Which virtual address does your LLC actually need?
What your state asks for when you form the LLC, and which address services fit what you need it for, with what each one says about banks in its own words.
What California asks for when you form an LLC
To keep your home address off public records for an LLC in California, the lowest cost that fits is Northwest Mail Forwarding, $49 over 12 months.
Prices are each provider's advertised starting price on the date read; city and location tiers run higher. Totals respect each provider's minimum term and include setup fees where the provider publishes them. What a provider says about banks is quoted from its own page: your bank decides what it accepts.
Compare two or three side by side
Price, minimum term, setup fee, mail scanning, phone, lease, and what each says about banks. The state, length and need follow your choices above.
| California, 12 months |  Northwest Mail Forwarding$49over 12 monthsLowest of theseVisit Northwest | Northwest Virtual Office$99over 12 months$50 more than NorthwestVisit Northwest |
|---|---|---|
| Fits what you picked | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $49/yr | $99/yr |
| Minimum term | Billed yearly | Billed yearly |
| Setup fee | None listed | None listed |
| Mail scanning | Included | Included |
| Phone line | Not in its plans | Included |
| Office lease | No lease | Month-to-month lease |
| What it says about banks | In its own words: “Because our locations are real commercial street addresses, they can be used on business formation documents, state filings, websites, marketing materials, and many banking applications.” Source | In its own words: “When you sign up for Northwest Virtual Office service, you’ll receive an office lease, which you can show to a bank if they require it to open an account. However, it’s a good idea to ask your bank what documents they require, since different banks have slightly different requirements.” Source |
| Good to know |
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Northwest Mail ForwardingLowest of these$49 over 12 months
Price
Minimum term
Setup fee
Mail scanning
Phone line
Office lease
What it says about banks
Good to know
- Same-day open and scan
- Unique suite number
- 15 mail scans a year; state and legal mail scanned free
Northwest Virtual Office$50 more$99 over 12 months
Price
Minimum term
Setup fee
Mail scanning
Phone line
Office lease
What it says about banks
Good to know
- Real office lease
- Free business phone number
- Conference rooms to rent
- In 24 states
- 20 mail scans a year
Three addresses, three jobs
An LLC can have up to three addresses on file, and they do different jobs. The registered agent address is where the state and the courts send legal papers. The principal office is where the business is run from, and in most states it goes on the public record. The mailing address is where ordinary mail goes. A virtual address or virtual office is most often bought to fill the second and third so a home address stays off the public record.
The states differ more than most guides admit. Of the 50 states and territories whose rules we have read, some ask for no principal office at all when you form the LLC, New York asks only for a county, and a few want the office inside the state. Only Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Puerto Rico and Virginia say in writing that the principal office may be your registered agent's address; the rest do not say either way.
Related
- Which address a bank will accept for an LLC accountWhat banks ask for, and why a mailbox address is often turned down.
- How to get a virtual address or mailboxThe steps, Form 1583, and how a mailbox differs from a registered agent.
- Keeping your home address off the recordWhich LLC filings make an address public.
- LLC cost calculatorForming the LLC: state fees plus each formation company.
Questions
Can I use my registered agent's address as my business address?
For state filings it depends on the state, and most states' rules do not say. Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Puerto Rico and Virginia say in writing that it may be, in some cases with conditions; pick a state above to see its rule and source. Separately, some address services' own terms forbid using their address as a registered office.
Will my bank accept a virtual address?
Your bank decides. The finder quotes what each provider says about banks in its own words: Northwest makes a positive statement and still tells customers to ask their bank, Alliance says in its terms that it does not guarantee acceptance, Davinci speaks only of using its address for a line of credit, and the others say nothing about banks on their own pages.
Why do some totals have a six-month minimum?
Alliance and Davinci both start with a six-month term in their terms of service, then run month to month.
Sources and method
Every state rule above links to the statute or state form it comes from. Where a state's law is silent, the finder says so rather than guessing; where we could not read a state's current rules, it says that. Provider prices, plans, terms and bank statements were read on each provider's own pages, and each one is kept with a quote and the date read so it can be checked again. Where a provider's own pages disagree with each other, we follow its terms.