Our 2026 Texas ranking, best first, is Mainstay Filing ($199), Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199) and TX Registered Agent.org ($199). Budget $300 for the state plus $397 to $597 in service fees over three years.
By the LLC Answered editorial team
Quick reply
Short reply
Fee at the state
$300, paid up front
Recurring cost
A free report
Registered agent
Must be named
Hire in this order
Mainstay Filing, Texas Registered Agent.ai then TX Registered Agent.org
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are identical whichever you pick.
What people ask here
What will an LLC cost me in this state?
The state's share is $300. A service takes $199 more in the first year.
After three years, the state has charged $300 in total. source sos.texas.gov (October 2026) on file
Which form creates an LLC, and who gets it?
You send the Certificate of Formation (Form 205) to the Texas Secretary of State, and that single filing creates the LLC.
Where the law says so: Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005. source sos.texas.gov (October 2026) on file
Is naming a registered agent a legal duty?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent.
Stay current on the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, filed every year at no cost. The state gives the due date as May 15; do not miss it.
Yes. Filing on your own costs just the state's fees, which total $300 over three years.
Expect to pay $397 to $597 across three years if you hire.
What decided the ranking?
It comes down to paperwork covered, where Mainstay Filing does best.
We weigh three-year price first and paperwork covered second, then three smaller tests.
One detail decides it: the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report sits inside the first pick's price, while Texas Registered Agent.ai leaves it with you.
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.
Short Q&A
Does the price include the EIN application?
Only one pick bundles it, Mainstay Filing; Texas Registered Agent.ai adds $99, TX Registered Agent.org adds $99.
Will I owe more if I am late?
A late filing carries $50.
After three years, what has each cost?
Three-year costs are Mainstay Filing, $597; Texas Registered Agent.ai, $397; TX Registered Agent.org, $397, and state fees are separate.
How do you know these fees?
We link each state fee to its official page and take service prices from the company sites, dated.
Can I skip hiring one?
Hiring is optional. The law asks for a filing, not for a filer.
Which one do you pick in Texas?
Mainstay Filing, because $199 a year pays for forming the LLC, serving as its registered agent and filing the Public Information Report, and it renews at $199. Then Texas Registered Agent.ai and TX Registered Agent.org.