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Q&A · California

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026), Answered

In 2026, we rank California Registered Agent.ai ($199), CA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), in that order, as the foreign registration services for California. The state's registration fee is $70 whoever files, and services total $397 to $497 across three years.
By the LLC Answered editorial team

Quick reply

Short reply
Fee at the state
$70
Attach a certificate?
Needed (180 days, no older)
Later filing
$20, Statement of Information, Form LLC-12
Who to hire
California Registered Agent.ai, CA Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

Hire these in California

The scoring is explained on this page.

#1 Hire first

1. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a budget registration

Service $199 plus $70 to the state; agent renewal $99

California Registered Agent.ai is our answer because the fee is $199 with the first year of agent service thrown in, then $99 annually.

A lower three-year cost than Mainstay Filing puts it first for a company that stays put.

What is bundled

  • Application sent for you
  • Agent for year one

Pluses

  • Service fee $199
  • Agent renews at $99
  • Year one of agent service is part of the price

Downsides

  • One-state service
Go to California Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#2 California choice

2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for another local choice

Service $199 plus $70 to the state; agent renewal $99

Why CA Registered Agent.org second? Simply put, the fee is $199 with the first year of agent service thrown in, then $99 annually.

California Registered Agent.ai charges the same, which makes this a near tie.

What is bundled

  • Application sent for you
  • Agent for year one

Pluses

  • Agent renews at $99
  • Year one of agent service is part of the price
  • Service fee $199

Downsides

  • One-state service
Go to CA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
#3 Any state you add

3. Mainstay Filing: best for registering in many states

Service $199 plus $70 to the state; agent renewal $149

Third place: Mainstay Filing, where the $199 fee is identical everywhere, and the first year of agent for service of process service comes with it.

California Registered Agent.ai is $100 less across three years, enough to rank higher.

From year two, expect $149 a year for the agent for service of process.

What is bundled

  • State registration handled
  • No change in price by state

Pluses

  • $199 plus state fee
  • One price anywhere

Downsides

  • Renewal $50 above California Registered Agent.ai
Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The picks compared

#CompanyStart priceRenewal3-year costPrice buys
1 California Registered Agent.ai $199$99/yr$397application sent for you; agent for year one Go to California Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 CA Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397application sent for you; agent for year one Go to CA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497state registration handled; no change in price by state Go to Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Read November 13, 2026 from company pricing; three years = year one plus two renewals.

The questions, one by one

When does an LLC from elsewhere have to register?

Registration comes first for an out-of-state LLC planning business in California.

Without registering, expect its own lawsuits are blocked (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

ftb.ca.gov | October 2026 | verified

What will registration set me back?

State: $70. Service: $199 on top.

The state's three-year fees add up to $2,490. bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov | October 2026 | verified

Which form do I file, and where?

Submit one document, the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.

The filing needs certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state not older than 180 days.

What does staying registered cost?

A recurring Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 ($20).

The schedule says Within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years.

How did you rank them?

California Registered Agent.ai is strongest on three-year price, which counts 36% in our ranking.

65% of the score comes from three-year price and paperwork covered.

You keep $100 over three years by choosing California Registered Agent.ai instead of Mainstay Filing.

The five tests

What California requires

QuestionAmount or ruleCited at
Application fee $70bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov | October 2026 | verified
Home-state document Needed, 180 daysftb.ca.gov | October 2026 | verified
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 $20ftb.ca.gov | October 2026 | verified
Yearly minimum tax $800 a yearftb.ca.gov | October 2026 | verified
State fees, first three years $2,490Sum of the rows above

How the total works: filing + report in year two + report in year three + any minimum tax. Open-ended costs are mentioned in the text only.

Also asked

What about the state where I formed the LLC?

You still need one at home. Mainstay Filing works in both states, while a local company works in one.

What does each charge over three years?

$397 for California Registered Agent.ai, $397 for CA Registered Agent.org, $497 for Mainstay Filing for the services alone.

What are your sources?

State side: California's published fee schedules and forms. Service side: the prices each company lists.

Must I hire a service?

Nothing requires it. Think of a service as paid convenience.

Who submits the registration?

Yes. Each pick prepares and files it, and the state fee does not depend on which you choose.

Who ranks first in California?

California Registered Agent.ai first: its service fees reach $397 over three years. CA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing follow.

Keep going

Sources, prices and dates

  1. sos.ca.gov | California Secretary of State | August 2026
  2. bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov | California Secretary of State | August 2026
  3. sos.ca.gov | California yearly filing: Statement of | October 2026
  4. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | Cal | August 2026
  5. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | California registered agent statute | October 2026
  6. sos.ca.gov | California Secretary of State, foreign | October 2026
  7. bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov | Form LLC-5 | October 2026
  8. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | Corporations Code section 17708.03 | October 2026
  9. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | Revenue and Taxation Code section | October 2026
  10. ftb.ca.gov | Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing | October 2026
  11. leginfo.legislature.ca.gov | California Corporations Code 17708.07 | November 2026
  12. ftb.ca.gov | California other cost: Annual LLC | October 2026
  13. pricing page at California Registered Agent.ai, looked at November 13, 2026
  14. pricing page at CA Registered Agent.org, looked at November 13, 2026
  15. California service page at Mainstay Filing, looked at November 13, 2026