California: quotes, best value first
Each quote shows year one, the price from year two and the three-year reading. Your choice of agent leaves state fees unchanged.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a quote that is the same in every state
Leads the board
$149 yearly, renewing at $149
- Opening quote
- $149
- Renewal quote
- $149/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $447
For California, Mainstay Filing gives the best value: $149 a year, $149 at renewal, with one account for all states.
Its three-year reading is $150 above CA Registered Agent.org's, and the extra filings it handles outweigh that in the ranking.
Quote includes
- An office address inside the state
- Three government mailings a year, scanned free of charge
- Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs
Reads well
- Fifty-state reach
- $149 yearly, no increase
Reads poorly
- A yearly gap of $50
- You still do the reports
2
2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a single state to cover
One-state plan
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
- Opening quote
- $99
- Renewal quote
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $297
CA Registered Agent.org fills quote 2: one state, $99 a year, $99 when it renews.
Quote includes
- An office address located in the state
- Served papers appear in your login
Reads well
- $99 annually, no increase
- Annual price under the national quote
Reads poorly
- Another state means another agent
- Leaves the Statement of Information out
3
3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for keeping everything in state
One-state plan
$99 yearly, renewing at $99
- Opening quote
- $99
- Renewal quote
- $99/yr
- Reading at year 3
- $297
California Registered Agent.ai fills quote 3: one state, $99 a year, $99 when it renews.
No price difference from CA Registered Agent.org.
Quote includes
- An office address located in the state
- Served papers appear in your login
Reads well
- Annual price under the national quote
- $99 annually, no increase
Reads poorly
- Another state means another agent
- Leaves the Statement of Information out
Running totals at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years
Year one plus renewals, using prices sampled November 13, 2026. No quote passes another within ten years.
Break-even test
How long will the company run? Set the years and compare.
California fee schedule
Every state row cites its official source. The three-year total combines the filing, the second-year and third-year reports and any minimum tax.
Notes on the order
For California, the deciding term was filings handled per dollar (30% of the ranking), where Mainstay Filing came out ahead.
One agent for any state beat the one-state quote.
California agent for service of process requirements, quoted from the source (California Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
A California resident, or a corporation registered with the Secretary of State as a corporate agent under Corporations Code § 1505. A business cannot act as its own agent for service of process. (Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13)
An individual agent's California street address goes on the public record. A registered corporate agent's address is already on file with the state and is not repeated in the company's filing.
Quoted text: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (logged October 2026) for the record
Filing it yourself, measured
With no service the agent line reads zero, provided you qualify, and the state charges the same. Services run $99 to $149 a year.
Questions
What does a California registered agent charge each year?
Roughly $99 to $149 yearly.
What do three years of agent service cost?
$297 to $447 across the quotes, not counting state fees.
Must a California LLC keep an agent for service of process on record?
Yes. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Is the owner allowed to be the agent for service of process?
If you qualify, yes; the requirements section has the rules.
What does the state bill the LLC every year?
The recurring line is the Statement of Information at $20 every other year (last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially). Add the minimum tax.
When does one quote pass another in total cost?
The quotes do not cross in the first ten years.
Which registered agent ranks best in California?
By the five-part test the California quotes run Mainstay Filing, CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai, led by Mainstay Filing on filings handled per dollar.
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 other cost: Annual LLC, from ftb.ca.gov.
- October 2026 log entry for California other cost: Annual LLC, from ftb.ca.gov.
- Logged November 13, 2026: Mainstay Filing California service page
- Logged November 13, 2026: CA Registered Agent.org pricing page
- Logged November 13, 2026: California Registered Agent.ai pricing page