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The Startup JudgeRankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Pennsylvania ruling · foreign registration

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Pennsylvania (2026)

The Startup Judge has ruled on foreign registration services in Pennsylvania for 2026: Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and PA Registered Agent.org ($199). The ruling favors Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, since it charges $199 beyond the state fee, including year-one registered agent service, then $99 a year for the agent.
The Startup Judge editorial team
No.1
Top pick on this page

1. Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Pennsylvania

$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one

Score9.6out of 10

First place: Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co. The Pennsylvania registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.

An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

It comes in under Mainstay Filing across three years.

In the price

  • The registration filing
  • One year of registered agent service at the start

Why pick it

  • Includes your registered agent for the first year
  • Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
  • Registration at $199, with the state fee extra

Weak spots

  • Serves Pennsylvania only; the home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Fifty-state coverage

2. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states

Expect $199 plus the state fee ($449 at checkout), then $149 each year for the agent

Score9.3out of 10

Second place: Mainstay Filing. Its fee is $199 beyond the state's, year-one registered agent service costs nothing, and the charge is the same in every state.

From year two the agent charge is $149 a year, the same in every state.

Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co costs $100 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.

In the price

  • The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
  • Same-business-day scanning of legal papers served, free of charge

Why pick it

  • A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
  • One price in each of the fifty states
  • 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 Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. The full ruling on Mainstay Filing
No.3
Lower renewal than Mainstay

3. PA Registered Agent.org: best for Pennsylvania registrations only

Service charge $199, with the state fee separate; the agent costs $99 a year from the second year

Score9.0out of 10

Third place: PA Registered Agent.org. The Pennsylvania registration costs $199 with the first agent year included, and $99 a year follows.

An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.

No difference in price or features separates Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co from PA Registered Agent.org; choose whichever you prefer.

In the price

  • The registration filing
  • Year-one registered agent service

Why pick it

  • Registers the company for $199 and the state's fee
  • Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
  • Twelve months as your registered agent come with it

Weak spots

  • Serves Pennsylvania only; the home state needs its own agent
  • The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)

The 3 rulings in brief

RankProviderRuling scoreService chargeYear twoSuited toLink
1Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co9.6$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit Pennsylvania Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing9.3$199$149/yrBusinesses spread over several statesVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3PA Registered Agent.org9.0$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit PA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Every mark out of 10 reflects the editorial team's reading of the criteria on How we rank, not any customer rating.

Pennsylvania foreign registration service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total

ProviderYear oneYear twoYear threeTotal over three yearsAgent covered in year one
Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Not stated
PA Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Pennsylvania's $250 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.

The reasoning for the order

Two criteria carry 31% each in this ranking, charge over three years and work taken off the founder. Renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight share 38%, and in Pennsylvania the decisive one was charge over three years.

Over three years Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co totals $397, $100 less than Mainstay Filing. Both providers include the first year, so the renewal charge carried the ruling.

Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.

Foreign LLC registration in Pennsylvania: the form, the office and the fee

Registration is lodged with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations using the Foreign Registration Statement (DSCB:15-412). The state fee is $250.

Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $7, with a due date of September 30.

Items to gather before 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 $250 state fee, remitted with the application.
  • A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $7 fee.

Consequences of operating in Pennsylvania unregistered

Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Pennsylvania courts (15 Pa.C.S. 411(b)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (15 Pa.C.S. 411(c)).

Questions on Pennsylvania foreign registration services

Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Pennsylvania?

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 Pennsylvania run in total?

The state fee is $250; service charges run $199.

What does Pennsylvania call its foreign registration form?

The Foreign Registration Statement (DSCB:15-412), lodged with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations.

Is a registered agent still needed after the company is registered?

Pennsylvania requires a registered office (a Pennsylvania street address or a Commercial Registered Office Provider), not an agent.

Which foreign registration services were heard in this ranking?

Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and PA Registered Agent.org ($199), ruled upon in that order.

Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, since $199 over the state fee registers the company in Pennsylvania, and the agent renews at $99.

Keep reading

The record

  1. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, on the record as of August 2026
  2. Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations, on the record as of August 2026
  3. 15 Pa.C.S. § 8821, on the record as of August 2026
  4. Pennsylvania formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
  5. Pennsylvania registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
  6. Pennsylvania DOS, foreign associations, on the record as of October 2026
  7. Foreign Registration Statement, DSCB:15-412, on the record as of October 2026
  8. Commercial registered office providers, on the record as of October 2026
  9. 15 Pa.C.S. 411, registration to do business in this Commonwealth, on the record as of November 2026
  10. Pennsylvania Department of State, general rule and exclusions for registration of foreign associations, on the record as of November 2026
  11. Exhibit: Pennsylvania Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
  12. Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Pennsylvania service page, November 12, 2026
  13. Exhibit: PA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026