California board, ranked
Each quote shows year one, the price from year two and the three-year reading. California's $70 is added to any quote.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for one fee, wherever you register
Ranks first
$199 on top of California's $70; renewal $149
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $149/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $497
Mainstay Filing leads the board because $199 on top of the state fee, a free first agent for service of process year, then $149 a year.
Its three-year reading is $100 above California Registered Agent.ai's, and the extra filings it handles outweigh that in the ranking.
Agent quote from year two: $149 a year, in any state.
Quote includes
- Registration done for you
- Good in all fifty states
Reads well
- All fifty states covered
- $199 added to California's fee
Reads poorly
- $50 more each year for the agent
2
2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for the smallest annual agent quote
In-state provider
$199 on top of California's $70; renewal $99
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
California Registered Agent.ai holds spot 2 because registration with California through this service costs $199, with a $99 agent renewal afterward.
Quote includes
- Registration done for you
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- $199 plus the state fee
- Year-one agent covered
- A modest $99 renewal
Reads poorly
- A second provider is needed at home
3
3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for one added registration
In-state provider
$199 on top of California's $70; renewal $99
- Opening quote
- $199
- Quote from year 2
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $397
CA Registered Agent.org holds spot 3 because registration with California through this service costs $199, with a $99 agent renewal afterward.
No price difference from California Registered Agent.ai.
Quote includes
- Registration done for you
- Agent service for the first year
Reads well
- Year-one agent covered
- $199 plus the state fee
- A modest $99 renewal
Reads poorly
- A second provider is needed at home
Cumulative cost by year
Prices as published November 13, 2026; year one, then renewals added in turn. Readings keep one order for ten years.
Try another time span
The calculator adds year one and renewals for each quote once you set the years.
California state fees (official)
The three-year state reading adds the filing fee, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Costs with no fixed amount, such as newspaper publication, are noted but not summed.
How the ranking came out
For California, the deciding term was filings handled per dollar (30% of the ranking), where Mainstay Filing came out ahead.
With the LLC in two states, coverage decided it.
California foreign LLC registration fee and rules, quoted from the source
The California Secretary of State, Business Entities receives $70 and the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5) from out-of-state LLCs active in California. Attach certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state no older than 180 days.
Operating unregistered can bring California courts will not hear its claims (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).
As written: ftb.ca.gov (logged October 2026) for the record
The state-fees-only case
File it yourself and only state fees remain: $2,490 over three years. The service quotes add $397 to $497 for the paperwork.
About these readings
What is the price of registering a foreign LLC with California?
$70 at the state office, and our quotes add $199.
What do the quotes add up to over three years?
Service readings after three years: $397 to $497.
Which form carries out the registration?
The filing is Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), lodged at the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.
Is a document from the home state required by California?
Yes, no more than 180 days old: certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state.
Which recurring filing follows registration?
The Statement of Information, Form LLC-12, billed at $20.
When does one quote pass another in total cost?
They hold the same order for ten years.
Which foreign registration service ranks first for California?
From the top of the board: Mainstay Filing, California Registered Agent.ai and CA Registered Agent.org.
Logged references
- August 2026 log entry for California Secretary of State, from sos.ca.gov.
- August 2026 log entry for California Secretary of State, from bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for California yearly filing: Statement of, from sos.ca.gov.
- August 2026 log entry for Cal, from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for California registered agent statute, from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for California Secretary of State, foreign, from sos.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for Form LLC-5, from bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for Corporations Code section 17708.03, from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for Revenue and Taxation Code section, from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing, from ftb.ca.gov.
- November 2026 log entry for California Corporations Code 17708.07, from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for California other cost: Annual LLC, from ftb.ca.gov.
- November 13, 2026 sample from the Mainstay Filing California service page
- November 13, 2026 sample from the California Registered Agent.ai pricing page
- November 13, 2026 sample from the CA Registered Agent.org pricing page