CT Corporation publishes an online ordering option for new customers. The page does not state a service term and directs limited partnership inquiries to a CT Corporation professional.
If you run 50 to 250 entities, the terms that drive your administration include renewal terms, LP service terms and consolidated billing arrangements. Those sit behind a sales call. What is public, as of October 2026, is that CT offers switching and bundled services and charges state government fees separately without specifying which apply to a given order.
What CT Corporation publishes for registered agent service
CT's website provides online ordering for new customers but does not state the service term. The ordering option appears on the 50-state page and on CT's Texas, California, Utah, Ohio and New York state pages.
Online ordering and its conditions
The Texas, California, Utah, Ohio and New York pages all display an online ordering option. The pages say LLCs, S-Corporations and C-Corporations appoint a registered agent and that an agent is needed in the formation state and in each state where an entity is registered as a foreign entity.
For limited partnerships, a CT article names LPs among entities that need an agent but directs readers to contact a CT Corporation professional.
Change of agent, bundles and certificates
CT offers change-of-agent services and states that state fees are charged separately. It also offers bundles combining registered agent service with business formation or foreign qualification.
Certificates of good standing are available through CT's Ohio, Washington, California and Delaware pages. Service of process routing is part of the package; the California page says document forwarding and deadline alerts can be customized into the service.
What CT does not publish
CT's site does not explain whether expedited handling, resignation-of-agent support, late-payment handling or reinstatement support are available. The hCue platform and CT's compliance bundle, which puts agent and annual report fees "on one invoice, by entity or by group of entities", are available only through its sales process.
What states charge to appoint or change a registered agent
Published change-of-agent fees run from $0 for some electronic or off-cycle filings to $60 per entity. The table below lists each state figure with a link to the fee schedule, form or statute it comes from.
State | Corporation | LLC | Limited partnership | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Delaware | 50.00(5.00 for exempt corporations) | $50.00 | $50.00 | Division fee schedule (August 1, 2026) |
New York | $30 | $30 | $30 | |
Texas | $15 | $15 | $15 | |
Florida | $35.00 | $25.00 | $35.00 | |
Illinois | $25 routine; $75 expedited | $25 | $50 | |
Massachusetts | $25 paper or fax; no fee electronic | $25 paper or fax; no fee electronic | Confirm with the Corporations Division | |
Nevada | $60 | $60 | $60 | |
Wyoming | $5.00 | $5.00 | $5.00 | Business Division fees (July 1, 2026) |
California | $25 Statement of Information | $20 in the filing period; no fee outside it | $30 (Form LP-2) |
Delaware by entity type
Delaware charges the same $50 for all three entity types: 8 Del. C. §391(a)(12) sets it for corporations, and the fee sections of the Delaware LLC Act (§18-1105) and the Delaware LP Act (§17-1107) set it for LLCs and LPs. The August 1, 2026 schedule adds expedite surcharges of $1,000 for one-hour, $500 for two-hour, $200 same-day and $100 24-hour service.
California's timing-based fee
California has no separate agent-change filing for corporations or LLCs; agent changes run through the Statement of Information. For LLCs, the $20 fee applies when the Statement is filed as the initial or biennial filing, and a Statement filed outside that period only to update information carries no fee, for domestic and foreign LLCs alike. California LPs change agents by amending the certificate of limited partnership on Form LP-2, which costs $30.
What a lapse costs when an agent resigns
In Delaware, an agent resigning without a successor must give the entity written notice at least 30 days before filing, and the resignation takes effect 30 days after filing. A corporation that has not designated a new agent by then forfeits its charter under 8 Del. C. §136(b).
Delaware forfeiture and revival
The statute reads that if no new agent is designated within 30 days, "the Secretary of State shall declare the charter of such corporation forfeited", and a foreign corporation "shall forfeit its authority to do business in this State". Getting back into good standing costs far more than the resignation filing:
Resignation without successor: $2.00 per LLC and $2.00 per LP whose agent resigns, under the §18-1105 and §17-1107 fee schedules.
LLC revival: a canceled LLC files a certificate of revival under §18-1109 and pays the revival fee on the current Division schedule, plus the annual tax, penalties and interest due at cancellation.
LP revival: a certificate of revival under §17-1111 costs $200 plus the same back charges.
Annual tax base: House Bill 400, signed May 21, 2026, raised the annual tax for LLCs and LPs from $300 to $400 (and from $75 to $100 per registered series) starting with the 2026 tax year. The payment due June 1, 2026 covered the 2025 tax year at $300; the first $400 payment is generally due June 1, 2027.
Late payment: a $200.00 penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest on tax and penalty, with the tax due June 1 and no proration.
State tax deadlines track state fiscal calendars and are subject to annual change, so confirm the current figure and deadline against Delaware Division of Corporations instructions each year before budgeting a revival.
Texas and Florida reinstatement
Texas Business Organizations Code §11.251(b)(1)(B) lets the Secretary of State terminate a filing entity's existence for failure to maintain a registered agent or office if the entity does not correct the failure before the 91st day after the Secretary mails notice. Section 9.101 gives the Secretary a parallel power to revoke a foreign entity's registration.
Reinstatement after involuntary termination or revocation on Form 811 costs 75forcorporations,LLCsandLPsalike(5 for nonprofit corporations and cooperatives), plus "any fees, interest, or penalties" the form does not quantify. Florida's reinstatement fees are entity-specific and, for corporations, steeper: $600.00 for a profit corporation plus each year's annual report fee, $175.00 for a non-profit corporation, and $100.00 for an LLC plus each year's annual report fee.
How the costs multiply across a fund portfolio
Your agent cost scales with the number of state registrations you hold, not with entity count. Each required foreign registration adds a separate agent appointment, and each Delaware LLC or LP owes the Delaware annual tax for any year it exists.
One appointment per state registration
Each state attaches its own conditions to the appointment, so every added registration brings its own rules:
Texas address and consent: every Texas filing entity and registered foreign entity, corporations included, must keep a registered agent address that is not solely a mailbox or answering service, with the agent's written or electronic consent on file.
Florida address: agent acceptance requires a Florida street address with no P.O. Box.
Texas late registration: a foreign entity that has transacted business in Texas for more than 90 days without registering owes a late filing fee equal to the registration fee times each calendar year, full or partial, of unregistered activity. The Secretary of State's foreign entity guidance says it does not waive these fees, but it will cap them at five years for an entity that requests the cap, shows an active right to transact business with the Comptroller and makes the required certifications.
A fund with 10 Delaware entities, each qualified in five other states, holds 60 statutory appointments: 10 in Delaware and 50 across the foreign states. CT does not state the term of its public ordering option, and its portfolio arrangements require confirmation through its sales process.
Allocating Delaware tax at the fund level
ILPA's 2026 guidance on organizational expenses recommends capping LP-borne organizational expenses at the lower of 5 basis points of target AUM or $10 million, with GPs bearing 50% of any overage, and states that costs specific to an alternative, parallel or co-invest vehicle should be borne solely by that vehicle. Because Delaware does not prorate, an SPV active for a single month owes a full year of annual tax; if treated as a vehicle-specific cost, ILPA's guidance would place it on that vehicle.
Simplify registered agent coverage with Discern
Keeping registered or statutory agent appointments current across multiple states means tracking separate government fees, address and consent rules, resignation windows and reinstatement costs for every entity. For compliance teams managing entity portfolios across multiple states, Discern's registered agent service covers all 51 jurisdictions and all entity types, change of agent filings are free, and annual report filings and foreign registrations run from the same platform.
For portfolios with 50 to 250+ entities, consolidating appointments with one provider replaces fragmented tracking and separate invoices from each agent. One Discern customer manages 250+ entities on the platform, automation has eliminated 400+ annual invoices, and customers with 200+ registrations spend 5 to 10 minutes annually on compliance. If you are comparing providers, see our guide to CT Corp alternatives for fund managers.
Book a demo with Discern to see how the platform handles registered agent coverage and state filings across your portfolio.
This article provides general compliance information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult qualified legal counsel for guidance specific to your situation.
FAQs about CT Corporation and multi-state registered agent costs
These answers cover the questions fund managers raise most often when comparing registered agent coverage across a portfolio.
What happens if my Delaware registered agent resigns without naming a successor?
The agent must give your entity written notice at least 30 days before filing the resignation, and the resignation takes effect 30 days after filing. For a corporation, Delaware law requires the Secretary of State to declare the charter forfeited if no new agent is designated in that window, and a foreign corporation forfeits its authority to do business in Delaware. Reviving a lapsed entity costs far more than the original agent change, so treat any resignation notice as time-sensitive and confirm next steps with counsel.
How much do states charge to change a registered agent?
Among the states covered here, published fees run from $0 for Massachusetts electronic filings and off-cycle California LLC Statements of Information to $60 in Nevada. Delaware charges $50 for corporations, LLCs and LPs, Texas charges $15 and Wyoming charges $5.00. These are state fees only; any provider service fee is separate, and CT Corporation states that state fees are charged separately from its own.
Does my entity need a registered agent in every state where it is registered?
States generally require an agent in the formation state and in each state where the entity holds a foreign registration. That is why agent cost scales with registrations rather than entity count: 10 Delaware entities each qualified in five other states hold 60 statutory appointments. Each state also sets its own address and consent rules, such as Texas's bar on agents operating solely through a mailbox or answering service.
Does Delaware prorate the annual tax for an SPV that only exists for part of a year?
No. Delaware LLCs and LPs owe the full annual tax for any year they exist, with no proration, so an SPV active for a single month owes a full year. Under House Bill 400, that tax is $400 for the 2026 tax year, generally due June 1, 2027; tax deadlines are subject to annual change, so confirm the current amount and due date against Delaware Division of Corporations instructions each year.
Updated on
08/10/2026
