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LLC formation price tables - California

3 Best LLC Services in California (2026): Price Table

Reading down the 2026 California table, the order is Mainstay Filing ($199), California Registered Agent.ai ($199) and CA Registered Agent.org ($199). Spend on services over three years sits in a $397 to $597 band, and the state's $70 sits outside it.

Compiled by the LLC Price Tables editorial team ·

Table order: Cost 40%, coverage 30%, three smaller columns (how the table is sorted)

California: the main figures

  • Government formation fee$70leginfo.legislature.ca.gov [read August 2026, table note]
  • First-year cells$199The state fee is separate
  • Cells at year three$397 to $597First year and both renewals
  • State total, years 1 to 3$2,490Filing, reports and any minimum tax
  • First swapNeverPlaces hold through year 10

California: prices, best value first

Every price is copied from the company's own pricing page. The $70 state fee has to be added separately.

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing: best for formation and upkeep on one invoice

    Top of the table
    • Year-1 cell$199
    • Cell for later years$199/yr
    • Three-year cell$597

    $199 a year, with $70 paid to the state

    For California, Mainstay Filing is the best value because $199 a year pays for the filing, the agent for service of process and the Statement of Information, and year two is $199.

    California Registered Agent.ai would save $200 over three years and leave more filing work with you.

    The Statement of Information is taken care of each time, with California's $20 billed at cost.

    Price buys

    • Formation paperwork, completed
    • Agent for service of process for twelve months
    • Statement of Information, filed when due
    • EIN application prepared
    • Government fee passed on unchanged

    In its favor

    • $199 in year two
    • $199 per year, everything included
    • EIN application covered

    Against it

    • Yearly premium over California Registered Agent.ai: $100
    See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

  2. 2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for the smallest opening bill

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

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

    California Registered Agent.ai is ranked second. Forming costs $199, year-one agent included, and each later year is $99.

    The Statement of Information stays your responsibility.

    Price buys

    • The California formation filing
    • Agent service for the first year

    In its favor

    • Year-one agent covered
    • $99 a year after that
    • Starts at $199

    Against it

    • Statement of Information sits outside what you pay
    • It bills $99 for the EIN application
    See California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

  3. 3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for owners who prepare their own reports

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

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

    CA Registered Agent.org is ranked third. Forming costs $199, year-one agent included, and each later year is $99.

    The Statement of Information stays your responsibility.

    Year-one and renewal cells both equal California Registered Agent.ai's.

    Price buys

    • The California formation filing
    • Agent service for the first year

    In its favor

    • Year-one agent covered
    • $99 a year after that
    • Starts at $199

    Against it

    • Statement of Information sits outside what you pay
    • It bills $99 for the EIN application
    See CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Totals over time

No.EntryYear 1 cellYear 2 cellYear 3 cellYear 5 cell
1Mainstay Filing$199$398$597$995See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2California Registered Agent.ai$199$298$397$595See California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3CA Registered Agent.org$199$298$397$595See CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as published November 13, 2026; year one first, then each renewal added. None of the entries swap places in ten years.

Try other years

How many years will the company run? Set them and compare, EIN application optional.
Total for 3 years: Mainstay Filing $597, California Registered Agent.ai $397, CA Registered Agent.org $397. Lowest at that point: California Registered Agent.ai.

California fee list

ChargeCellSource
Filing to form the LLC$70leginfo.legislature.ca.gov [read August 2026, table note]
Statement of Information$20 every two yearssos.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
Late fee$250sos.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
Annual tax$800 each yearftb.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
State fees summed, years 1 to 3$2,490Filing, reports and any tax
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.

The sort behind California

Mainstay Filing takes filing work per row, worth 30%, with California Registered Agent.ai close behind.

The Statement of Information column is what moved the bundle to the top.

If you need the EIN application, the entries swap in year 2, as Mainstay Filing moves past California Registered Agent.ai.

California LLC filing fee and requirements, quoted from the official source

The LLC comes into being once the California Secretary of State takes the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) and $70. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

  • $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov [read August 2026, table note]

State fees only

$2,490 in state fees is the least three years can cost. The table shows what each service piles on ($397 to $597).

Questions

What do LLC formation services charge in California?

Year one costs $199 before the $70 filing fee.

What do these entries add up to over three years?

$397 to $597 in service fees, with state fees on top.

How much does California charge to file an LLC?

$70, and the document to file is the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1).

What does California charge each year after formation?

Statement of Information: $20 per two-year cycle, deadline as the state words it: last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. The yearly minimum tax applies too.

Is the EIN application included in the price?

Mainstay Filing = no charge; California Registered Agent.ai = $99 extra; CA Registered Agent.org = $99 extra.

When does one entry pass another in total cost?

The entries do not swap places in the first ten years.

Which LLC formation service is the best value in California?

By the five-column test the California order is Mainstay Filing, California Registered Agent.ai and CA Registered Agent.org, led by Mainstay Filing on filing work per row.

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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 other cost: Annual LLC draw on ftb.ca.gov, read October 2026.
  7. Cells for California other cost: Annual LLC draw on ftb.ca.gov, read October 2026.
  8. Mainstay Filing California service page page as of November 13, 2026
  9. California Registered Agent.ai pricing page page as of November 13, 2026
  10. CA Registered Agent.org pricing page page as of November 13, 2026