LegalZoom · leave / cancel · retrieved 18 September 2026
Leave LegalZoom RA: cancel is not the state filing
“Cancel LegalZoom registered agent” is two jobs. One is the state record: a successor agent and a filed change. The other is LegalZoom’s billing: cancel through My Account or Customer Care, then give them written proof LegalZoom is no longer listed — or their Supplemental RA Terms say charges continue. RA itself is $249/year on LegalZoom’s overview page (re-checked 18 September 2026 CT).
What “leave LegalZoom registered agent” actually means
| Step | Who owns it | What “done” looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Name a successor | You | New commercial agent, or yourself where lawful, with a qualifying street address in that state |
| 2. File the state change | You or the new agent | SOS / DOS / ACC accepts the change; LegalZoom is no longer the agent of record |
| 3. Cancel LegalZoom RA | You | My Account portal or Customer Care ((800) 773-0888 / (888) 310-0151 per the RA terms) |
| 4. Send written proof | You | Proof LegalZoom is off the record (or entity dissolved / inactive) by the next billing date — or billing continues |
The billing trap in LegalZoom’s own RA terms
LegalZoom’s Supplemental RA Terms (updated July 10, 2026; retrieved 18 September 2026) treat cancel and “stop charging” as different events. After you cancel, the RA service stays active until you fulfill the successor (or dissolution/inactive) obligations. You must notify LegalZoom and provide satisfactory written proof that the LegalZoom Registered Agent is no longer listed. If that proof is missing, you continue to incur charges until it arrives. Auto-renew cancels through the same channels; failing to cancel means the card is charged again on the billing date.
What the state change costs (among the sixteen we read)
Leaving LegalZoom does not erase the secretary-of-state fee. Examples on our change of registered agent note: Texas Form 401 $15, Florida $25, California change-only statement of information $0 (full SOI $20), Wyoming $5, New York Certificate of Change $30, Delaware change-only RA/office $50, Illinois $25, Georgia amended annual registration $30, North Carolina $5, Pennsylvania $5, New Jersey $25, Arizona $5, Washington $0, Colorado $10, Ohio $25, Virginia $0. Those are state dollars, not LegalZoom’s $249 subscription.
$249/year vs the desk’s other RA lines
LegalZoom’s registered-agent overview still lists $249/year (retrieved 18 September 2026). Three years of that vendor line: $249 × 3 = $747. On the same desk, Northwest is $125/year ($375 over three years); Bizee standalone is $149/year ($447); ZenBusiness standalone is $99 year 1 then $199 ($497). LegalZoom is a foil here — no affiliate link on this site.
| Vendor / product | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthwestRegistered agentFlat $125/year. $100/year per state if five or more. | $125List | $125List | $125List | $375 |
| BizeeStandalone registered agentStandalone $149/year. | $149List | $149List | $149List | $447 |
| ZenBusinessStandalone registered agentIntro $99 year 1, then $199/year. The $99 rate cannot be re-upped. | $99Promo | $199Renewal | $199Renewal | $497 |
| LegalZoomRegistered agent (foil)Flat $249/year on LegalZoom’s RA overview (retrieved 18 September 2026). | $249List | $249Renewal | $249Renewal | $747 |
| Vendor / product | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | 3-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LegalZoomBasic + RA (foil)Basic $0 does not include RA. RA is $249/year separate. | $249List | $249Renewal | $249Renewal | $747 |
Marketing asymmetry: when you switch to LegalZoom, their RA overview says they complete the paperwork and cover state fees. When you leave, that offer does not travel with you. Northwest Registered Agent publishes that it files the change and pays the state fee when you appoint them — useful if the successor is Northwest, not a free exit from LegalZoom alone.
What this page is not
Questions
How do I leave LegalZoom as my registered agent?
Appoint a new registered agent (or lawfully serve yourself where your state allows), file the change with your secretary of state, then cancel LegalZoom RA through My Account or Customer Care and give LegalZoom satisfactory written proof that LegalZoom is no longer listed as agent. Their Supplemental RA Terms say billing continues until that proof arrives. Filing Address does not file the change for you.
Can I just cancel LegalZoom registered agent in My Account?
Cancellation starts the exit, but it is not enough alone. After you cancel, LegalZoom’s Supplemental RA Terms keep the service active until you assign another agent (or dissolve/inactivate the entity) and provide written proof by the next billing date. Without that proof, charges continue.
How much is LegalZoom registered agent?
LegalZoom’s registered-agent overview lists $249/year (retrieved 18 September 2026 CT). Three years of vendor RA-only fees at that rate are $747. Formation Basic at $0 does not include RA. Terms allow fee increases with at least 30 days’ notice before a renewal term.
Does LegalZoom pay the state fee when I leave?
Their marketing covers paperwork and state fees when you switch to LegalZoom as the new agent. Leaving is the opposite direction: you (or your new agent) pay the state’s change fee. Northwest publishes that it files the change and pays the state fee when you appoint them. ZenBusiness and Bizee did not get an invented “we pay the SOS fee” claim on our retrieval dates.
What proof does LegalZoom want?
Their Supplemental RA Terms require satisfactory written proof that the LegalZoom Registered Agent is no longer listed — notified by phone, email, or My Account. Typical evidence is a filed change stamped by the state, an annual report showing the new agent, or a state website screenshot of the updated record. Dissolution or inactive status needs its own written proof if you are shutting down instead of switching.
Related: LegalZoom renewal · change of agent · 3-year cost · Northwest vs LegalZoom · vendor compare · ZenBusiness renewal · leave ZenBusiness RA · leave Bizee RA.
Sources
Official vendor, secretary of state, or statute pages. Third-party “best of” lists were not used. Retrieval dates are on each row.
- LegalZoom registered agent overview ($249/year; switch-to-LZ paperwork + state fees covered) Retrieved 2026-09-28.
- LegalZoom Supplemental Terms of Service for Registered Agent Service (auto-renew; cancel via My Account or phone; proof of successor required or billing continues; updated July 10, 2026) Retrieved 2026-09-28.
- LegalZoom formation / registered agent pages Retrieved 2026-08-30.
- Northwest Registered Agent — registered agent ($125/year; $100/year per state at 5+) Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- Northwest — change of agent (files change paperwork and pays required state filing fee when appointed; $125/year) Retrieved 2026-10-07.
- ZenBusiness — registered agent ($99 first year; renews $199/year; FAQ: separate registered agent in each state where the business is registered or qualified) Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- Bizee — registered agent (standalone $149/year; free year 1 with formation packages) Retrieved 2026-10-12.