3 Best Foreign Registration Services in California (2026), Ranked for You
Start with this 2026 ranking of foreign registration services in California: Mainstay Filing ($199), CA Registered Agent.org ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199), in that order. All of the picks pay California $70; service fees for three years run $397 to $497.
Written by the Simple Filing Guide editorial team
Start here
State fee to register
$70
Attach a certificate?
Required (180 days maximum age)
Later on
$20, Statement of Information, Form LLC-12
Our shortlist
Mainstay Filing, CA Registered Agent.org then California Registered Agent.ai
Each company's listed prices on November 13, 2026. State fees are extra and do not vary by pick.
Step by step
At what point is registration required?
Before an LLC formed elsewhere starts business in California, it registers.
An unregistered LLC may face it cannot sue in California courts until it registers (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).
ftb.ca.gov, last confirmed October 2026 for this guide
What does a foreign registration cost?
Registering through the state costs $70, and a service adds $199.
Over three years the state's fees reach $2,490, counting any recurring report and the minimum tax. bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, last confirmed October 2026 for this guide
Which form do I file, and with whom?
Your LLC is registered once the California Secretary of State, Business Entities approves the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5).
Add certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state newer than 180 days.
What do I do after the LLC registers?
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12, at a cost of $20.
The state sets the deadline at Within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years.
How did you rank them?
Filing jobs included, at 27%, puts Mainstay Filing first.
64% of the score comes from total for three years and filing jobs included.
One company for two states: that is what ranks it first.