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Foreign registration worksheets · California

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026): Worked Prices

After the sums, Mainstay Filing ($199), CA Registered Agent.org ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199) lead the 2026 California table of foreign registration services, in that order. California takes $70 to register. Add the service rows, $397 to $497 over three years, to that.
Worked by the Formation Math editorial team

↓ Sorted by: Rows follow a five-part score in which three-year total counts 42% and coverage 28%

California in brief

Foreign filing charge $70 bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov (checked October 2026) as the source
First-year results $199 Provider charges only
Three-year spread $397 to $497 Service fees only, 3 years
State sum, years 1 to 3 $2,490 Left out of the score
Year the lines meet Does not occur No row ever passes another

The California rows

Service prices only. Add the $70 state fee to any row; it is identical for all.

1
Highest score

1. Mainstay Filing: best for adding a second or third state

$199 to register, $149 each year after
Year-1 price $199
Price after year 1 $149/yr
Sum of 3 years $497

Mainstay Filing takes row one because the California filing at $199 plus state fees, with the first agent year covered.

The $100 three-year premium over CA Registered Agent.org buys coverage, and coverage decides this ranking.

From year two: $149 per year for the agent, everywhere.

The price buys

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • A price that does not change by state

Adds up

  • Covers all fifty states
  • $199 for the registration

Does not add up

  • CA Registered Agent.org charges $50 less for the agent
2
Local row

2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for the smallest annual agent total

$199 to register, $99 each year after
Year-1 price $199
Price after year 1 $99/yr
Sum of 3 years $397

CA Registered Agent.org scores second. Working: registration in California costs $199 here, with a $99 agent renewal after that.

The price buys

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • Year-one agent service

Adds up

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Year-one agent covered
  • Starts at $199

Does not add up

  • Nothing outside this state
3
Local row

3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a second in-state filer

$199 to register, $99 each year after
Year-1 price $199
Price after year 1 $99/yr
Sum of 3 years $397

California Registered Agent.ai scores third. Working: registration in California costs $199 here, with a $99 agent renewal after that.

Year one and renewal both match CA Registered Agent.org.

The price buys

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • Year-one agent service

Adds up

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • Year-one agent covered
  • Starts at $199

Does not add up

  • Nothing outside this state

Year-by-year sums

No. Provider Year 1 total Total at year 2 Total at year 3 Total at year 5
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $348 $497 $795 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 CA Registered Agent.org $199 $298 $397 $595 Visit CA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 California Registered Agent.ai $199 $298 $397 $595 Visit California Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Service fees only, using each company's prices as read on November 13, 2026. No row passes another within ten years.

Try your own number of years

The calculator adds year one and the renewals for every row once you choose the years.

3 years of fees add to Mainstay Filing $497, CA Registered Agent.org $397, California Registered Agent.ai $397. Row with the smallest sum: CA Registered Agent.org.

State fees with citations

Term Value Where it comes from
Cost to register $70 bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov (checked October 2026) as the source
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 $20 ftb.ca.gov (checked October 2026) as the source
Minimum tax each year $800 yearly ftb.ca.gov (checked October 2026) as the source
State side, 3 years $2,490 Adds the rows above

Working: filing fee, plus the recurring report in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. The sum is the three-year state line.

What settled the order

Mainstay Filing scored above CA Registered Agent.org on items covered per dollar, a 28% term.

With the LLC in two states, coverage decided it.

California foreign LLC registration fee and rules, from the source

California wants an LLC formed elsewhere to register before it does business there. The filing is the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), sent to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities with $70. It requires certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state issued within 180 days.

An unregistered LLC may face no lawsuits as plaintiff in California courts until it registers (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

Cited at: ftb.ca.gov (checked October 2026) as the source

Filing it yourself, worked out

Cost of filing yourself: $2,490 to the state over three years. Service totals of $397 to $497 are the price of avoiding the forms.

Questions

How much does California take to register an out-of-state LLC?

$70 for the filing, plus $199 for a service in year one.

What do the services add up to over three years?

Between $397 to $497 for three years of service.

Which form does the registering?

The form is Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), and the California Secretary of State, Business Entities receives it.

Does California ask for a paper from the home state?

Yes, and it must be under 180 days old: certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state.

What recurring filing comes after registration?

The Statement of Information, Form LLC-12, which costs $20.

In what year does one service pass another in total cost?

No break-even inside ten years.

Which foreign registration service is best value in California?

From the top: Mainstay Filing, CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai.

Related worksheets

Foreign registration worksheets, all 50 states Best foreign registration services overall The method

Inputs and sources

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