Skip to content
Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Florida

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Florida (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Florida the order reads FL Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Florida Registered Agent.io ($199). FL Registered Agent.org posts the top score: the Florida registration at $199, first agent year included, then $99 a year.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Our top pick

1. FL Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Florida

9.3 Editor score out of 10
$199 on top of the state fee, then the agent at $99 a year from year two

FL Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Florida, agent renewing at $99.

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

Across three years it costs less than Mainstay Filing, and cost is one of our two heaviest criteria.

What you get

  • Florida registration filed for you
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • Agent at $99 a year from year two
  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • Registration at $199, with the state fee added

Watch for

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

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.9 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added ($324 today); agent renewing at $149

Mainstay Filing takes second spot: $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

Year one of agent service is on the house; later years cost $149 anywhere.

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

What you get

  • The foreign registration, handled for you
  • Registered agent service free in year one
  • Same-business-day scans of service of process at no charge

Strengths

  • Same price across all fifty states
  • Registered agent free for year one
  • $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 FL Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #3 Lower renewal than Mainstay

3. Florida Registered Agent.io: best for registrations in Florida only

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

Florida Registered Agent.io takes third spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Florida, agent renewing at $99.

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

Florida Registered Agent.io mirrors FL Registered Agent.org on price and plan features, so little divides them.

What you get

  • Florida registration filed for you
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • A year of registered agent service is built in
  • A $199 service fee before the state's
  • $99 per year for the agent after the first

Watch for

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

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 FL Registered Agent.org 9.3 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit FL 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 Florida Registered Agent.io 8.6 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Florida Registered Agent.ioPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Formation Scorecard assigns each mark out of 10 itself, using the weighted criteria on How we rank. No customer ratings feed in.

Florida 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
FL Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
Florida Registered Agent.io $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Florida's $125 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

What broke the tie

Cost across three years decided the Florida card. The method puts 25% on cost across three years and 25% on coverage of the price, then shares 50% among renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity.

FL 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 Florida: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Application by Foreign Limited Liability Company for Authorization to Transact Business in Florida (Form CR2E027) to the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section, with a $125 state fee. Florida additionally requires certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, dated no more than 90 days before filing.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($138.75), due between January 1 and May 1.

Gather these before filing

  • Certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, issued no earlier than 90 days before filing.
  • The company name exactly as the home state has it, plus the date it was formed.
  • An in-state registered agent; any service on this card can fill that role.
  • The state fee of $125, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $138.75 fee.

The price of ignoring Florida registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Florida courts until it registers (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(1)). Its contracts remain valid (Fla. Stat. 605.0904(4)). A civil penalty from $500 up to $1,000 may be imposed. Fees for the unregistered period come due as well.

Florida foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Florida 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 Florida?

Expect $125 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Florida?

The form goes to the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section; its exact name is in the facts above.

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

Yes, the state wants certificate of existence (or record of similar import) from the jurisdiction of formation, no older than 90 days.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Yes, a registered agent with an in-state street address has to stay on file.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Florida?

FL Registered Agent.org, since $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent service, then $99 yearly for the agent.

See also

Where the figures come from

  1. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, as of August 2026
  2. Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, as of August 2026
  3. Florida yearly filing: Annual report: fee, official source, as of October 2026
  4. Florida report due date, as of August 2026
  5. Fla. Stat. § 605.0201, as of August 2026
  6. Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  7. Florida formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  8. Florida registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  9. Form CR2E027, foreign LLC application, as of October 2026
  10. Florida Statutes 605.0902, certificate of authority, as of October 2026
  11. Florida Statutes 605.0905, activities that are not transacting business, as of October 2026
  12. Florida Statutes 605.0904, consequences of transacting business without authority, as of October 2026
  13. Form CR2E057, withdrawal, as of October 2026
  14. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for FL Registered Agent.org
  15. Read on November 12, 2026: Florida service page for Mainstay Filing
  16. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Florida Registered Agent.io