Registered agent price tables - California
3 Best Registered Agents in California (2026): Price Table
Table order: Cost 40%, coverage 30%, three smaller columns (how the table is sorted)
Key cells
- Required by law?Yesleginfo.legislature.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
- Price band, year one$99 to $149Annual figure
- Year-3 range$297 to $447Provider charges for three years
- Statement of Information$20 every second yearsos.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
- First swapEntries keep their placesOrder is stable for ten years
The California entries
-
1. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who may open in more states
Top of the table- Year-1 cell$149
- Renewal cell$149/yr
- Three-year cell$447
Year-1 cell $149, renewal cell $149
For California, Mainstay Filing is the best value because $149 a year now and again wherever the company registers next.
CA Registered Agent.org is $150 lower at year three; the 30% weight on coverage still places this entry first.
Price buys
- The registered office address
- Up to three government mailings a year, scanned at no extra charge
- Covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
In its favor
- $149 every year
- The same price in all fifty states
Against it
- $50 a year above CA Registered Agent.org
- Does not file the yearly report
See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. -
2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a single state to cover
California only- Year-1 cell$99
- Renewal cell$99/yr
- Three-year cell$297
Year-1 cell $99, renewal cell $99
Place 2 belongs to CA Registered Agent.org: a single state at $99 a year, $99 after renewal.
Price buys
- A street address inside the state
- Scans of papers served on the LLC
In its favor
- $99 a year, no change at renewal
- Undercuts Mainstay Filing every year
Against it
- Another state means another agent
- Leaves out the Statement of Information
See CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. -
3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a local alternative
California only- Year-1 cell$99
- Renewal cell$99/yr
- Three-year cell$297
Year-1 cell $99, renewal cell $99
Place 3 belongs to California Registered Agent.ai: a single state at $99 a year, $99 after renewal.
CA Registered Agent.org lists identical prices.
Price buys
- A street address inside the state
- Scans of papers served on the LLC
In its favor
- $99 a year, no change at renewal
- Undercuts Mainstay Filing every year
Against it
- Another state means another agent
- Leaves out the Statement of Information
See California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Cumulative cost by year
| No. | Entry | Year 1 cell | Year 2 cell | Year 3 cell | Year 5 cell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $149 | $298 | $447 | $745 | See Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | CA Registered Agent.org | $99 | $198 | $297 | $495 | See CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | California Registered Agent.ai | $99 | $198 | $297 | $495 | See California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Cost calculator
The government side, California
| Charge | Cell | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Articles filing | $70 | leginfo.legislature.ca.gov [read August 2026, table note] |
| Statement of Information | $20 every two years | sos.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note] |
| Late fee | $250 | sos.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note] |
| Minimum tax per year | $800 each year | ftb.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note] |
| State fees over three years | $2,490 | Sum of the lines above |
The sort behind California
For California, the deciding column was filing work per row (30% of the sort), where Mainstay Filing finished ahead.
Coverage put it ahead of CA Registered Agent.org.
California agent for service of process requirements, quoted from the official source (California Secretary of State)
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. Look up Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13.
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.
Quoted text: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov [read October 2026, table note]
State fees only
Owners who satisfy the address rule may serve for free; the entries above price that convenience at $99 to $149 a year.
Questions
What does a California registered agent cost per year?
These entries charge $99 to $149 per year.
What do three years of agent service cost?
Service totals after three years: $297 to $447.
Does the law make a California LLC keep an agent for service of process?
Yes, it must. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Is the owner permitted to be the agent for service of process?
You can, provided you meet both the address and eligibility rules.
What does the state charge the LLC every year?
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.
When does one entry pass another in total cost?
The entries do not swap places in the first ten years.
Which registered agent is the best value in California?
Mainstay Filing ranks first, ahead of CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai.
More tables
Where this came from
- sos.ca.gov is the reference behind California Secretary of State, read in August 2026.
- bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov is the reference behind California Secretary of State, read in August 2026.
- sos.ca.gov is the reference behind California yearly filing: Statement of, read in October 2026.
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the reference behind Cal, read in August 2026.
- leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the reference behind California registered agent statute, read in October 2026.
- ftb.ca.gov is the reference behind California other cost: Annual LLC, read in October 2026.
- ftb.ca.gov is the reference behind California other cost: Annual LLC, read in October 2026.
- Mainstay Filing California service page page as of November 13, 2026
- CA Registered Agent.org pricing page page as of November 13, 2026
- California Registered Agent.ai pricing page page as of November 13, 2026