A Texas registered agent is the person or organization your LLC or corporation names to receive lawsuits and legal notices at a Texas street address. Under Business Organizations Code section 5.201, the agent must be a Texas resident or an organization registered to do business in Texas, must have consented to serve, and can't use a mailbox service as the registered office. Changing your agent costs $15 for an LLC or for-profit corporation, as of October 2026.
Texas puts its registered agent rules in one short subchapter of the Business Organizations Code, sections 5.201 to 5.208. They're shorter than most people expect, and they contain two rules that catch new owners out: the agent has to have agreed to the job, and a mail drop doesn't count as an office. Here's what the code says and how it plays out when you form, run or close a Texas company.
Who can be a Texas registered agent
Section 5.201 says every filing entity, and every foreign filing entity registered in Texas, must designate and continuously maintain a registered agent and a registered office in the state. The agent can be one of two things:
| Type of agent | What section 5.201 requires |
|---|---|
| An individual | A resident of Texas who has consented, in a written or electronic form developed by the Secretary of State, to serve as the entity's agent |
| An organization | Registered or authorized to do business in Texas, not the entity it represents, and has consented in the same way |
Either way, the agent must keep a business office at the same address as the entity's registered office. An organization acting as agent also needs an employee available at that office during normal business hours to receive service, and any employee there can accept it.
So yes, you can usually be your own agent if you live in Texas. What you can't do is name the company as its own agent, because the code rules out the entity being represented.
What counts as a registered office in Texas
The registered office has its own three rules in section 5.201(c):
- it must be at a street address where process can be personally served on the agent
- it doesn't have to be a place where the company does business
- it may not be solely a mailbox service or a telephone answering service
That last line is the one that trips up home-based founders. A virtual mailbox address on your website is fine for marketing, but it can't be your registered office. If you don't want your home address on the public record, that's usually the reason people pay a commercial agent with a Texas office.
The consent rule, and why it matters
Section 5.2011 says that when an organizer or managerial official names someone as registered agent in a filing, that naming is an affirmation that the person has consented. In other words, by filing, you're telling the state you asked first.
There's a second part people rarely read. If the company is sold, or a majority interest changes hands, and the same agent stays on, the code treats that as the new governing authority confirming the agent still consents. If you buy a Texas company, check the agent agreed to carry on rather than assuming.
Naming someone without their consent has consequences. Section 5.207 applies the code's false filing rules in sections 4.007 and 4.008 to that situation, and section 4.007 lets a person who suffers a loss recover damages, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees from those who knowingly signed the filing. The person named also gets a way out: under section 5.205 they can file a statement of rejection of appointment, and the filing officer can't charge a fee for it.
What a Texas registered agent has to do
Section 5.206 is short on purpose. The only duties of a registered agent are to receive or accept any process, notice or demand served on it and forward it to the company at the address the company most recently gave the agent, and to pass on any notices the law requires or allows to be given to the company. That's why your agent needs a current address for you. If you move and don't tell them, they've done their job by sending papers to the old one.
Section 5.208 adds that a person isn't liable for the company's debts or obligations just because they're its registered agent.
How to change your registered agent in Texas
Under section 5.202, you file a statement of change with the Secretary of State. It has to give the entity's name, the current agent's name and street address, the new agent's name or the new office address, a statement that the change is authorized by the entity, and a statement that the registered office and the agent's business address are the same.
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For an LLC, section 4.154 applies the same fees as a for-profit corporation, and section 4.152 sets these, as of October 2026:
| Filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Statement of change of registered office, registered agent, or both | $15 |
| Statement of change of name or address of a registered agent, filed by the agent | $15, with simultaneous filings by one agent for more than one corporation capped at $750 |
| Resignation of a registered agent | No fee (section 5.204) |
| Statement of rejection of appointment | No fee (section 5.205) |
If it's your agent changing its own name or address, section 5.203 says the agent files the statement and must recite that it gave you written notice at least 10 days before filing.
Founders who run more than one business may also want our Florida registered agent explainer.
When your agent resigns
Section 5.204 lets an agent resign by giving notice to you and to the filing officer. The notice to the filing officer must be given before the 11th day after notice to you is mailed or delivered. The appointment ends on the 31st day after the Secretary of State receives the notice. That's your window to appoint someone new, so don't let the letter sit.
If you operate in more than one state, the registered agent rules in California is worth a read.
What happens if you don't have one
Under section 5.251, the Secretary of State becomes your agent for service if you fail to appoint or keep one, or if your agent can't be found at the registered office with reasonable diligence. Section 5.252 says that kind of service is returnable in not less than 30 days. Papers sent through the state can reach you slowly, or at an address you no longer use, which is how companies end up losing lawsuits they never knew about. If you're still setting up, our guides to the Texas LLC and Texas franchise tax cover the next filings, and the general registered agent guide compares other states.
Frequently asked questions
Can I be my own registered agent in Texas?
Yes, if you're a Texas resident, you've consented, and your business office is at the same street address as the registered office. The company itself can't be its own agent under section 5.201.
Can a PO box be a Texas registered office?
No. Section 5.201 says the registered office must be a street address where process can be personally served, and it may not be solely a mailbox service or a telephone answering service.
How much does it cost to change a registered agent in Texas?
For an LLC or for-profit corporation, a statement of change of registered office, registered agent, or both costs $15 under sections 4.152 and 4.154 of the Business Organizations Code, as of October 2026.
How long does a Texas registered agent resignation take?
Under section 5.204, the appointment ends on the 31st day after the Secretary of State receives the agent's notice of resignation. There's no fee to file the resignation.
What happens if a Texas LLC has no registered agent?
Section 5.251 makes the Secretary of State the agent for service of process when a company fails to appoint or maintain one, or when the agent can't be found with reasonable diligence.
