Plain talk · Iowa
$199 up front, then $99 a year
IA Registered Agent.org is our favorite here, because $199 over the state fee gets you registered, and renewals run $99.
It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, and cost is what we weigh first.
Your money buys
The good
Trade-offs
$199 up front, then $149 a year
Number 2 is Mainstay Filing: its $199 fee is the same in every state, and the first registered agent year comes with it.
At $100 more than IA Registered Agent.org over three years, it lands lower on our list.
You skip the registered agent charge in year one and pay $149 a year after.
Your money buys
The good
Trade-offs
$199 up front, then $99 a year
Why Iowa Registered Agent.co third? Honestly, $199 over the state fee gets you registered, and renewals run $99.
The same published prices as IA Registered Agent.org, so go with whichever you like.
Your money buys
The good
Trade-offs
| # | Company | First year | After year one | Over three years | Covers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Your Iowa registration, filed; agent included for year one | Take a look at IA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | registration paperwork done; registered agent, included the first year; A flat nationwide fee | Take a look at Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Iowa Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Your Iowa registration, filed; agent included for year one | Take a look at Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Register first, then do business in Iowa, if your LLC came from another state.
If you skip registering, you could face it can't be a plaintiff (Iowa Code 489.902).
check it at sos.iowa.gov, October 2026
Budget $100 for the state and $199 for help.
Three years of state charges: $130. check it at sos.iowa.gov, October 2026
The paper is the Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement (Form 635_0010), and it goes to the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services.
The filing needs certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation from the past 90 days.
After registering, count on the biennial report: $30.
Mark the date: January 1 to April 1 of each odd-numbered year.
It comes down to cost across three years, and IA Registered Agent.org is best at it.
We start with cost across three years, move to work taken off your hands, and finish with three smaller checks.
On cost, IA Registered Agent.org takes it at $397, a saving of $100 against Mainstay Filing.
| Item | The answer | Check it |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | $100 | check it at sos.iowa.gov, October 2026 |
| Document from your home state | Yes, 90 days | check it at sos.iowa.gov, October 2026 |
| Biennial report | $30 | check it at sos.iowa.gov, October 2026 |
| Paid to the state by year three | $130 | Our total of the lines above |
You do. Two states mean two sets of rules, and a one-state company stops at its border while Mainstay Filing keeps going.
Over three years you'd pay $397 at IA Registered Agent.org, $497 at Mainstay Filing, $397 at Iowa Registered Agent.co, not counting state fees.
Official Iowa sources on the state side and company pricing on the service side, all dated.
Not required. What you'd pay a service is for convenience.
Yes. Every pick prepares and files it, and the state fee is the same no matter who you pick.
IA Registered Agent.org comes first: registering costs $199 above the state fee and the agent is covered in year one, then $99 a year. Then come Mainstay Filing and Iowa Registered Agent.co.