Skip to content
The Formation Desk

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration picks · California

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026)

The The Formation Desk call for foreign registration services in California in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), California Registered Agent.ai ($199) and CA Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing takes the call: it files the California registration for $199 and serves as your agent for service of process, free in year one, then $149 a year.
Written by The Formation Desk editorial team
1
Our top pick in California

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies working in more than one state

$199 plus the state fee ($269 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Editorial score 9.4 out of 10

The desk picks Mainstay Filing: $199 on top of state fees in any state, with the first year of agent for service of process service included.

The first agent year is free, and after that the agent runs $149 a year, in any state.

Over three years Mainstay runs $100 more than California Registered Agent.ai, and the desk thinks the wider coverage is worth it.

In the price

  • Your foreign registration, handled
  • Papers served on the company scanned and uploaded on the same business day, free

Strengths

  • $199 service fee, state fee on top
  • Same price in all fifty states
  • Free scans of served papers on the same business day

Cons

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 above California Registered Agent.ai
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing up close
2
Best for a California-only company

2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for adding only California

$199 for the service, state fee on top; agent $99 a year after year one

Editorial score 9.0 out of 10

Runner-up, California Registered Agent.ai: $199 plus the state fee, one year of agent for service of process service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

You get an in-state street address as the registered office, and papers served there are scanned into your account.

In the price

  • The registration filing
  • Agent for service of process service for year one

Strengths

  • $99 yearly to keep the agent
  • Includes a first year as your agent for service of process
  • $199 service fee, then the state fee

Cons

  • California only; your home state needs its own agent
  • EIN application will cost you $99 more
Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. California Registered Agent.ai up close
3
Best value here

3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for California registrations only

A $199 service fee plus state fees, then $99 a year for the agent

Editorial score 8.8 out of 10

Third, CA Registered Agent.org: $199 plus the state fee, one year of agent for service of process service included, then $99 a year for the agent.

You get an in-state street address as the registered office, and papers served there are scanned into your account.

CA Registered Agent.org lines up with California Registered Agent.ai on price and plan features, so little divides them.

In the price

  • The registration filing
  • A first year of agent for service of process service

Strengths

  • $99 yearly to keep the agent
  • Registration at $199 before state fees
  • Agent for service of process service for year one is covered

Cons

  • California only; your home state needs its own agent
  • EIN application will cost you $99 more
Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. CA Registered Agent.org up close

The desk's 3 picks in brief

Pick Service Desk score Service fee Year two Good for Visit
1 Mainstay Filing 9.4 $199 $149/yr Companies doing business in several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 California Registered Agent.ai 9.0 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 CA Registered Agent.org 8.8 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our editors assign each score out of 10 using the criteria on How we rank. Customer ratings play no part.

What a California foreign registration service costs in 2026: year one, renewal and the three-year bill

Service Year one Year two Year three Bill over three years Agent covered in year one
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated
California Registered Agent.ai $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
CA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Every price here was read off the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. California's $70 registration fee comes on top of every row and is left out of these totals.

Behind the order

Work the price removes made the call in California. The desk weighs spend over three years and work the price removes at 33% each and gives what renewal looks like, fit with the state and plain price display the remaining 34%.

Foreign registration means two states, and one provider at one price in both won on coverage, ahead of California Registered Agent.ai.

The full criteria and weights are on How we rank.

Registering a foreign LLC in California: fee, form and who gets it

To register, the company files the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5) with the California Secretary of State, Business Entities and pays the state's $70. California also wants certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, issued within 180 days of the filing.

From then on the company owes the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 ($20), due within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years.

What to pull together first

  • Certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, issued in the 180 days before you file.
  • The company name exactly as the home state spells it, and when it was formed.
  • An in-state agent for service of process; any service the desk picked can fill that seat.
  • $70 for the state, paid when you file.
  • A date on your calendar for the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 and its $20 fee.

What it costs to ignore California registration

Until it registers, an outside LLC has no right to sue in California courts (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

California foreign registration service: reader questions

Does an LLC from elsewhere have to register to operate in California?

Yes, once it starts doing business there. Until it registers it cannot sue in the state's courts.

What will foreign registration cost you in California?

$70 goes to the state and $199 to the service.

What does California call its foreign registration form?

It goes to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities, and the form's title is on the facts line above.

Will California ask for something from your home state?

Yes: certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, issued in the last 180 days.

Do you still need a agent for service of process after you register?

Yes. Keep a agent for service of process with a street address in the state on file.

Who is our pick for foreign registration in California?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 plus the state's own fee, the agent for service of process free for year one and the same price in every state.

See also

Where the numbers came from

  1. California Secretary of State, last checked August 2026
  2. California Secretary of State, last checked August 2026
  3. California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source, last checked October 2026
  4. Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01, last checked August 2026
  5. California registered agent statute, last checked October 2026
  6. California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms, last checked October 2026
  7. Form LLC-5, last checked October 2026
  8. Corporations Code section 17708.03, last checked October 2026
  9. Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135, last checked October 2026
  10. Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements, last checked October 2026
  11. California Corporations Code 17708.07, last checked November 2026
  12. Mainstay Filing: California service page, as of November 12, 2026
  13. California Registered Agent.ai: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026
  14. CA Registered Agent.org: pricing and service pages, as of November 12, 2026