No.1
Number one here
1. Mainstay Filing: best for businesses active in several states
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides, $354 payable at checkout; the agent is $149 yearly after year one
Score9.1out of 10
First place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Vermont registration and the registered agent role is free the first year, then $149 annually.
The first agent year costs nothing; later years are $149 each, in this state or any other.
Its three-year total exceeds VT Registered Agent.org's by $100; the broader coverage outweighs that difference in our scoring.
In the price
- The registration prepared and lodged on your behalf
- Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
- Free same-business-day scans of anything served on the company
Why pick it
- Year-one registered agent service costs nothing
- One price in each of the fifty states
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- A $199 service charge, with the state's fee added
Weak spots
- The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than VT Registered Agent.org
No.2
Best local option
2. VT Registered Agent.org: best for companies that only add Vermont
Expect $199 plus the state fee, then $99 each year for the agent
Score8.6out of 10
Second place: VT Registered Agent.org. The Vermont 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.
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
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
- $199 for the registration, before state fees
Weak spots
- Serves Vermont only; the home state needs its own agent
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.3
Best value here
3. Vermont Registered Agent.co: best for Vermont registrations only
$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides; the agent is $99 yearly after year one
Score8.4out of 10
Third place: Vermont Registered Agent.co. The Vermont 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.
The published prices and features of VT Registered Agent.org and Vermont Registered Agent.co are identical, which makes the order between them close.
In the price
- The registration filing
- Year-one registered agent service
Why pick it
- $199 to register, state fee on top
- Twelve months as your registered agent come with it
- Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
Weak spots
- Serves Vermont 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. |
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| 2 | VT Registered Agent.org | 8.6 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit VT Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | Vermont Registered Agent.co | 8.4 | $199 | $99/yr | The lowest agent renewal on this list | Visit Vermont Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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The Startup Judge assigns each score out of 10 itself, applying the criteria on
How we rank; no customer ratings are used.
Vermont 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 |
|---|
| VT Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
|---|
| Vermont Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | Included |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Vermont's $155 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.
The reasoning for the order
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 Vermont, 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 VT Registered Agent.org.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
Foreign LLC registration in Vermont: the form, the office and the fee
Registration is lodged with the Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division using the Application for certificate of authority. The state fee is $155. Vermont also requires certificate of existence (certificate of good standing), issued no more than 90 days before the filing.
Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $170, with a due date of within three months after your fiscal year ends.
Items to gather before filing
- Certificate of existence (certificate of good standing), no older than 90 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 $155 state fee, remitted with the application.
- A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $170 fee.
Consequences of operating in Vermont unregistered
Until it registers, an out-of-state LLC may not sue in Vermont courts (11 V.S.A. 4119(a)(1)). The contracts it makes stay enforceable (11 V.S.A. 4119(b)). Penalties accrue at $50 per day.
Questions on Vermont foreign registration services
Is an out-of-state LLC required to register in Vermont?
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 Vermont run in total?
The state fee is $155; service charges run $199.
Must the home state vouch for the company before Vermont accepts it?
It must. Certificate of existence (certificate of good standing), issued no more than 90 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 services were heard in this ranking?
Mainstay Filing ($199), VT Registered Agent.org ($199) and Vermont Registered Agent.co ($199), ruled upon in that order.
Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Vermont?
Mainstay Filing, since $199 is added to the state fee in any state, and the first year as registered agent is included.
The record
- Vermont Secretary of State fee schedule, Annual Report, on the record as of October 2026
- Vermont report due date, on the record as of August 2026
- Vermont formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Vermont registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- Vermont Secretary of State, foreign registration, on the record as of October 2026
- 11 V.S.A. § 4112, application for certificate of authority, on the record as of October 2026
- 11 V.S.A. § 4113, activities that are not transacting business, on the record as of October 2026
- 11 V.S.A. § 4033, annual report, on the record as of October 2026
- 11 V.S.A. 4119, effect of failure to obtain certificate of authority, on the record as of November 2026
- 11A V.S.A. 15.02, consequences of transacting business without authority, on the record as of November 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Vermont service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: VT Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Vermont Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026