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Just the facts · Texas

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Texas (2026): Our Honest Take

In Texas for 2026, we like Mainstay Filing ($199), TX Registered Agent.org ($199) and Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199), ranked from first to last. You'll pay the state $750 to register whoever files, plus $397 to $497 in service fees across three years.
From the LLC Plainly editorial team

The gist

Fee to register
$750
Need a certificate from home?
Not required
What comes next
Nothing, Public Information Report
Best first
Mainstay Filing, TX Registered Agent.org then Texas Registered Agent.ai

Who we'd use in Texas

Wondering about the order? How we pick explains it.
Number one

1. Mainstay Filing: best for adding several states

$199 up front, then $149 a year

Number one is Mainstay Filing, since it charges $199 plus state fees and waives the registered agent for the first year.

Going with TX Registered Agent.org saves $100 over three years, but only a Texas company can use it.

Expect $149 a year for the registered agent after the first year, wherever you are.

Your money buys

  • Application prepared and sent
  • Registered agent, covered for year one
  • No change in price by state

The good

  • No agent charge the first year
  • It's the same fee in every state
  • Registers you for $199

Trade-offs

  • TX Registered Agent.org charges $50 less to renew the agent
Local to Texas

2. TX Registered Agent.org: best for one extra state

$199 up front, then $99 a year

Number 2 is TX Registered Agent.org: the service fees come to $397 across three years.

Your money buys

  • Your Texas registration, filed
  • Year-one registered agent

The good

  • $199 on top of the state's fee
  • Agent covered in year one
  • The agent renews at $99

Trade-offs

  • You'll need another company for your home state
Local to Texas

3. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for a low agent renewal

$199 up front, then $99 a year

Number 3 is Texas Registered Agent.ai: the service fees come to $397 across three years.

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

Your money buys

  • Your Texas registration, filed
  • Year-one registered agent

The good

  • The agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 on top of the state's fee

Trade-offs

  • You'll need another company for your home state

At a glance

#CompanyFirst yearRenews at3 yearsCovers
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497application prepared and sent; registered agent, covered for year one; no change in price by stateHead to Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2TX Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Your Texas registration, filed; Year-one registered agentHead to TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Texas Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Your Texas registration, filed; Year-one registered agentHead to Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
We read these prices on November 13, 2026. Three years means year one plus two renewals.

The questions, one by one

Do I have to register an LLC from another state?

You register with the Texas Secretary of State before your LLC starts doing business in Texas.

If you skip registering, you could face it can't be a plaintiff (BOC 9.051(b)).

comptroller.texas.gov · October 2026 · checked

How much should I put aside to register?

State fee $750; service $199 extra.

Add up the state's fees across three years and it's $750. sos.state.tx.us · October 2026 · checked

Where does the registration go?

Once the Texas Secretary of State approves the Application for Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 304), you're registered.

A home-state certificate isn't part of this filing.

What keeps the registration active?

The state wants a Public Information Report later on, priced at no charge.

The due date reads: May 15.

Why is the list in this order?

Mainstay Filing is strongest on work taken off your hands, which counts for 31% of our score.

33% of the score is cost across three years, 31% is work taken off your hands, and three smaller checks split ties.

An out-of-state LLC lives in two states, and the first pick can look after both.

Our method, in full

Texas rules at a glance

ItemAmount or ruleWhere we found it
Registration fee$750sos.state.tx.us · October 2026 · checked
Good standing proofNot requiredcomptroller.texas.gov · October 2026 · checked
What the state gets in three years$750The rows above, added up
How we get the bottom line: filing + report in year two + report in year three + any minimum tax. Open-ended costs are described in the text only.

Also worth knowing

Do I still need an agent where I formed the LLC?

You do. Two states mean two sets of rules, and a one-state company stops at its border while Mainstay Filing keeps going.

What's each pick's bill across three years?

Mainstay Filing $497; TX Registered Agent.org $397; Texas Registered Agent.ai $397, not counting state fees.

What do the numbers rest on?

Texas's fee schedules and forms for state costs; each company's price page for service costs.

Do I need to hire a service?

You can skip it. The state's fee is the same whichever way you file.

Is filing included in what they sell?

Yes. Every pick prepares and files it, and the state fee is the same no matter who you pick.

Which foreign registration service would you hire in Texas?

Mainstay Filing comes first: $199 over the state fee gets you registered, with the registered agent free in year one and $149 a year after. Then come TX Registered Agent.org and Texas Registered Agent.ai.

Sources, with dates

  1. Texas yearly filing: Annual report (comptroller.texas.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  2. Texas report due date (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), last confirmed August 2026
  3. Tex (sos.texas.gov), last confirmed August 2026
  4. Texas registered agent statute (sos.texas.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  5. Texas Secretary of State, foreign (sos.state.tx.us), last confirmed October 2026
  6. Form 304 instructions (sos.state.tx.us), last confirmed October 2026
  7. Business Organizations Code, Chapter 9 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  8. Texas Comptroller, franchise tax (comptroller.texas.gov), last confirmed October 2026
  9. Texas Business Organizations Code, Chapter (tcss.legis.texas.gov), last confirmed November 2026
  10. Mainstay Filing Texas service page, read November 13, 2026
  11. TX Registered Agent.org pricing page, read November 13, 2026
  12. Texas Registered Agent.ai pricing page, read November 13, 2026