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Formation Scorecard

Registered agent scorecard · California

3 Best Registered Agents in California (2026)

On the Formation Scorecard 2026 scorecard for registered agents in California the order reads Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), CA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and California Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year). Mainstay Filing posts the top score: $149 a year with no bump at renewal, and papers served on the company are scanned the same business day for free.
Researched and written by the Formation Scorecard editorial team
Rank #1 Best here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for every state

9.6 Editor score out of 10
$149 a year, no change on renewal

Mainstay Filing leads the card: a $149 agent plan that travels to any state, renewing at $149.

Not formed yet? Mainstay's $199-a-year formation package covers the California filing along with the Statement of Information.

Mainstay's three-year total sits $150 above CA Registered Agent.org's, which the extra coverage earns back in our scoring.

What you get

  • A registered office address in whichever state you need
  • Same-business-day scans of service of process at no charge
  • Free scans for three government mailings a year
  • Compliance reminders

Strengths

  • Served papers scanned on the day they arrive, free
  • $149 a year with no renewal step-up
  • Fits LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
  • First three government mailings each year scanned free

Watch for

  • Agent service alone costs $50 a year more than CA Registered Agent.org
  • You file your own annual report on the agent-only plan
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. Mainstay Filing: the full write-up
Rank #2 Best yearly price

2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for the lowest yearly rate on this list

9.3 Editor score out of 10
$99 a year, no change on renewal

CA Registered Agent.org takes second spot: $99 a year, flat, with scans of served legal papers delivered online.

CA Registered Agent.org puts a street address in the state on record for the company and scans served papers into your account.

What you get

  • A physical address in the state for the registered office
  • Anything served on the company is scanned and made available online

Strengths

  • Offers formation with a free first agent year
  • Undercuts Mainstay Filing on yearly price
  • $99 a year and no renewal bump

Watch for

  • You file the Statement of Information yourself
  • Limited to California; other states need another agent
Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. CA Registered Agent.org: the full write-up
Rank #3 California only

3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for California-based companies

9.0 Editor score out of 10
$99 a year, no change on renewal

California Registered Agent.ai takes third spot: $99 a year, flat, with scans of served legal papers delivered online.

California Registered Agent.ai stands in as the company's registered office, receives served papers and posts scans of them to your online account.

The published prices and features do not separate CA Registered Agent.org from California Registered Agent.ai; choose whichever you like.

What you get

  • A state street address serving as the registered office
  • Papers delivered to the registered office are scanned for you

Strengths

  • Offers formation with a free first agent year
  • Yearly price below Mainstay Filing's
  • A $99 plan with a flat renewal

Watch for

  • You file the Statement of Information yourself
  • Limited to California; other states need another agent
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 Yearly cost Renews at Best for Go
1 Mainstay Filing 9.6 $149 $149/yr An agent for every state Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 CA Registered Agent.org 9.3 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 California Registered Agent.ai 9.0 $99 $99/yr The lowest yearly price we rank here Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The marks out of 10 come from our editors and follow the weights on How we rank; none of them is a customer rating.

California registered agent cost in 2026: first year, renewal and the three-year tally

Service First year Second year Third year Three-year tally Holds its price at renewal
Mainstay Filing $149 $149 $149 $447 Yes
CA Registered Agent.org $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes
California Registered Agent.ai $99 $99 $99 $297 Yes

Each price comes from the company's own site, read on November 12, 2026. California charges its own fees the same way whichever agent you name.

Why the order falls this way

Points here: 25% for cost across three years, 25% for coverage of the price and 50% across renewal terms, state-by-state fit and pricing clarity. California came down to coverage of the price.

The Mainstay agent plan earns more coverage points: papers served on the company are scanned the same business day for free, one price holds in all fifty states and three government mailings a year are scanned at no charge. CA Registered Agent.org wins on cost, so the two finish close.

Every criterion and weight appears on How we rank.

What California Secretary of State requires of a California agent for service of process (official)

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual agent's California street address goes on the public record. A registered corporate agent's address is already on file with the state and is not repeated in the company's filing. Statute: Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13.

The California Statement of Information: fee, due date and your agent

California LLCs file the Statement of Information every two years. The fee is $20 and the date is last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. Filing late means $250 more. The state sends related notices to your agent for service of process.

California registered agent: quick questions

Is a California LLC obliged to keep a agent for service of process?

It is. California wants every LLC to have a agent for service of process on file, and that agent must hold a street address inside the state.

What is the going yearly rate for a registered agent in California?

Yearly prices span $99 to $149, and each service holds its price when it renews.

Is it allowed to serve as my own agent for service of process?

Yes, if you satisfy the state's conditions. A California resident, or a corporation registered with the Secretary of State as a corporate agent under Corporations Code § 1505. A business cannot act as its own agent for service of process.

When must the California Statement of Information be filed?

The deadline is last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. The state's fee is $20. A late filing is penalized with $250.

Which registered agents sit on this card?

Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), CA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and California Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), top to bottom.

Which California registered agent scores best on value?

Mainstay Filing, since $149 yearly for an agent that fits a company in one state or in fifty, with the first three government mailings each year scanned free.

Read next

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. Read on November 12, 2026: California service page for Mainstay Filing
  7. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for CA Registered Agent.org
  8. Read on November 12, 2026: pricing and service pages for California Registered Agent.ai