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LLC 101 Guide

Unit 3 · California

Foreign LLC Registration in California (2026): 5 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

Short answer for 2026: if you want help registering an out-of-state LLC in California, go with Mainstay Filing ($199), CA Registered Agent.org ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199), ranked best first. California charges $70 for foreign registration, and the 5 tasks below explain how it works.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

The quick version

State filing fee
$70
Official page bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, last read October 2026
Home certificate
180 days
How fresh it has to be
Report fee
$20
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12
What the state collects in three years
$2,490
Service fees not included
Tasks
5
From first to last

What this unit teaches

  • When registration is required
  • The filing, its price and its office
  • Staying in good standing
  • Which services we recommend and why

If you want someone else to file

Graded on the grading page: three-year cost (34%), assignments completed (31%), renewal price, fit with California's rules and plain pricing.

Top of the class

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for home and away

Top of the classService $199, renewal $149 a year

In California, Mainstay Filing leads the class: it files the California registration for $199 plus the state's fee, and the first agent year costs nothing.

You pay $100 more over three years than at CA Registered Agent.org and leave less of the paperwork to yourself.

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

What the price covers

  • Registration prepared and sent
  • Covers all fifty states

What works

  • $199 on top of California's fee
  • The same fee in every state

What to weigh

  • A pricier agent renewal ($149)
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a budget registration

One-state planService $199, renewal $99 a year

CA Registered Agent.org is a solid second-place option: $199 above the state fee, first agent year covered, then $99 a year.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $99 yearly from year two
  • No agent fee in year one
  • $199 above the state fee

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

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

One-state planService $199, renewal $99 a year

California Registered Agent.ai is a solid third-place option: $199 above the state fee, first agent year covered, then $99 a year.

It lists the same prices as CA Registered Agent.org.

What the price covers

  • The registration filing
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • No agent fee in year one
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • $199 above the state fee

What to weigh

  • No help in other states
Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The California picks compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2CA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3California Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $70 state fee to every row.

The tasks

  1. Task 1

    When registration is required

    An LLC formed in another state has to register in California before it does business there. The cost of not registering: If you may need to sue, register first (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

    Source: Official page ftb.ca.gov, last read October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Get a certificate from your home state

    You need certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, from the last 180 days.

    Order it at the end so it is fresh when you file.

  3. Task 3

    Get an agent for service of process with a California address

    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.

    Any of the recommended services can fill this seat.

    Source: Official page leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, last read October 2026

  4. Task 4

    File the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC)

    That filing is the registration, and the state bills $70 for it.

    Source: Official page bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, last read October 2026

  5. Task 5

    Keep the registration alive

    After registering, a foreign LLC files the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 ($20), within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years. Budget for this too: $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

What this unit costs

EntryGoes toPrice
Registering the LLCState office$70
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12State office$20
State minimum taxState office$800 a year
A filing service (optional)Your service$199 in year one
State total across three yearsState office$2,490
The state numbers are official California fees, sourced below. The three-year line combines the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why the list runs this way

Assignments the price completes makes up 31% of the grade, and that is where got ahead in California.

Registering involves two states, and one provider for both moved ahead of CA Registered Agent.org.

Common questions

What will foreign registration in California cost?

$70 at the state office. A service adds $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Fill in the form named in task 4 and send it to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, issued within 180 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

If you may need to sue, register first (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

What is due after registering?

After you register, the LLC has to file the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12, and each filing costs $20.

Which service should handle the registration?

Go with Mainstay Filing: $199 beyond the state fee in any state, with year one of the agent included. Then CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai.

Reading list and sources

  1. Everything about California Secretary of State above traces to sos.ca.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  2. Everything about California Secretary of State above traces to bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  3. Everything about California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source above traces to sos.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  4. Everything about Cal above traces to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, a page we reread in August 2026.
  5. Everything about California registered agent statute above traces to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  6. Everything about California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms above traces to sos.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  7. Everything about Form LLC-5 above traces to bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  8. Everything about Corporations Code section 17708.03 above traces to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  9. Everything about Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135 above traces to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  10. Everything about Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements above traces to ftb.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  11. Everything about California Corporations Code 17708.07 above traces to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, a page we reread in November 2026.
  12. Everything about California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and above traces to ftb.ca.gov, a page we reread in October 2026.
  13. Mainstay Filing California service page, opened November 13, 2026
  14. CA Registered Agent.org pricing page, opened November 13, 2026
  15. California Registered Agent.ai pricing page, opened November 13, 2026