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Foreign registration price tables - California

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026): Price Table

The best-value foreign registration services in California for 2026 are CA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199), ranked here from first to third. Registering in California carries a $70 state fee, and service charges add $397 to $497 over three years.

Compiled by the LLC Price Tables editorial team ·

Table order: Entries are placed by five columns; cost carries 40% and coverage 30%

Quick reference

  • Government registration fee$70bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
  • Year-1 range$199The state fee is separate
  • Three-year cells$397 to $497Opening year plus two more
  • What the state takes in 3 years$2,490Unaffected by provider choice
  • Entries swap inNeverOrder is stable for ten years

California: prices, best value first

Columns give year one, the price after that and the three-year total. Add California's $70 to whichever entry you pick.

  1. 1. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a basic registration

    Leads the table
    • Year-1 cell$199
    • Cell for later years$99/yr
    • Three-year cell$397

    $199 for registration, $99 for the agent after that

    CA Registered Agent.org sits first, since registering with California through this service costs $199, followed by a $99 agent renewal.

    On the heaviest column, three-year cost, it beats Mainstay Filing.

    Price buys

    • Registration paperwork, filed
    • Agent service for the first year

    In its favor

    • No agent charge in year one
    • Starts at $199
    • $99 a year for the agent after that

    Against it

    • Limited to one state
    See CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

  2. 2. Mainstay Filing: best for the same cost in each state

    Any state
    • Year-1 cell$199
    • Cell for later years$149/yr
    • Three-year cell$497

    $199 for registration, $149 for the agent after that

    Mainstay Filing is ranked second. A service charge of $199 that is the same in every state, with the first agent year thrown in.

    At year three it sits $100 behind CA Registered Agent.org.

    After the free year, the agent bills $149 annually.

    Price buys

    • Registration paperwork, filed
    • A price that holds across states

    In its favor

    • $199 for the registration
    • Same fee wherever you register

    Against it

    • Agent renews at $149, $50 above CA Registered Agent.org
    See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

  3. 3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for another in-state registrant

    Single-state service
    • Year-1 cell$199
    • Cell for later years$99/yr
    • Three-year cell$397

    $199 for registration, $99 for the agent after that

    California Registered Agent.ai holds place 3 because registering with California through this service costs $199, followed by a $99 agent renewal.

    Year-one and renewal cells both equal CA Registered Agent.org's.

    Price buys

    • Registration paperwork, filed
    • Agent service for the first year

    In its favor

    • $99 a year for the agent after that
    • Starts at $199
    • No agent charge in year one

    Against it

    • Limited to one state
    See California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Year-by-year totals

No.EntryYear 1 cellYear 2 cellYear 3 cellYear 5 cell
1CA Registered Agent.org$199$298$397$595See CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$348$497$795See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3California Registered Agent.ai$199$298$397$595See California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, taken from each company's prices as of November 13, 2026. No entry passes another within ten years.

Break-even check

How many years will the company run? Set them and compare.
Total for 3 years: CA Registered Agent.org $397, Mainstay Filing $497, California Registered Agent.ai $397. Lowest of the totals: CA Registered Agent.org.

The government side, California

ChargeCellSource
Foreign registration filing$70bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12$20ftb.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
State minimum tax$800 each yearftb.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
State fees over three years$2,490Our sum
We total three kinds of state charge: the filing, the next two reports and any yearly minimum tax. Costs with no stated amount, publication among them, stay out of that number.

Notes on the order

Weight 40%: three-year row total. That column separated the top two.

CA Registered Agent.org totals $397 at year three, $100 under Mainstay Filing.

California foreign LLC registration fee and rules, quoted from the official source

The California Secretary of State, Business Entities receives $70 and the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5) from out-of-state LLCs operating in California. The filing needs certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state issued inside 180 days.

An unregistered LLC can face no way to sue as plaintiff in California courts until it registers (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

Quoted text: ftb.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]

The no-service cell

$2,490 in state fees is the least three years can cost. The table shows what each service piles on ($397 to $497).

Questions

What does registering a foreign LLC in California cost?

$70 at the state office, and a service fee of $199 if you use one.

What do these entries add up to over three years?

Year one plus two renewals comes to $397 to $497.

Which form carries out the registration?

Use Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), lodged with the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.

Must a document from the home state accompany the California filing?

Yes, one issued within 180 days: certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state.

Which recurring filing follows registration?

It is the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12, charged at $20.

When does one entry pass another in total cost?

No swap in ten years; no entry passes another.

Which foreign registration service is the best value for California?

CA Registered Agent.org, which wins on three-year row total. Mainstay Filing and California Registered Agent.ai follow.

See also

Where this came from

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