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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · California

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in California the order reads CA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199). CA Registered Agent.org posts the top score: $199 beyond the state fee to register in California, agent renewing at $99.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. CA Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just California

9.2 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $99

CA Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 plus the state fee and a year of agent for service of process service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Its three-year total undercuts Mainstay Filing, which earns real points on cost.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • First-year agent for service of process service

Strengths

  • $199 service fee plus the registration fee
  • Agent for service of process service for year one is in the price
  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent

Watch for

  • Limited to California; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. CA Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #2 Fifty-state coverage

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.9 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee ($269 due at checkout), then the agent at $149 a year from year two

Mainstay Filing takes second spot: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your agent for service of process and the same price in every state.

After the free first year the agent costs $149 a year, in this state or any other.

CA Registered Agent.org undercuts Mainstay Filing by $100 over three years, and that gap costs Mainstay points on cost.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • Same price across all fifty states
  • $199 service fee, with the state fee on top
  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free

Watch for

  • Agent renewal of $149 is $50 more than CA Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #3 Low renewal

3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for registrations in California only

8.6 Editor score out of 10
$199 service fee plus the state fee; agent $99 yearly from year two

California Registered Agent.ai takes third spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of agent for service of process service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

The plan puts the company at an in-state street address and scans papers served on it to your online account.

Price for price and feature for feature, CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Foreign registration done for you
  • One year of agent for service of process service

Strengths

  • Registration at $199, with the state fee added
  • A year of agent for service of process service is built in
  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent

Watch for

  • Limited to California; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. California Registered Agent.ai: the full write-up

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 CA Registered Agent.org 9.2 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing 8.9 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 California Registered Agent.ai 8.6 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Every number out of 10 is an editorial mark from Formation Scorecard, produced with the criteria on How we rank, not a customer rating.

California foreign registration service cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Agent paid in year one
CA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated
California Registered Agent.ai $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add California's $70 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Why the order falls this way

Formation Scorecard scores cost across three years and coverage of the price at 25% each. Renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity account for the other 50%. In California the tie was broken by cost across three years.

CA Registered Agent.org tallies $397 across three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing. Both include the first agent year, so the renewal price after year one broke the tie.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in California: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5) to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities, with a $70 state fee. California additionally requires certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, dated no more than 180 days before filing.

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

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, issued no earlier than 180 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state agent for service of process; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $70, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 and its $20 fee.

The price of ignoring California registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in California courts until it registers (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

California foreign registration service: quick questions

Does California make an outside LLC register before operating?

Yes, when the company does business there. Until it registers, the state's courts are closed to its lawsuits.

What will foreign registration run in California?

Expect $70 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in California?

The form goes to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities; its exact name is in the facts above.

Is a home-state certificate part of the California filing?

Yes, the state wants certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, no older than 180 days.

Does a registered company still need a agent for service of process?

Yes, a agent for service of process with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for California?

CA Registered Agent.org, since the California registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.

Keep reading

Where the figures come from

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