If you’re in the process of forming an LLC, C-corporation, S-corporation, a sole proprietorship or entering a partnership, you might want to trust the top service provider to do it the right way.
Multiple companies offer to take care of everything related to business formation, and Northwest Registered Agent is a prevalent choice among entrepreneurs on a budget. Under the slogan “We’re Just Not Annoying,” the company helps clients with a range of business services, informative guides, and access to free legal forms.
In our Northwest Registered Agent review, we have analyzed hundreds of customer comments and evaluated the company’s services to take the guesswork out of the mix. We share the pros and cons and help you learn where Northwest sits in the industry.
Product/Service Offering — 5/5
Turnaround Time — 4/5
Ease of Ordering— 5/5
Customer Service — 5/5
Value for Money — 4/5
Overall rating — 4.6/5
Pros & Cons
Northwest Registered Agent Review — All About the Company
Northwest Registered Agent was founded in 1998 in Spokane, Washington, and today it has office locations across all 50 states. Over the two decades, the company has become one of the top LLC formation service providers.
A mid-sized firm with 200+ employees, Northwest Registered Agent has customer service that is second to none and offers competitive prices that rival some of the most prominent names in the industry. Best known for its registered agent service, the company also assists with business formation, management, and legal matters.
Below is an in-depth analysis of Northwest Registered Agent services, pricing, features, and how it compares with the competitors.
Name Availability Search
Northwest performs a name search to verify whether the name you want for your business is available. Unlike some companies, Northwest provides this service for free. Moreover, if you’re still not ready to form your company but want to keep the name, you can reserve it.
Articles of Organization
Northwest Registered Agent can prepare and file LLC formation documents with the chosen state. It’s one of the few firms that put their addresses on all documents instead of yours to prevent junk mail or even personal data theft. The service is only provided as part of the Northwest LLC packages and can’t be purchased separately.
Although it isn’t personalized, there’s a free Operating Agreement template that you can download from Northwest’s website.
Registered Agent Service
The registered agent service is one of the company’s core features. For $125, you are sure to find a registered agent service at a low price but of undoubted quality. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t offer one year of free service like some of its competitors.
As Northwest Registered Agent LLC reviews show, clients praised the local document scanning feature. The company also mails the documents free of charge and issues annual report reminders. In addition, Northwest’s service is personalized and fast: every task is performed in-house, which ensures real-time delivery.
Operating Agreement
Having an operating agreement isn’t required for LLCs, but it’s recommended. Northwest can prepare and file this document, but only if you hire the firm for business formation. However, it offers a free template for different LLC types that anyone can use. The difference is that the company will personalize the document, whereas the form found on its website is generic and might not cover your specific needs.
Northwest Registered Agent Compliance Filing
Northwest Registered Agent LLC can also help with filing your annual business report. The team’s end-to-end preparation guarantees on-time filing and promises to keep your company in good standing with the state. For $100 plus state fees, you can rest assured that your records are updated instantly, and state records are monitored.
Mail Forwarding & Scanning
The company’s premium forwarding service is available in Florida, Delaware, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. It is priced at $40/month and includes same-day scanning and mail forwarding free of postage fee. Entrepreneurs can rarely find this service elsewhere; only some Northwest competitors provide it as part of their registered agent or virtual office offerings, excluding the physical mail forwarding.
Virtual Office
Northwest also offers a virtual office service that equips your business with an address different from the real one for greater privacy and information protection. The mail can arrive at your actual address through mail forwarding, or the team can scan it and send everything digitally. You can choose between locations in Delaware, Idaho, Montana, Florida, and Wyoming. The service includes an office lease and a second phone number as well.
Corporate Book & Seal
Northwest corporate books and embossing seals are available only when you hire the company to help you form your business. The Northwest Registered Agent LLC packages include everything needed for secure document storage. The corporate books and kits are available in two forms: a two-inch binder and slipcase ($80) and GoBook, which is a portable, half-inch zipper binder.
Federal Tax ID Number (EIN)
EIN is a must if you want to hire employees, open a bank account, and more. The company simplifies the process of obtaining it for a $50 fee with SSN or $200 without SSN. According to our Northwest Registered Agent review, the price is very competitive and arguably the most affordable in the industry.
The team promises to process the order on the same day and follow up with the IRS. Alternatively, you can bundle registered agent service, business forms, incorporation, and EIN for $275 plus state fees.
Foreign Qualification
The foreign qualification service offered by Northwest comes at $100 (plus state fees), which is among the most competitive prices in the industry. The company automatically adds the registered agent service, which would cost you an additional $125.
Northwest Registered Agent Customer Reviews
Northwest has helped over two million businesses over the past two decades. However, our research reveals that the company doesn’t have a lot of client feedback compared to its competitors. There are only a few reviews on some major business directories, but we dug deeper to find more information on what clients say about the company.
The majority of the Northwest Registered Agent Google reviews are positive, speaking highly of the company’s services, ease of use, smooth communication, and customer support. In addition, many clients mention customer reps by name to thank them, which further proves they go above and beyond to provide next-level service and exceptional care.
The average rating of Northwest on BirdEye is 4.4 stars out of 443 reviews. Most reviews also praise the customer service agents’ assistance regarding Northwest Registered Agent complaints and the company’s “philosophy of helping people start a business without any major commercial motives.”
Northwest Registered Agent Customer Support
Northwest Registered Agent provides support via email and phone and is available Monday to Friday, from 6 am to 5 pm PT and 9 am to 8 pm ET. The company doesn’t offer live chat like some competitors, but that’s not a deal-breaker as the corporate guides are very responsive.
What’s impressive about them is that they have years of experience navigating state bureaucracy and know the ins and outs of the business formation process. In addition, they are helpful, accessible, and all but salespeople. In nearly every Northwest LLC formation review, the corporate guides are praised for providing next-level customer care and detailed yet simplified answers.
We reached out to Northwest, and we’ve received an answer from a person each time. The firm promises no robot phone trees and no “no-reply” emails. When reaching out through email, you will usually receive a response within a few hours. If you call via phone and a corporate guide doesn’t answer, they will call back within the following ten minutes.
Ease of Ordering
From our experience, the ordering process at Northwest Registered Agent is relatively easy. The entire process is streamlined and designed to save you time.
First, you should select the desired Northwest LLC formation service, then click “Continue” once you review your order summary. The next step is providing your details, including business information and contact. Also, you can opt to add on more services at this point. The last step is to add your payment details, and you’re done.
Northwest Registered Agent Turnaround Time
The company offers same-day order processing. The estimated turnaround time is shown upon selecting a state in your application. Some states have fast turnaround times, but the process can take several weeks in others. Your application will also show if a particular state offers an expedited turnaround time.
Northwest Registered Agent Pricing
Northwest offers flat fees for its services. The plans are streamlined and designed to provide you with the essentials. You won’t come across upsells, as the company focuses on helping clients form their businesses hassle-free. Additionally, Northwest promises never to charge late or cancellation fees.
Northwest Free Account
Before purchasing anything, you can create a free account that gives you access to the client dashboard. There, you can use the free forms, resources, and tools the company provides to help you get your business up and running. You can also purchase add-ons along the way.
Northwest VIP Service
One of the popular Northwest registered agent packages is the VIP service which covers state filing fees, handles business formation, registered agent service, and EIN filing, and provides a free business address for the first year. It also includes state filings on demand for the second year and beyond.
When signing up for the VIP subscription, you’ll pay a monthly, state-dependent fee to the company. In Indiana, for example, the VIP subscription would cost $35 a month, whereas, in Alabama, the monthly charge is $47.
Northwest Pay in Full Option
If you want to pay your fee in full, you can gain access to the most prominent Northwest features. These include LLC formation and maintenance, operating agreement, EIN, business address, and registered agent service for a year.
Northwest Refund Policy
The firm’s offerings are backed by a 100% error-free guarantee. The company provides a refund if customers request it within 60 days of the purchase. It’s worth noting that it will charge a $25 cancellation fee.
Northwest Registered Agent vs. Other LLC Providers
Northwest Registered Agent has stellar customer support and reasonable prices. However, some alternatives can save you more money, whereas others are more established brands. If you’re not sure if Northwest Registered Agent is the ideal company for your needs, here are some other options worth considering.
Northwest Registered Agent vs. LegalZoom
Both Northwest and LegalZoom are industry veterans with vast experience in business formation. While both are on the pricier side, Northwest is still more affordable. It also stands out with its outstanding customer care and registered agent service. In addition, Northwest is the only company that scans all documents received on your behalf.
On the other hand, LegalZoom is a more recognized brand in the industry, and it offers premium packages with prices starting at $79. It is an excellent choice if you need more legal services, as they would cost you only a portion of the money compared to the cost of paying a legal team separately.
Northwest vs. Incfile
Northwest and Incfile are both great LLC formation service providers. Northwest stands out with its high-level customer care and efficient registered agent service. It also includes local document scanning. On the other hand, Incfile is an excellent option with lots of customer feedback to back its expertise up if you’re after affordable formation service. It also offers a wide range of add-ons beyond business formation.
Northwest Registered Agent vs. ZenBusiness
With packages starting at $49 (excluding state fees), ZenBusiness provides everything you need to form your company, including one year of free registered agent service and an Operating Agreement. Moreover, it has a huge volume of online reviews that speaks about its expertise.
Northwest has been long in the business and has extensive experience in LLC formation. It offers incredible customer service, which is a huge plus if you think you’ll need more assistance. In addition, the user-friendly guides, forms, and tools make this company stand out from the rest.
Is Northwest Registered Agent Worth It?
According to our Northwest Registered Agent reviews, the company has earned a rightful place among the best LLC formation companies. With its incredible customer service, straightforward pricing structure, and efficient registered agent service at no cost for the first year, Northwest seems to cover everything necessary for a successful start of a business.
We particularly like that the agents don’t use pushy upsell methods to sell their add-on features. Additionally, the company promises 100% transparency and offers high-level protection that ensures your data is safe from loss and theft and isn’t sold to third parties.