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Formation Scorecard

Foreign registration scorecard · Texas

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Texas (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for foreign registration services in Texas the order reads Mainstay Filing ($199), TX Registered Agent.org ($199) and Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $199 on top of the state's fee, with a free first year as your registered agent and the same price in every state.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Top pick on this page

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies spread across states

9.3 Editor score out of 10
Service fee $199 with the state fee added; agent renewing at $149

Mainstay Filing leads the card: it files the Texas registration for $199 and acts as your registered agent, free for year one and $149 a year after.

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

Mainstay's three-year total sits $100 above TX Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration
  • A free first year as your registered agent
  • Served papers scanned and uploaded the day they arrive, free

Strengths

  • Registered agent free for year one
  • 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 TX Registered Agent.org charges
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Lower renewal than Mainstay

2. TX Registered Agent.org: best for companies that add just Texas

8.8 Editor score out of 10
$199 plus the state's own fee; $99 a year for the agent afterwards

TX Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Texas, 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.

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • First-year registered agent service

Strengths

  • Then $99 a year to keep the agent
  • Year one as your registered agent is included
  • A $199 service fee before the state's

Watch for

  • Limited to Texas; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. TX Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 Best value here

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

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

Texas Registered Agent.ai takes third spot: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Texas, 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.

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

What you get

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • A year as your registered agent, up front

Strengths

  • A year of registered agent service is built in
  • $99 yearly for the agent after year one
  • Files the registration for $199 plus the state fee

Watch for

  • Limited to Texas; your home state still needs an agent
  • $99 extra for the EIN application
Visit Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Texas 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 Mainstay Filing 9.3 $199 $149/yr Companies spread over several states Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 TX Registered Agent.org 8.8 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Texas Registered Agent.ai 8.7 $199 $99/yr The lowest agent renewal we rank here Visit Texas 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.

Texas 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
Mainstay Filing $199 $149 $149 $497 Free
TX Registered Agent.org $199 $99 $99 $397 Included
Texas Registered Agent.ai $199 $99 $99 $397 Included

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. Add Texas's $750 registration fee to each row; the tally above leaves it out.

Reading the order

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 Texas the tie was broken by coverage of the price.

A foreign registration touches two states, so a single provider at one price in both earned the most coverage points, ahead of TX Registered Agent.org.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

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

An outside company registers by sending the Application for Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 304) to the Texas Secretary of State, with a $750 state fee.

Once registered, the company files the Public Information Report, due May 15.

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 $750, sent in with the filing.
  • A calendar date for the Public Information Report.

The price of ignoring Texas registration

An unregistered outside LLC cannot sue in Texas courts until it registers (BOC 9.051(b)). Its contracts remain valid (BOC 9.051(c)).

Texas foreign registration service: quick questions

Does Texas 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 Texas?

Expect $750 for the state plus $199 for the service.

What is the registration form called in Texas?

The form goes to the Texas Secretary of State; its exact name is in the facts above.

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 services sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($199), TX Registered Agent.org ($199) and Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199), top to bottom.

Which foreign registration service leads the card for Texas?

Mainstay Filing, since $199 plus state fees in any state, year-one registered agent service included.

Read next

Where the figures come from

  1. Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source, as of October 2026
  2. Texas report due date, as of August 2026
  3. Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005, as of August 2026
  4. Texas registered agent statute, as of October 2026
  5. Texas Secretary of State, foreign entities FAQ, as of October 2026
  6. Form 304 instructions, as of October 2026
  7. Business Organizations Code, Chapter 9, as of October 2026
  8. Texas Comptroller, franchise tax, as of October 2026
  9. Texas Business Organizations Code, Chapter 9, as of November 2026
  10. Read on November 12, 2026: Texas service page for Mainstay Filing
  11. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for TX Registered Agent.org
  12. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for Texas Registered Agent.ai