No.1
Top pick on this page
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
Expect $199 plus the state fee ($469 at checkout), then $149 each year for the agent
Score9.1out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
From year two the agent charge is $149 a year, the same in every state.
Its three-year total exceeds AR Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- Preparation and filing of the registration
- The registered agent role costs nothing the first year
- Papers served on the company are scanned within the business day, free
Why pick it
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than AR Registered Agent.org
No.2
Best local option
2. AR Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Arkansas
Service charge $199, with the state fee separate; the agent costs $99 a year from the second year
Score8.9out of 10
Second place: AR Registered Agent.org. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Arkansas, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
In the price
- The registration filing
- Year-one registered agent service
Why pick it
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- Year-one registered agent service is included
Weak spots
- Serves Arkansas only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Lower renewal than Mainstay
3. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for Arkansas registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.7out of 10
Third place: Arkansas Registered Agent.co. $199 over the state fee registers the company in Arkansas, and the agent renews at $99.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The published prices and features of AR Registered Agent.org and Arkansas Registered Agent.co are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- The registration filing
- The first year of registered agent service
Why pick it
- Second-year agent charge: $99
- Twelve months as your registered agent come with it
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves Arkansas only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Service charge | Year two | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $149/yr | Businesses spread over several states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | AR Registered Agent.org | 8.9 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | Arkansas Registered Agent.co | 8.7 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Arkansas foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Agent covered in year one |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149 | $149 | $497 | Free |
|---|
| AR Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Arkansas Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Arkansas's $270 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
Why Mainstay Filing is placed first
The Startup Judge weighs charge over three years at 31% and work taken off the founder at 31%; renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight divide the remaining 38%. In Arkansas, work taken off the founder was the criterion that tipped it.
A second-state registration involves two jurisdictions. One provider at one price in both earned the higher coverage score, ahead of AR Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Arkansas: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services using the Application for Certificate of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FL-01). The state fee is $270. Arkansas also requires certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, issued no more than 30 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the Annual LLC franchise tax report, priced at $150, with a due date of May 1.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, no older than 30 days at filing.
- The exact legal name registered in the home state, along with the date it was formed.
- A registered agent whose street address is in the state. Any provider on this page can fill the role.
- The $270 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the Annual LLC franchise tax report, which carries a $150 fee.
Consequences of operating in Arkansas unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Arkansas courts (A.C.A. 4-38-913(a)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (A.C.A. 4-38-913(b)). Civil penalties may reach $5,000. Fees for the unregistered period are owed too.
Questions on Arkansas foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Arkansas?
Yes, as soon as it conducts business there. Until it registers, it has no standing to sue in that state's courts.
What will foreign registration in Arkansas run in total?
The state fee is $270; service charges run $199.
What does Arkansas call its foreign registration form?
The Application for Certificate of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FL-01), lodged with the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Arkansas accepts it?
It must. Certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, issued no more than 30 days before filing accompanies the application.
Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?
Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state stays on file for as long as the registration lasts.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Arkansas?
Mainstay Filing, since its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one registered agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.
The record
- Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and when, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Arkansas report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- Ark. Code Ann. § 4-38-201, on the record as of August 2026
- Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Arkansas registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Arkansas Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and fees, on the record as of October 2026
- Form FL-01, on the record as of October 2026
- Act 1041 of 2021, Uniform LLC Act, on the record as of October 2026
- Form FL-04, application for cancellation, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Arkansas service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: AR Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Arkansas Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026