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Plain CharterLLC questions, short answers.

Answered simply · California

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026), Plainly Answered

Our 2026 answer for California: California Registered Agent.ai ($199), CA Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), best first. Count on $70 for the state and $397 to $497 in service fees by year three.

By the Plain Charter editorial team ·

Plainly put

Registration fee
$70
Certificate required?
Yes (180 days maximum age)
What recurs
$20, Statement of Information, Form LLC-12
Our order
California Registered Agent.ai, CA Registered Agent.org then Mainstay Filing

The California picks

Our order, explained on how we choose.
1Top pick

1. California Registered Agent.ai: best for one extra state

$199 plus the $70 state fee; renewal $99

California Registered Agent.ai leads our list: it charges $199 plus the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Over three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and cost is the biggest factor in our order.

The price covers

  • Application prepared and sent
  • Agent service for year one

Upsides

  • Agent free for year one
  • Then $99 yearly
  • Registers for $199

What to weigh

  • No coverage outside the state
Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2California only

2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for another local option

$199 plus the $70 state fee; renewal $99

Pick number 2, CA Registered Agent.org, makes the list because it charges $199 plus the state fee, agent included for year one, then $99 a year.

Price for price it ties California Registered Agent.ai.

The price covers

  • Application prepared and sent
  • Agent service for year one

Upsides

  • Then $99 yearly
  • Registers for $199
  • Agent free for year one

What to weigh

  • No coverage outside the state
Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Works in any state

3. Mainstay Filing: best for growing companies

$199 plus the $70 state fee; renewal $149

Mainstay Filing ranks third, because the registration costs $199 plus state fees, with the agent for service of process free for year one.

Three years cost $100 more than California Registered Agent.ai.

Year two on, plan on $149 a year for the agent for service of process.

The price covers

  • Registration, filed
  • The same fee in every state

Upsides

  • $199 over the state fee
  • Ready for the next state

What to weigh

  • $50 a year more for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Side-by-side prices

#ProviderFirst yearYear two on3-year costIncludes
1California Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397application prepared and sent; agent service for year oneVisit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2CA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397application prepared and sent; agent service for year oneVisit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Registration, filed; the same fee in every stateVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Service fees only, from each company's prices on November 12, 2026. State fees are the same with every pick.

What owners ask

Who has to register here?

Before it does business in California, an LLC formed elsewhere registers with the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.

Skipping it can mean the courts stay closed to its claims (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

ftb.ca.gov (October 2026)

What does registering cost?

$70 in state fees and $199 for a service.

Three years of state fees, registration included: $2,490. bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov (October 2026)

Which form, and where does it go?

It takes one filing, the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), which goes to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.

Include certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state at most 180 days.

Is there a yearly filing?

You keep filing the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 ($20).

When: Within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years.

Why these three?

California Registered Agent.ai wins on three-year cost, our 35% criterion.

The two biggest criteria are three-year cost and what the price takes off your plate, at 35% and 30%.

Three years with California Registered Agent.ai: $397. Mainstay Filing is $100 more.

How we choose

Requirements, cited

ItemAnswerSource
Fee to register$70bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov (October 2026)
Good standing proofYes, 180 daysftb.ca.gov (October 2026)
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12$20ftb.ca.gov (October 2026)
Tax each year$800 a yearftb.ca.gov (October 2026)
Paid to the state by year 3$2,490Added up from the above
Filing fee, the reports in years two and three, then any minimum tax: that is the three-year line.

People also ask

What about the home state?

The home state rules still apply there. A provider in every state, such as Mainstay Filing, can cover both.

What is the three-year cost of each?

California Registered Agent.ai $397, CA Registered Agent.org $397 and Mainstay Filing $497, before state fees.

What sources do you use?

Official schedules for state fees, company pricing for service fees, all dated on this page.

Do I need to hire a service?

No law requires one. A service is a convenience.

Will these services file it?

Any of the picks can file it for you at the same state fee.

What is the best foreign registration service for California?

California Registered Agent.ai tops our list because the filing costs $199 and the yearly agent renewal is $99; CA Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing come next.

Sources

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