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Just the facts · California

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026), Simply Ranked

In California for 2026, we like Mainstay Filing ($199), CA Registered Agent.org ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199), ranked from first to last. Plan on $70 for the state and $397 to $497 for services over three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

In a nutshell

Cost at the state
$70
Attach a certificate?
Yes, attach it (180 days maximum)
Later on
$20, Statement of Information, Form LLC-12
Our picks
Mainstay Filing, CA Registered Agent.org then California Registered Agent.ai

Who we'd use in California

The scoring is spelled out on this page.
Our top pick

1. Mainstay Filing: best for LLCs expanding state by state

$199 to register and $149 for the agent each year after that

Number one is Mainstay Filing, since you pay $199 plus California's fee, skip the agent for service of process charge in year one and then pay $149 a year.

Over three years you'd pay $100 more than with CA Registered Agent.org, and that buys service in every state.

Starting in year two, the agent for service of process runs $149 a year.

Your money buys

  • Your registration, filed
  • Fifty states, one fee

The good

  • Fifty states covered
  • Registers you for $199

Trade-offs

  • Its agent renewal of $149 is $50 higher than CA Registered Agent.org
One-state pick

2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent fee

$199 to register and $99 for the agent each year after that

Second place goes to CA Registered Agent.org, where the service fees come to $397 across three years.

Your money buys

  • Application sent in for you
  • A year of agent service to start

The good

  • Year one of the agent comes with it
  • $99 a year from year two
  • $199 on top of the state's fee

Trade-offs

  • Works in California alone, so your home state needs its own agent
One-state pick

3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for another local choice

$199 to register and $99 for the agent each year after that

Third place goes to California Registered Agent.ai, where the service fees come to $397 across three years.

Its prices match CA Registered Agent.org exactly, so either one works.

Your money buys

  • Application sent in for you
  • A year of agent service to start

The good

  • $199 on top of the state's fee
  • $99 a year from year two
  • Year one of the agent comes with it

Trade-offs

  • Works in California alone, so your home state needs its own agent

The numbers side by side

#CompanyFirst yearRenewalOver three yearsCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497your registration, filed; fifty states, one feeHead to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2CA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397application sent in for you; A year of agent service to startHead to CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3California Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397application sent in for you; A year of agent service to startHead to California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices from November 13, 2026, before state fees.

Questions and answers

Do I have to register an LLC from another state?

Register first, then do business in California, if your LLC came from another state.

Not registering can cost you its access to California courts as a plaintiff is cut off (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

check it at ftb.ca.gov, October 2026

What's the price of foreign registration?

$70 goes to the state, and a service costs $199 on top.

Three years of state charges: $2,490. check it at bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, October 2026

Which form do I file, and where?

The California Secretary of State, Business Entities handles the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), and one filing does it.

You'll send in certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state newer than 180 days.

Any ongoing fees?

Statement of Information, Form LLC-12, and the cost is $20.

Mark the date: Within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years.

Why did the first pick win?

It's work taken off your hands (31% of the score), and Mainstay Filing does best there.

Together, cost across three years and work taken off your hands make up 64% of the score.

CA Registered Agent.org only covers California, so you'd need someone else at home.

Read the method

California: the rules, cited

ItemThe answerCheck it
Cost to register$70check it at bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, October 2026
Document from your home stateYes, attach it, 180 dayscheck it at ftb.ca.gov, October 2026
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12$20check it at ftb.ca.gov, October 2026
State minimum tax$800 a yearcheck it at ftb.ca.gov, October 2026
Three-year state total$2,490Our total of the lines above
Each figure above links to the state's official page. The final line is our addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, and it leaves out variable costs.

A few more

Do I need an agent in each state?

Most likely yes. A national provider can look after the home state and this one together.

What does each one cost over three years?

Three-year totals are Mainstay Filing, $497; CA Registered Agent.org, $397; California Registered Agent.ai, $397, and state fees are separate.

What are the sources?

Every state fee links to its official page. Every service price is read from the company's own site.

Is a filing service a must?

No law says you must hire anyone.

Is filing included in what they sell?

All of them do. The state fee doesn't change.

Which foreign registration service would you hire in California?

Start with Mainstay Filing, followed by CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai.

Official sources and price pages

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