Our 2026 California ranking, best first, is CA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199). California takes $70 to file, and service fees run $397 to $597 over three years.
By the LLC Answered editorial team
In brief
Short reply
Charged by the state
$70, not recurring
Upkeep
$20 biennially + $800 annual minimum LLC tax
Agent for service of process
Yes, by law
Our ranking
CA Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing then California Registered Agent.ai
The California ranking
Order set by our five tests: three-year cost first, then what the price covers.
#1Hire first
1. CA Registered Agent.org: best for holding down three-year cost
$199 to form, $99 each year after
CA Registered Agent.org comes first, as the opening cost is $199, first agent year included, followed by $99 annually.
Of the two, it has the lower three-year cost, which is what we weigh first.
Responsibility for the Statement of Information rests with you.
What is bundled
State filing done
A first year of agent service
Pluses
Agent renews at $99
Forms the LLC for $199
No agent charge for year one
Downsides
Filing the Statement of Information stays on your to-do list
Charges $99 for the EIN application
#2Any state you add
2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who want upkeep done for them
$199 a year, plus the $70 state fee
Mainstay Filing is number 2, because it is alone on this list in filing the Statement of Information for you, and that comes inside $199 a year.
The three-year gap to CA Registered Agent.org is $200, which explains the lower rank.
The Statement of Information is part of the service, and only the state's $20 is added.
What is bundled
Articles prepared and filed
Agent for service of process round the year
Statement of Information looked after by Mainstay
We mean the EIN: applied for
State fees billed as charged
Pluses
EIN application included
$199 at renewal
$199 a year, everything listed
Downsides
Renews $100 higher than CA Registered Agent.org
#3One-state pick
3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for another local choice
$199 to form, $99 each year after
California Registered Agent.ai comes next since the opening cost is $199, first agent year included, followed by $99 annually.
Responsibility for the Statement of Information rests with you.
Its prices match CA Registered Agent.org exactly, so either works.
What is bundled
State filing done
A first year of agent service
Pluses
Agent renews at $99
No agent charge for year one
Forms the LLC for $199
Downsides
Filing the Statement of Information stays on your to-do list
$800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.
Where does the formation paperwork go?
One document does it: the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), filed with the California Secretary of State.
Governing law: Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01. see leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, as of August 2026, state page
Am I obliged to name an agent for service of process?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
A California resident, or a corporation registered with the Secretary of State as a corporate agent under Corporations Code § 1505. A business cannot act as its own agent for service of process.
One filing repeats, the Statement of Information, on a two-year cycle, at $20 a time. In the state's words it is due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially, which is easy to forget. The state also charges a yearly minimum tax.
Yes. Owners who skip the service pay only $2,490 to the state over three years.
What a service adds is $397 to $597 over three years, and Mainstay Filing includes the reports in that price, in return for doing the filings.
What put the top pick on top?
CA Registered Agent.org leads on three-year price, a 36% test.
Five tests set the order: three-year price (36%), paperwork covered (29%), straightforward pricing (15%), renewal behavior (10%) and states served (10%).
$397 for three years at CA Registered Agent.org is $200 below Mainstay Filing.