3 Best Registered Agents in California (2026), Answered
Who should you hire in California for registered agents in 2026: we say Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), California Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and CA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), ranked best first. First year: $99 to $149. Three years: $297 to $447.
By the LLC Answered editorial team
Quick reply
Short reply
Must you name one?
Must be named
Name used by the state
Agent for service of process
What services charge
$99 to $149 for each year
Best first
Mainstay Filing, California Registered Agent.ai then CA Registered Agent.org
Mainstay Filing comes first, as its fee does not vary by state: $149 a year, and $149 on renewal.
California Registered Agent.ai saves $150 across three years. The trade is coverage outside California.
What is bundled
Registered office on file with the state
Three government mailings a year, scanned at no charge
The same service covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
Pluses
$149 a year, no increase
Covers every state you add
Downsides
Costs $50 more each year
Does not file the yearly report
#2For California
2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for LLCs that never leave the state
Costs $99 a year and renews for $99
Why California Registered Agent.ai second? Simply put, for $99 a year you get an agent based in the state.
What is bundled
In-state street address
Scanned copies of legal papers
Pluses
Under Mainstay Filing on yearly price
$99 a year, no increase
Downsides
California only
Filing the Statement of Information stays on your to-do list
#3For California
3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for owners who like a local firm
Costs $99 a year and renews for $99
Why CA Registered Agent.org third? Simply put, for $99 a year you get an agent based in the state.
Price for price it ties California Registered Agent.ai.
What is bundled
In-state street address
Scanned copies of legal papers
Pluses
Under Mainstay Filing on yearly price
$99 a year, no increase
Downsides
California only
Filing the Statement of Information stays on your to-do list
The picks compared
#
Who
First year
Later years
Cost over 3 years
Price buys
1
Mainstay Filing
$149
$149/yr
$447
registered office on file with the state; three government mailings a year, scanned at no charge; The same service covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
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.
Satisfy the rule and you can name yourself, with no agent fee.
How much does an agent charge?
Yearly prices start at $99 to $149; the three-year total is $297 to $447.
Whoever you name, the state fees stay the same.
What does the agent handle day to day?
It serves as the LLC's California mailing point for court papers and state letters.
Plan on the Statement of Information ($20, biennial). It falls due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially; put the date in your calendar. Budget for the minimum tax every year too.
The final row is a sum, not a state figure: filing fee, then years two and three of reports, then minimum tax where it applies.
More quick questions
Do I have to pay an agent?
Yes, as long as your address and status fit what the state requires.
Which address counts?
An individual agent's California street address goes on the public record. A registered corporate agent's address is already on file with the state and is not repeated in the company's filing.
After three years, what has each cost?
Totals: Mainstay Filing at $447, California Registered Agent.ai at $297, CA Registered Agent.org at $297
How do you know these fees?
Fees set by the state come from California's own publications; what services charge comes from their published prices.
Can I skip hiring one?
Not at all. Owners can file with the state directly; a service is there to save you the work and to act as agent.
Which registered agent should I hire in California?
Mainstay Filing, because a single account at $149 a year serves whichever state the LLC registers in. Then California Registered Agent.ai and CA Registered Agent.org.