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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Pennsylvania

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Pennsylvania (2026)

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

1. PA Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Pennsylvania

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

PA Registered Agent.org leads the card: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent 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.

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

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • Agent at $99 a year from year two
  • Registration at $199, with the state fee added
  • Includes the first registered agent year

Watch for

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

2. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for registrations in Pennsylvania only

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

Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co takes second spot: $199 plus the state fee and a year of registered agent 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, PA Registered Agent.org and Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co match, which leaves the order between them a narrow call.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One year of registered agent service

Strengths

  • $199 to register, state fee extra
  • $99 per year for the agent after the first
  • Registered agent service for year one is in the price

Watch for

  • Limited to Pennsylvania; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best for multi-state companies

3. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 plus the state's own fee, $449 at checkout; $149 a year for the agent afterwards

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

From year two the agent runs $149 a year, the same price in every state.

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

What you get

  • Registration prepared and submitted
  • No-cost scan and upload of served papers within the same business day

Strengths

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

Watch for

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

The 3 entries on one card

Place Service Card score Service fee Year two Best for Go
1 PA Registered Agent.org 9.5 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit PA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co 9.0 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Mainstay Filing 8.8 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Scores are Formation Scorecard's own marks out of 10, based on the criteria explained on How we rank. Customers do not rate anything here.

Pennsylvania 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
PA Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Not stated

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Pennsylvania's $250 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Why the order falls this way

The marking scheme gives 25% to cost across three years and 25% to coverage of the price, with renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity sharing 50%. For Pennsylvania, cost across three years made the difference.

PA 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 Pennsylvania: fee, form and filing office

An outside company registers by sending the Foreign Registration Statement (DSCB:15-412) to the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, with a $250 state fee.

Once registered, the company files the annual report ($7), due September 30.

Gather these 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 $250, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the annual report and its $7 fee.

The price of ignoring Pennsylvania registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Pennsylvania courts until it registers (15 Pa.C.S. 411(b)). Its contracts remain valid (15 Pa.C.S. 411(c)).

Pennsylvania foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania?

Expect $250 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Pennsylvania?

The form goes to the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations; its exact name is in the facts above.

Does a registered company still need a registered agent?

Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.

Which foreign registration services sit on this card?

PA Registered Agent.org ($199), Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), top to bottom.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Pennsylvania?

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

Read next

Where the figures come from

  1. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, as of August 2026
  2. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, as of August 2026
  3. 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821, as of August 2026
  4. Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee, official source, as of October 2026
  5. Pennsylvania registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  6. Pennsylvania DOS, foreign associations, as of October 2026
  7. Foreign Registration Statement, DSCB:15-412, as of October 2026
  8. Commercial registered office providers, as of October 2026
  9. 15 Pa.C.S. 411, registration to do business in this Commonwealth, as of November 2026
  10. Pennsylvania Department of State, general rule and exclusions for registration of foreign associations, as of November 2026
  11. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for PA Registered Agent.org
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co
  13. Read on November 12, 2026: Pennsylvania service page for Mainstay Filing