LegalZoom lets you cancel registered agent service two ways, by phone or online through My Account, but neither works until you have a replacement agent recorded with your state. LegalZoom will not release the role while it still shows as your agent on the public record, because it is the one legally receiving service of process for you until that changes.
So the order of operations is what matters. Done in the right sequence, canceling costs you one state filing fee. Done in the wrong sequence, it costs you a coverage gap or another full year at $249/yr.
This trips people up. LegalZoom runs two different lines. Registered agent is a subscription, so it is handled at (888) 310-0151, the subscriptions and account line. The (800) 773-0888 number is for one-time orders like LLC formation, and the reps there will usually route you back. If you call to cancel registered agent, use the subscriptions line and say plainly that you are canceling registered agent service.
You can also cancel online. In My Account, open the Account tab, go to Manage Payments, select the Registered Agent Services subscription, and use the cancel link. The catch is that the online path asks you to upload proof that your state record already shows a new agent before it will complete. Phone tends to be faster if you have that proof in hand.
LegalZoom accepts any of three things as evidence the change is done: a copy of the filed change-of-agent document, a copy of an annual report that lists the new agent, or a screenshot of your registered agent details on your state's business search page. The screenshot is usually the easiest, since it reflects what the state itself is showing once the change posts.
LegalZoom registered agent is billed as a standalone annual subscription at $249/yr. Unlike some formation companies, LegalZoom does not fold a free first year of registered agent into its formation plans, so there is no bundle discount hiding the real cost. You pay the annual rate from the start, and it renews automatically.
Two clauses in LegalZoom's own terms decide your timing.
No prorated refund. LegalZoom's terms are explicit that a fee reduction takes effect only at the next renewal term, with no pro rata refund for the current term. In practice, once your service year has started and you cancel partway through, you do not get the unused months back. The only prorated refund in the terms is when LegalZoom itself terminates the service, which is not your situation when you switch.
Price increases apply by default. LegalZoom can raise the fee for a new service term by giving you at least 30 days notice before the term begins. If you do not cancel before that term starts, the terms treat you as having accepted the new price for that term and the ones after it. A renewal notice showing a higher number is not a mistake, and ignoring it is agreement.
There is a narrow refund window worth knowing. LegalZoom's satisfaction guarantee generally allows a refund request within 60 days of a purchase. That helps if you just signed up and changed your mind. It does not help with a renewal that processed on an account you have held for a year. For a renewal, the move is to time your switch so it lands before the next charge. If you are still weighing whether to cancel or stay, our LegalZoom renewal cost breakdown lays out the year-by-year math.
Start at least three to four weeks before your renewal date. State processing on a change-of-agent filing usually runs one to four weeks, and LegalZoom wants the change confirmed before it will close the service.
Standalone registered agent pricing, excluding formation bundles. State filing fees vary and some states charge nothing. Verified 2026.
| Provider | First year | Renewal | Three-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249/yr | $747 |
| Northwest | $125 | $125/yr | $375 |
| Harbor Compliance | $99 | $149/yr | $397 |
The three-year gap between LegalZoom and Northwest is $372 more, and it widens every year after because Northwest does not raise its rate at renewal. Add the one-time state filing fee, which runs $0 to $50 depending on your state, and most owners come out ahead inside the first year.
Maryland has a rule that catches people trying to close an LLC rather than switch agents. If you are dissolving, the registered agent must sign the Articles of Dissolution and agree to continue serving as agent for one year after it is filed. That means you cannot cancel your agent and then dissolve. The agent has to still be in place to sign, and stays on the hook afterward. Plan the dissolution first and the cancellation last.
These are separate actions. Ending your LegalZoom registered agent subscription switches who receives your legal mail. It does not dissolve your company, and your LLC stays active and subject to state filing requirements. If your goal is to shut the business down, that is a state dissolution filing, which is a different process from canceling a service.
The reverse also holds. If you stop paying LegalZoom without appointing a replacement, you do not quietly close anything. You leave your LLC without an agent, which is what puts good standing at risk.
Can I cancel LegalZoom registered agent online? Yes, through My Account under Account and Manage Payments, but only after you upload proof that your state record shows a new agent. Without that proof, the online path will not complete, and the phone line at (888) 310-0151 is often faster once you have it.
What is the cancellation phone number? (888) 310-0151, the subscriptions and account line. Registered agent is a subscription, so that is the correct number. The (800) 773-0888 line is for one-time orders like formation and is the wrong one for this.
Will I get a refund for the unused part of my year? No. LegalZoom does not issue a prorated refund when you cancel mid-term. A refund within 60 days of an initial purchase is possible under the satisfaction guarantee, but that does not cover a renewal that already processed. Time your switch to land before the next renewal instead.
What happens if I cancel before appointing a replacement? LegalZoom will not process it without proof of a new agent, which is the outcome protecting you. If you did end up with no agent on file, your state can flag the LLC as not in good standing and eventually dissolve it administratively. Our guide on reinstating a dissolved LLC covers that process if you are already there.
LegalZoom raised my renewal price. Do I have to pay it? If you do not cancel before the new term starts, their terms treat you as having accepted the increase. They are required to give 30 days notice. Treat that notice as a deadline, not an announcement.
Do I need to tell my state I switched, or does LegalZoom handle it? You do, or your new agent does it for you. LegalZoom canceling the subscription does not update your state record. The state only changes the agent when a change-of-agent form is filed, which is why you appoint the replacement first.
I have LegalZoom as agent in several states. Can I cancel all at once? You file a change-of-agent form in each state separately, then cancel. There is no combined filing. If you are running agents across multiple states, our multi-state registered agent guide covers which providers make that manageable.
The whole thing is one state filing and one cancellation, in that order. The mistakes that cost money are canceling first and creating a gap, or starting too close to a renewal and getting billed for another year at $249/yr with no refund available.
Give yourself three to four weeks before your renewal, get the state confirmation in hand, then cancel by phone or online. And check your other LegalZoom subscriptions while you are at it, because they keep running independently.
$125/yr flat with no renewal increase, all 50 states, and they prepare the change-of-agent filing for you in most states. That is $372 more than LegalZoom over three years, and the gap grows after that.
Get Northwest Registered Agent ↗Change-of-agent form name, fee, and filing method for all 50 states.
What each major registered agent charges, first year and at renewal.
This guide reflects LegalZoom published terms and help documentation as of 2026. Policies, prices, and phone numbers change. Confirm current terms with LegalZoom before acting, and verify your state's change-of-agent requirements with your Secretary of State. Some links on this page are affiliate links.