No.1
Top pick on this page
1. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a California LLC that intends to stay put
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score9.4out of 10
First place: CA Registered Agent.org. California formation costs $199 beyond the state's fee, with the agent for service of process free the first year, and $99 yearly keeps the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The Statement of Information lies outside its published prices, so you file it with California every two years.
Three-year cost is where it gains on Mainstay Filing, and that criterion is weighted heavily.
In the price
- The formation filing
- Your agent for service of process for the first year
Why pick it
- Agent charge of $99 a year after year one
- Forms the LLC for $199 and the state's fee
- Twelve months as your agent for service of process come with it
Weak spots
- The Statement of Information is not prepared for you
- The EIN application carries a separate fee ($99)
No.2
Formation, agent and report
2. Mainstay Filing: best for the formation, the agent and the Statement of Information under one charge
$199 a year plus the state fee ($269 due at checkout)
Score9.1out of 10
Second place: Mainstay Filing. A single yearly charge of $199 covers the California formation, a year as your agent for service of process and the Statement of Information, then renews at $199.
At renewal Mainstay prepares and files the Statement of Information for you. California charges $20 every two years for it, due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially, and lateness adds $250; Mainstay passes the state fee along at cost.
CA Registered Agent.org costs $200 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- Preparation and filing of the formation document
- Your agent for service of process all year long
- Statement of Information prepared and filed on your behalf
- EIN application prepared
Why pick it
- Renews at $199 with nothing added
- California's fee is passed along at cost
- Covers the EIN application
- One yearly charge of $199 that covers the Statement of Information
Weak spots
- Its agent charge after year one is $100 a year above CA Registered Agent.org's
No.3
Best local option
3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a filing made only in California
$199 to form, then $99 a year for the agent, with the state fee extra
Score8.8out of 10
Third place: California Registered Agent.ai. California formation costs $199 beyond the state's fee, with the agent for service of process free the first year, and $99 yearly keeps the agent.
An in-state street address serves as the registered office, and papers served on the company are scanned into your online account.
The Statement of Information lies outside its published prices, so you file it with California every two years.
No difference in price or features separates CA Registered Agent.org from California Registered Agent.ai; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- The formation filing
- Year-one agent for service of process service
Why pick it
- Forms the LLC for $199 and the state's fee
- Afterward, $99 a year keeps the agent
- Twelve months as your agent for service of process come with it
Weak spots
- The Statement of Information is not prepared for you
- 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 | CA Registered Agent.org | 9.4 | $199 | $99/yr | A California business holding down its costs | Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | 9.1 | $199 | $199/yr | The formation, the agent and the Statement of Information under one charge | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
|---|
| 3 | California Registered Agent.ai | 8.8 | $199 | $99/yr | A California business holding down its costs | Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner 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.
California LLC service charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Files the Statement of Information |
|---|
| CA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $199 | $199 | $199 | $597 | Yes |
|---|
| California Registered Agent.ai | $199 | $99 | $99 | $397 | No |
|---|
Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. California's $70 filing 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 California the decisive one was charge over three years.
Over three years CA Registered Agent.org totals $397, $200 less than Mainstay Filing. Mainstay would file the Statement of Information as well, yet an owner can do it alone for the state fee, so the lower charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
The California LLC filing fee and form (official figures)
To file the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the California Secretary of State, budget $70. Each provider on this page adds that state fee at cost to its own charge.
$800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.
Obligations after the California filing is accepted
File the Statement of Information every two years; the date is last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. $20 goes to the state. Filing late adds $250. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Questions on California LLC services
What does it take, in dollars, to form an LLC in California?
The state filing fee is $70; service charges run $199.
What is filed to bring the company into existence?
The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), lodged with the California Secretary of State.
Does a California LLC have to name a agent for service of process on its formation paperwork?
Yes. The company names a agent for service of process when it forms and keeps one on file afterward, with a street address in California.
Which recurring filings follow formation?
One: the Statement of Information, filed every two years, due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially, at a state fee of $20.
Does the quoted price cover the EIN application?
At Mainstay Filing it does; the application sits inside the yearly price. CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai add $99 for the application. Applying directly with the IRS carries no fee.
Which California LLC service does the record favor?
CA Registered Agent.org, since the formation charge is $199 over the state fee, then $99 annually for the agent.
The record
- California Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- California Secretary of State, on the record as of August 2026
- California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01, on the record as of August 2026
- California registered agent statute, on the record as of October 2026
- California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and timing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and timing, official source, on the record as of October 2026
- Exhibit: CA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, California service page, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: California Registered Agent.ai, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026