOS →

When Should You Change Your Registered Agent?

Your current registered agent is moving out of Texas or closing their business
You're switching from being your own registered agent to hiring a professional service
Your registered agent has become unresponsive or is providing poor service
You're relocating your business and need a registered agent in a different Texas 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

: Processing typically takes 3 to 5 business days if you file online through SOSDirect, the Texas Secretary of State's official filing portal, or 7 to 10 business days if you submit your form by mail to the Texas Secretary of State in Austin. To make the change, you'll file Form 2.02 (Statement of Change of Registered Agent) with a filing fee of $25 for online submission or $30 for mail delivery. Expedited processing is available for an additional $50 fee, reducing online processing to 1 to 2 business days. This timeline matters because your new registered agent won't legally represent your LLC until the Secretary of State processes and confirms the change, meaning you could face compliance issues if service documents reach your old agent during this window. To protect your LLC, submit your form online through SOSDirect today, since this provides both the fastest processing and immediate confirmation of receipt.
: In Texas, changing your registered agent requires filing Form 401 (Certificate of Amendment) with the Texas Secretary of State, which costs $150 as of 2026. There are no hidden state fees beyond this amount. However, if you need the amendment processed within two business days instead of the standard 5 to 7 business day timeline, expedited processing costs an additional $25. For overnight processing, expect to pay $50 extra. If you're hiring a registered agent service like LegalZoom or Registered Agent Inc., anticipate $75 to $200 annually for their services, which is separate from the state fee. The practical implication is that changing agents mid-year won't significantly impact your budget. Plan for roughly $150 to $200 total if you expedite through a service. File your Form 401 directly through the Texas Secretary of State's online portal at sos.texas.gov to avoid delays and ensure your new agent information takes effect immediately upon approval.
: Yes, you can serve as your own registered agent in Texas if you maintain a physical street address (not a PO box) within the state where you can receive legal documents during business hours. However, this creates significant practical challenges. As your own registered agent, you're personally responsible for accepting lawsuits, tax notices, and regulatory documents, missing a single deadline could result in a default judgment against your LLC. You must file Form 202 (Application for Registration of Registered Agent) with the Texas Secretary of State, paying a $25 filing fee, and update this information annually. Professional registered agents like CT Corporation or Northpoint Registered Agent cost $50 to $300 yearly but provide mail forwarding, document scanning, and legal compliance tracking. Most Texas LLC owners choose professional services to maintain privacy, ensure reliable document receipt, and avoid personal liability exposure. Contact the Texas Secretary of State online or call (512) 463-5555 to determine which registration method suits your business needs.
: No, changing your registered agent won't affect your LLC's good standing status in Texas, provided you maintain continuous registered agent coverage without gaps and file the proper amendment with the Texas Secretary of State. To change your registered agent, file Form 202 (Application for Reservation of Entity Name) or submit a Statement of Change of Registered Agent through the Secretary of State's online portal. The filing fee is $0 if submitted electronically through your existing LLC record, or you can pay $25 for expedited processing. Submit your amendment before your current agent's termination date to avoid lapses that could trigger administrative dissolution. The practical implication: your LLC remains in good standing throughout the transition, meaning your business licenses, tax certifications, and legal protections remain uninterrupted. However, any missed deadline or coverage gap could result in automatic administrative dissolution by the Texas Secretary of State. Next step: access the Secretary of State's website at sos.texas.gov, locate your current LLC record, and initiate the registered agent change amendment immediately to ensure smooth continuity.
: You can file Form 401 online through the Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect system at https://www.sos.state.tx.us, which is the fastest and most efficient option. The online filing typically processes within 1 to 2 business days and costs $0 for e-filing, compared to a $15 filing fee if you mail your form to the Secretary of State's office in Austin. If you prefer alternatives, you may mail Form 401 to the Texas Secretary of State, Corporation Section, P.O. Box 13697, Austin, TX 78711-3697, though this takes 7 to 10 business days. In-person filing at 1100 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701 is also available during business hours and processes the same day. For most LLC owners, online filing through SOSDirect eliminates delays and fees. Create your free SOSDirect account today and upload Form 401 to update your registered agent immediately.

Sources

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified Texas 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.

sos.state.tx.us/corp/index.shtmlTexas Secretary of State: business entity filings
statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TX/htm/TX.171.htmTexas statute: Public Information Report
comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/pir-oir-filing-req.phpTexas agency guidance: Public Information Report
comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/franchise/Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts: file the Public Information Report

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Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

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.

How to File

Obtain consent from your new registered agent

Complete Form 401 - Certificate of Amendment

Fill out the required information

Sign and notarize the form

Submit the form with filing fee

Update your records and notify stakeholders

When Should You Change Your Registered Agent?

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

Need a Registered Agent in Texas?

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