Filing Address

Registered agents, mailboxes, and the 3-year bill.

Pennsylvania · Department of State

Pennsylvania wants a registered office — not a registered agent.

Formation funnels still sell a “Pennsylvania registered agent.” The Department of State’s own FAQ says the Commonwealth does not utilize registered agents: records show a registered office address. 15 Pa.C.S. §8825 still makes every LLC continuously maintain that office in this Commonwealth. The substitute when you have no Pennsylvania street address of your own is a Commercial Registered Office Provider under §109 — plus a $5 change filing and a new $7 annual report on a September 30 LLC clock.

Filing Address research

Partner links on this page are affiliate links. FTC disclosure. Not legal advice. Prices retrieved 30 August 2026.

What §8825, §109, and §135(c) say

Pennsylvania registered-office rules we cite
ItemPublished rule
Continuous registered office§8825(a): every limited liability company shall have and continuously maintain in this Commonwealth a registered office, which may, but need not, be the same as its place of business.
No “registered agent” on DOS recordsDOS FAQ: “Does Pennsylvania utilize registered agents? No. Our records indicate a registered office address.” Service may go to that address; court-ordered service on the Secretary of the Commonwealth is a separate $70 path under the fee schedule.
Street / rural route — not PO box alone§135(c)(1): when Title 15 requires an address, submit an actual street address or rural route box number; the Department shall refuse a document that sets forth only a post office box address. County of the registered office is also required (§135(c)(2)).
CROP in lieu of your own address§8825(c) / §109(a): list “c/o” plus a Commercial Registered Office Provider that has filed (and not withdrawn) a statement of address of commercial registered office, plus a county for venue. DOS: contract with the CROP before listing it; listing without a contract can draw civil and criminal penalties.
CROP ≠ registered agentDOS CROP page: a CROP is not the same as a registered agent. Many states require designating an agent; Pennsylvania does not. A CROP may also be authorized in writing to receive service under Pa.R.C.P. 423/424, but that authorization is not part of the DOS registration record.
How to change the office§8825(b): before a location change is effective, amend the certificate of organization, include the change in an annual report under §146, or file a certificate of change of registered office stating the company name and the then / new street addresses.
Statute: 15 Pa.C.S. §8825, §109, and §135(c), retrieved 8 September 2026. DOS policy language: Commercial Registered Office Providers and the Business FAQ, same day.

Fees we can put in a table

Pennsylvania LLC registered-office and annual-report dollars (selected)
InstrumentFeeNote
Change of registered office$5§153(a)(14)(ii) and DOS fees / DSCB:15-1507/5507/8625/8825: $5. Agent-filed change of registered office is also $5 under §153(a)(14)(i). Separate from the annual report.
Annual report (for-profit LLC)$7§153(a)(18): $7 (electronic or paper). Nonprofit-purpose LLCs are $0 on the DOS annual-report schedule. Online filing at file.dos.pa.gov is what DOS recommends.
LLC annual-report window—§146(c)(2): before October 1 each year the report is due — January 1 through September 30 on the DOS annual-report page. Corporations use a June 30 clock; partnerships and trusts use December 31. Act 122 repealed the old decennial report; annual reports begin calendar year 2025.
Change via annual report—§8825(b) and §146(e): you may include a registered-office change in the annual report; a differing office on the report updates the Department’s records when the report is filed.
Statutory fees: 15 Pa.C.S. §153 ($5 change; $7 annual report), retrieved 8 September 2026. Form and schedule confirmations: DOS Fees and Payments, DSCB change-of-registered-office form ($5), and the Annual Reports page. Due window: §146(c)(2).

What this page does not do

It does not quote all of Title 15, does not list every Commercial Registered Office Provider on the DOS roster, and does not pick a CROP for you. Change filing compared with TX/FL/CA/WY/NY/DE/IL/GA/NC: change of agent.

Questions

Does a Pennsylvania LLC need a registered agent?

The Department of State’s FAQ (retrieved 8 September 2026) answers “Does Pennsylvania utilize registered agents?” with “No.” Records show a registered office address. 15 Pa.C.S. §8825 still requires every LLC to continuously maintain a registered office in this Commonwealth. Many vendors still sell a “Pennsylvania registered agent” product — that is usually a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP) under §109, not a statutory agent designation like other states.

Can the Pennsylvania registered office be a P.O. Box alone?

No. 15 Pa.C.S. §135(c)(1) requires an actual street address or rural route box number; the Department must refuse a document that sets forth only a post office box address. The DOS Commercial Registered Office Providers page repeats the same rule and cites §135(c)(1).

What is a Commercial Registered Office Provider (CROP)?

Under 15 Pa.C.S. §109, a filer may list “c/o” plus the name of an association that has filed a statement of address of commercial registered office, plus a county for venue, in lieu of spelling out its own registered office street address. The DOS CROP page says Pennsylvania does not require designating a registered agent as part of registration, that a CROP is not the same thing, and that you should have a contract with the CROP before listing it.

How much is a Pennsylvania change of registered office, and when is the LLC annual report due?

Change of registered office (association-filed or agent-filed) is $5 under 15 Pa.C.S. §153(a)(14) and the DOS fees page / DSCB:15-1507/5507/8625/8825 form (retrieved 8 September 2026). You may also update the office on the annual report under §8825(b) / §146. The LLC annual report fee is $7 (§153(a)(18)); domestic and foreign LLCs file between January 1 and September 30 (§146(c)(2) / DOS annual-report page). Act 122 of 2022 repealed the old decennial report; the annual report begins in calendar year 2025.

Sources

Official vendor, secretary of state, or statute pages. Third-party “best of” lists were not used. Retrieval dates are on each row.

  1. 15 Pa.C.S. §8825 (continuous registered office; change; CROP alternative) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  2. 15 Pa.C.S. §109 (commercial registered office provider in lieu of registered address) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  3. 15 Pa.C.S. §135(c) (street/rural route required; PO box alone refused; county) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  4. 15 Pa.C.S. §146 (annual report; LLC due before October 1; office change via report) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  5. 15 Pa.C.S. §153 (fees: change of registered office $5; annual report $7) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  6. PA DOS — Commercial Registered Office Providers (street/rural route; CROP ≠ registered agent) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  7. PA DOS FAQ — Does Pennsylvania utilize registered agents? No; annual report $7; LLC window Jan 1–Sep 30 Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  8. PA DOS — Fees and Payments (Change of Registered Office $5; annual report $7) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  9. PA DOS — Annual Reports (Act 122; LLC Jan 1–Sep 30; $7; decennial repealed) Retrieved 2026-09-08.
  10. PA DOS — Statement/Certificate of Change of Registered Office (DSCB:15-1507/5507/8625/8825; fee $5) Retrieved 2026-09-08.