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

Foreign LLC guide · Iowa

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

Iowa in 2026, foreign LLC registration: we rank Mainstay Filing ($199), Iowa Registered Agent.co ($199) and IA Registered Agent.org ($199) in that order. At the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services the registration fee is $100 and each report is $30: 11th of 50 on three-year state fees.

Entry by the Statewise Business almanac desk ·

Iowa: the entry in figures

11thacross 50 states, foreign LLC feesOrdered from least to most expensive. The complete table
Foreign registration fee
$100Entry from sos.iowa.gov, October 2026
Report each cycle
$30Biennial report
Certificate from home
90 daysAge limit on the certificate
State fees over three years
$130Years one to three, state fees only

The services we would hire in Iowa

Order from the five weighted criteria on the methodology page: three-year service fees at 32%, filings covered at 28%, then renewal price, fit with Iowa rules and clarity of fees.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for an expanding company

Rank one$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $149 a year

Mainstay Filing is where the almanac starts: $199 plus Iowa's own fee, then $149 a year for the agent from year two.

Three-year service fees run $100 above Iowa Registered Agent.co, an amount the 28% coverage weight more than makes up.

Agent service after the free year: $149 a year in any state.

In the price

  • The registration filing, handled for you
  • The registered agent role costs nothing in year one
  • One price, any state

Strengths

  • All fifty states covered
  • Registered agent free for year one
  • $199 to register

Weak points

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

2. Iowa Registered Agent.co: best for a Iowa registration on a budget

Local choice$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $99 a year

Rank 2, Iowa Registered Agent.co: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Iowa.

In the price

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $199 and the state fee
  • A year of agent service is included
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward

Weak points

  • Serves Iowa alone
Visit Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. IA Registered Agent.org: best for another Iowa option

Local choice$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $99 a year

Rank 3, IA Registered Agent.org: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Iowa.

The prices are the same as Iowa Registered Agent.co's.

In the price

  • Registration paperwork handled
  • A year of agent service

Strengths

  • $199 and the state fee
  • A year of agent service is included
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward

Weak points

  • Serves Iowa alone
Visit IA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Iowa picks in one table

#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.
2Iowa Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3IA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit IA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices as the companies publish them, taken November 12, 2026. Iowa's $100 registration fee is extra in every row.

Foreign LLC calculator

Registration fee $100, then the $30 report from year two, added to the service's prices.
Mainstay Filing for 3 years: $130 to the state, $497 to the service, $627 in all.

Iowa among its neighbors in the rank

PositionStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
9thSouth Carolina$110
10thNebraska$125
11thIowa$130
12thIndiana$137
13thAlabama$150
Find the other states in Foreign LLC fees by state.

Iowa registers foreign LLCs this way (2026)

The Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services takes the Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement (Form 635_0010) and a $100 fee from foreign LLCs. The application needs certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, no older than 90 days.

Each cycle comes the biennial report ($30), January 1 to April 1 of each odd-numbered year.

What to have ready

  • Certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, at most 90 days.
  • The LLC's legal name and the date it was formed.
  • A registered agent located in the state (included with each pick).
  • The $100 state fee.

What skipping registration costs

Until it registers, the LLC has no standing to sue in the state's courts (Iowa Code 489.902). The company's contracts are not voided (Iowa Code 489.902(3)).

Basis for the order

Requirements covered settled first place in Iowa. It carries 28% of the score, and the other criteria are added cost over three years, renewal terms, fit with state rules, fee clarity.

A company registering in Iowa already has a home state; covering both with one provider scored highest.

Common questions

What does a foreign LLC pay to register in Iowa?

$100 for the filing. Services here charge $199 more.

What is the foreign registration form in Iowa?

Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement (Form 635_0010), filed with the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services.

Is a certificate from the home state required?

Yes, certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, dated within 90 days of the filing.

What does a foreign LLC owe each year?

It files the biennial report for $30.

What happens if the LLC operates there unregistered?

Until it registers, the LLC has no standing to sue in the state's courts (Iowa Code 489.902). The company's contracts are not voided (Iowa Code 489.902(3)).

Does a foreign LLC need a registered agent in Iowa?

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

Who should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing first, because the registration costs $199 plus state fees, and the first year as your registered agent is free. After it: Iowa Registered Agent.co and IA Registered Agent.org.

Keep reading

Citations for this entry

  1. Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division. Source: help.sos.iowa.gov. Last read August 2026.
  2. Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division. Source: help.sos.iowa.gov. Last read August 2026.
  3. Iowa report due date. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read August 2026.
  4. Iowa Code § 489.201. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read August 2026.
  5. Iowa formation fee: Filing fee, official source. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read October 2026.
  6. Iowa registered agent statute. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read October 2026.
  7. Iowa Secretary of State, business entity forms and. Source: sos.iowa.gov. Last read October 2026.
  8. LLC Foreign Registration Statement, Form 635_0010. Source: sos.iowa.gov. Last read October 2026.
  9. Iowa Code 489.902, registration requirement. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read October 2026.
  10. Iowa Code 489.905, activities that do not count. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read October 2026.
  11. Iowa Secretary of State, certificate of existence. Source: sos.iowa.gov. Last read October 2026.
  12. Iowa Code 489.902, registration to do business. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read November 2026.
  13. Iowa Code 490.1502, registration of a foreign corporation. Source: legis.iowa.gov. Last read November 2026.
  14. South Carolina Business Entities Online. Source: businessfilings.sc.gov. Last read October 2026.
  15. SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs. Source: sos.sc.gov. Last read October 2026.
  16. South Carolina Code, Title 33, Chapter 44. Source: scstatehouse.gov. Last read October 2026.
  17. SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs. Source: dor.sc.gov. Last read October 2026.
  18. Nebraska Secretary of State, forms and fee information. Source: sos.nebraska.gov. Last read October 2026.
  19. Application for Certificate of Authority, foreign LLC. Source: sos.nebraska.gov. Last read October 2026.
  20. Neb. Source: nebraskalegislature.gov. Last read October 2026.
  21. Neb. Source: nebraskalegislature.gov. Last read October 2026.
  22. Nebraska Secretary of State, annual and biennial reporting. Source: sos.nebraska.gov. Last read October 2026.
  23. Indiana Secretary of State business forms. Source: in.gov. Last read October 2026.
  24. Indiana Code 23-0.5-5, registration of foreign entities. Source: iga.in.gov. Last read October 2026.
  25. Indiana Code 23-0.5-9, fees. Source: iga.in.gov. Last read October 2026.
  26. Indiana Code 23-0.5-4, registered agents. Source: iga.in.gov. Last read October 2026.
  27. INBiz Business Entity Report. Source: inbiz.in.gov. Last read October 2026.
  28. Alabama Secretary of State, LLC filings. Source: sos.alabama.gov. Last read October 2026.
  29. Foreign LLC Application for Registration. Source: sos.alabama.gov. Last read October 2026.
  30. Secretary of State fee schedule. Source: sos.alabama.gov. Last read October 2026.
  31. Secretary of State Online Services. Source: alabamainteractive.org. Last read October 2026.
  32. Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01. Source: alison.legislature.state.al.us. Last read October 2026.
  33. Department of Revenue, business privilege tax notice. Source: revenue.alabama.gov. Last read October 2026.
  34. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the Iowa service page of Mainstay Filing
  35. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the pricing page of Iowa Registered Agent.co
  36. On November 12, 2026 we recorded the pricing page of IA Registered Agent.org