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LLC 101 Guide

Course unit 3 · Wisconsin

Foreign LLC Registration in Wisconsin (2026): 4 Tasks and the 3 Best Services

For registering an out-of-state LLC in Wisconsin in 2026, this unit puts Wisconsin Registered Agent.co ($199), WI Registered Agent.org ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199) at the top of the class, in that order. Registering takes 4 tasks and a $100 state fee, plus $65 each time the report comes around.

Prepared by the LLC 101 Guide instructors

Unit overview

State filing fee
$100
Source: dfi.wi.gov, read in October 2026
Annual report
$65
Annual report
What the state collects in three years
$230
Registration and reports
Tasks in this unit
4
Listed below

By the end you will know

  • When the rule kicks in
  • What to file and what it costs
  • The upkeep that repeats
  • Who we would hire to file

The Wisconsin honor roll

Five weighted criteria set the order (see how we grade), and three-year cost and assignments completed count most.

Top of the class

1. Wisconsin Registered Agent.co: best for an inexpensive Wisconsin filing

Highest grade$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

In Wisconsin, Wisconsin Registered Agent.co leads the class: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

The decision is cost: across three years it totals less than Mainstay Filing.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • $199 to register
  • Then $99 per year
  • A year of agent service is included

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
Visit Wisconsin Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

2. WI Registered Agent.org: best for Wisconsin-only registrations

Focused on Wisconsin$199 plus the state fee, then $99 a year

WI Registered Agent.org takes second place: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.

Its prices are the same as Wisconsin Registered Agent.co's, so either works.

What the price covers

  • Filing made with the state
  • One year of agent service is part of the price

What works

  • Then $99 per year
  • $199 to register
  • A year of agent service is included

What to weigh

  • A single-state service
Visit WI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Top of the class

3. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and more after it

Upkeep covered$199 plus the state fee, then $149 a year

Mainstay Filing is a solid third-place option: registering costs $199 plus state fees, and the first year of the registered agent is free.

Counted over three years, it trails Wisconsin Registered Agent.co by $100.

Agent service after the first year is $149 a year.

What the price covers

  • Registration prepared and sent
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • Any state, one price

What works

  • Registered agent is free in year one
  • $199 above the state fee
  • Ready for the next state too

What to weigh

  • $50 more a year for the agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades and prices together

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Wisconsin Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Wisconsin Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2WI Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit WI Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Listed prices, read November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is left out of the figures.

The Wisconsin registration, in order

  1. Task 1

    Does the rule apply to you?

    Out-of-state LLCs that do business in Wisconsin register first as foreign LLCs. Doing business without registering means: Its contracts can still be enforced (Wis. Stat. 183.0902(3)).

    Source: Source: dfi.wi.gov, read in October 2026

  2. Task 2

    Get a registered agent with a Wisconsin address

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be an actual physical location with a street address in Wisconsin, not solely a P.O. box, mailbox service or answering service.

    Our recommendations cover this role.

    Source: Source: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, read in October 2026

  3. Task 3

    Fill out and send in the Foreign Registration Statement, Limited Liability Company

    The office, the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services, wants the filing above plus $100.

    Source: Source: dfi.wi.gov, read in October 2026

  4. Task 4

    Keep the registration alive

    Plan for the annual report and its $65 fee (March 31).

Wisconsin costs by task

TaskReceiverPrice
Foreign registrationGoes to the state$100
Annual reportGoes to the state$65
Optional serviceYour service$199 to start
State total across three yearsGoes to the state$230
State fees were read from the official pages named in the sources. Three years means the filing, two years of reports and the minimum tax where there is one.

How we ordered the Wisconsin picks

Course fee across three years settled first place in Wisconsin. It is worth 34% of the grade, and the other 66% comes from assignments the price completes, second-year fee, match with the state syllabus and plain pricing.

Wisconsin Registered Agent.co wins the cost criterion with $397 over three years, against $100 more at Mainstay Filing.

Wisconsin questions

What is Wisconsin's fee for a foreign LLC?

$100 for the filing. Put $199 on top if you hire a service.

Which form do I file to register?

One form does the job, and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services is where it goes.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Its contracts can still be enforced (Wis. Stat. 183.0902(3)).

What is due after registering?

Task 4 covers it: the annual report for $65.

Which services are in this lesson?

Wisconsin Registered Agent.co, WI Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing are the picks; the table above has their prices.

Which service should handle the registration?

Wisconsin Registered Agent.co is first, WI Registered Agent.org and Mainstay Filing follow, and Wisconsin Registered Agent.co wins on course fee across three years.

Reading list and sources

  1. Reading list entry for Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate: dfi.wi.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  2. Reading list entry for Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate: dfi.wi.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  3. Reading list entry for Wisconsin report due date: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  4. Reading list entry for Wis: dfi.wi.gov, reread August 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  5. Reading list entry for Wisconsin formation fee: Filing fee, official source: dfi.wi.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  6. Reading list entry for Wisconsin registered agent statute: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  7. Reading list entry for DFI Form 521, foreign registration statement for an: dfi.wi.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  8. Reading list entry for DFI file online: dfi.wi.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  9. Reading list entry for Wis: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  10. Reading list entry for DFI Form 524, withdrawal of registration: dfi.wi.gov, reread October 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  11. Reading list entry for Wis: docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, reread November 2026, the document behind these numbers.
  12. We opened the pricing page at Wisconsin Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  13. We opened the pricing page at WI Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026
  14. We opened the Wisconsin service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026