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Statewise Business The state fee almanac for LLCs, sourced line by line.

Foreign LLC guide · California

California Foreign LLCs (2026): Registration Fees and the 3 Best Services

The 2026 California entry for foreign LLC registration names Mainstay Filing ($199), CA Registered Agent.org ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199), in that order. A foreign LLC pays California $70 up front and $20 per yearly report; 50th of 50 over three years.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

California, as the state prices it

50thof 50 states for foreign LLC feesOrdered from least to most expensive. Every state
Foreign registration fee
$70bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov (read October 2026)
Report each cycle
$20Statement of Information, Form LLC-12
Certificate from home
180 daysOldest the certificate may be at filing
Yearly minimum tax
$800ftb.ca.gov (read October 2026)
State fees over three years
$2,490Years one to three, state fees only, and the yearly tax

Who files for you in California

Why this order: service fees across three years first, then coverage, renewal, California fit and fee clarity (methodology).

1. Mainstay Filing: best for multi-state registrations

Almanac first pick$199 to register, $149 yearly after

Rank one, Mainstay Filing: a $199 service fee in any state, first agent year included.

The premium over CA Registered Agent.org is $100 across three years, and more of the state's paperwork gets handled for it.

From the second year, the agent costs $149 annually.

In the price

  • The registration filing, handled for you
  • One price, any state

Strengths

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

Weak points

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

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

California focus$199 to register, $99 yearly after

Listed second: CA Registered Agent.org, because a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in California.

In the price

  • The California registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • No agent charge in year one
  • $199 to register
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward

Weak points

  • California only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a smaller agent renewal

California focus$199 to register, $99 yearly after

Listed third: California Registered Agent.ai, because a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in California.

CA Registered Agent.org and this service publish the same prices.

In the price

  • The California registration, prepared and filed
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • No agent charge in year one
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • $199 to register

Weak points

  • California only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The shortlist as numbers

#EntryYear-one priceYears two onService fees over three years
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.
Each price was taken from the company's own pages on November 12, 2026. No row includes the $70 state fee.

California foreign LLC cost calculator

Registration fee $70, then the $20 report from year two, added to the service's prices.
3 years with Mainstay Filing comes to $2,987: $2,490 in state fees and $497 in service fees.

California among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
46thTennessee$900
47thDelaware$1,000
48thRhode Island$1,450
49thMassachusetts$1,500
50thCalifornia$2,490
Foreign LLC fees by state shows every state, least expensive first.

California registers foreign LLCs this way (2026)

An LLC formed elsewhere sends the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5) to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities with $70. It requires certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, not more than 180 days.

Later on it files the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 ($20), within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years. The tax side to know: $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

Checklist before filing

  • Certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, not more than 180 days.
  • The exact legal name from the home state, plus the date of formation.
  • An agent for service of process in California; every pick on this page provides one.
  • The $70 registration fee.

If registration is skipped

A suit it tries to bring is blocked until registration is on file (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

Reasoning for the order

Mainstay Filing won on requirements covered, which is worth 28%; CA Registered Agent.org came next.

A foreign LLC already lives in another state, so a provider covering both states scored best.

Quick answers

What does a foreign LLC pay to register in California?

$70 as the official fee. The picks add $199.

What is the foreign registration form in California?

Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5), filed with the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.

Is a certificate from the home state required?

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

What does a foreign LLC owe each year?

It files the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 for $20.

What happens if the LLC operates there unregistered?

A suit it tries to bring is blocked until registration is on file (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).

Does a foreign LLC need an agent for service of process in California?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing leads, then CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai. The lead comes down to requirements covered.

See also

Citations for this entry

  1. California Secretary of State. Source: sos.ca.gov. Last read August 2026.
  2. California Secretary of State. Source: bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov. Last read August 2026.
  3. California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source. Source: sos.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  4. Cal. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Last read August 2026.
  5. California registered agent statute. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  6. California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms. Source: sos.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  7. Form LLC-5. Source: bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  8. Corporations Code section 17708.03. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  9. Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  10. Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements. Source: ftb.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  11. California Corporations Code 17708.07. Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Last read November 2026.
  12. California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and. Source: ftb.ca.gov. Last read October 2026.
  13. Tennessee Secretary of State, business forms and fees. Source: sos.tn.gov. Last read October 2026.
  14. Form SS-4233, Certificate of Authority for a foreign. Source: sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com. Last read October 2026.
  15. Tennessee Secretary of State, business FAQs. Source: sos.tn.gov. Last read October 2026.
  16. Form SS-4241, withdrawal or cancellation. Source: sos-prod.tnsosgovfiles.com. Last read October 2026.
  17. Tennessee Revised LLC Act, Public Chapter 286. Source: publications.tnsosfiles.com. Last read October 2026.
  18. Foreign LLC registration form. Source: corpfiles.delaware.gov. Last read October 2026.
  19. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter IX. Source: delcode.delaware.gov. Last read October 2026.
  20. Delaware Code Title 6, chapter 18, subchapter XI. Source: delcode.delaware.gov. Last read October 2026.
  21. Division of Corporations fee schedule, August 2026. Source: corpfiles.delaware.gov. Last read October 2026.
  22. Alternative entity annual tax instructions. Source: corp.delaware.gov. Last read October 2026.
  23. Form 450, Application for Registration. Source: docs.sos.ri.gov. Last read October 2026.
  24. Business Services fee schedule. Source: docs.sos.ri.gov. Last read October 2026.
  25. R.I. Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov. Last read October 2026.
  26. R.I. Source: webserver.rilegislature.gov. Last read October 2026.
  27. Form 452, Certificate of Cancellation. Source: docs.sos.ri.gov. Last read October 2026.
  28. Rhode Island other cost. Source: tax.ri.gov. Last read October 2026.
  29. Massachusetts Corporations Division, foreign LLC page. Source: sec.state.ma.us. Last read October 2026.
  30. Corporations Division fee schedule. Source: sec.state.ma.us. Last read October 2026.
  31. G.L. c. 156C § 48, foreign LLC registration. Source: malegislature.gov. Last read October 2026.
  32. G.L. c. 156C § 54, failure to register. Source: malegislature.gov. Last read October 2026.
  33. G.L. c. 156D § 15.01, transacting business. Source: malegislature.gov. Last read October 2026.
  34. 950 CMR 112.00, limited liability companies. Source: sec.state.ma.us. Last read October 2026.
  35. Mainstay Filing California service page, taken November 12, 2026
  36. CA Registered Agent.org pricing page, taken November 12, 2026
  37. California Registered Agent.ai pricing page, taken November 12, 2026