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

Wisconsin ruling · foreign registration

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Wisconsin (2026)

The Startup Judge has ruled on foreign registration services in Wisconsin for 2026: Wisconsin Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and WI Registered Agent.org ($199). The ruling favors Wisconsin 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. Wisconsin Registered Agent.co: best for companies that only add Wisconsin

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

Score9.5out of 10

First place: Wisconsin Registered Agent.co. The Wisconsin 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

  • Agent charge of $99 a year after the first
  • Year-one registered agent service is included
  • $199 to register, state fee on top

Weak spots

  • Serves Wisconsin 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

$199 for the registration work and the state's fee besides, $299 payable at checkout; the agent is $149 yearly after year one

Score9.3out of 10

Second place: Mainstay Filing. $199 covers the Wisconsin 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.

Wisconsin 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
  • Year one as your registered agent, at no charge
  • Same-business-day scanning of legal papers served, free of charge

Why pick it

  • Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
  • 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

Weak spots

  • The agent is $149 a year after year one, $50 more than Wisconsin Registered Agent.co
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. The full ruling on Mainstay Filing
No.3
Best for a Wisconsin-only company

3. WI Registered Agent.org: best for Wisconsin 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: WI Registered Agent.org. The Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Registered Agent.co from WI Registered Agent.org; choose whichever you prefer.

In the price

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

Why pick it

  • Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
  • A $199 service charge plus the registration fee
  • Includes your registered agent for the first year

Weak spots

  • Serves Wisconsin 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
1Wisconsin Registered Agent.co9.5$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit Wisconsin 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.
3WI Registered Agent.org9.0$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal on this listVisit WI 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.

Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin Registered Agent.co$199$99$99$397Included
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
WI Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. Wisconsin's $100 registration fee is payable in addition to every row below and is not in the totals.

What decided 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 Wisconsin the decisive one was charge over three years.

Over three years Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin: the form, the office and the fee

Registration is lodged with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using the Foreign Registration Statement, Limited Liability Company (Form 521). The state fee is $100.

Once registered, the company's recurring filing is the annual report, priced at $65, with a due date of March 31.

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 $100 state fee, remitted with the application.
  • A date in your calendar for the annual report, which carries a $65 fee.

Consequences of operating in Wisconsin unregistered

The contracts it makes stay enforceable (Wis. Stat. 183.0902(3)).

Questions on Wisconsin foreign registration services

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

Yes, as soon as it conducts business there.

What will foreign registration in Wisconsin run in total?

The state fee is $100; service charges run $199.

What does Wisconsin call its foreign registration form?

The Foreign Registration Statement, Limited Liability Company (Form 521), lodged with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services.

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?

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

Which foreign registration service does the record favor in Wisconsin?

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

More from us

The record

  1. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate & Consumer Services, on the record as of August 2026
  2. Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate & Consumer Services, on the record as of August 2026
  3. Wisconsin report due date, on the record as of August 2026
  4. Wis. Stat. § 183.0201, on the record as of August 2026
  5. Wisconsin formation fee: Filing fee, official source, on the record as of October 2026
  6. Wisconsin registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
  7. DFI Form 521, foreign registration statement for an LLC, on the record as of October 2026
  8. DFI file online, on the record as of October 2026
  9. Wis. Stat. ss. 183.0902 and 183.0905, on the record as of October 2026
  10. DFI Form 524, withdrawal of registration, on the record as of October 2026
  11. Wis. Stat. 183.0902, registration to do business in this state, on the record as of November 2026
  12. Exhibit: Wisconsin Registered Agent.co, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
  13. Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, Wisconsin service page, November 12, 2026
  14. Exhibit: WI Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026