No.1
Number one here
1. CA Registered Agent.org: best for the least expensive year among these agents
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.5out of 10
First place: CA Registered Agent.org. The plan is a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned to your account.
CA Registered Agent.org provides the in-state registered office and posts scans of any legal papers served there to your account.
Three-year cost is where it gains on Mainstay Filing, and that criterion is weighted heavily.
In the price
- A physical address in the state for the registered office
- Anything served on the company is scanned and made available online
Why pick it
- $99 annually, flat across renewals
- A lower yearly charge than Mainstay Filing
- Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year
Weak spots
- The Statement of Information is yours to file
- Built for California; elsewhere you need another agent
No.2
Best local option
2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for California specialists
$99 yearly, no change
Score9.1out of 10
Second place: California Registered Agent.ai. The plan is a flat $99 a year, and papers served on the company are scanned to your account.
California Registered Agent.ai lends the company a state street address for its registered office and scans served legal papers to you online.
No difference in price or features separates CA Registered Agent.org from California Registered Agent.ai; choose whichever you prefer.
In the price
- A physical address in the state for the registered office
- Anything served on the company is scanned and made available online
Why pick it
- Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
- Costs $99 yearly, unchanged at renewal
- Also forms LLCs and includes the first agent year
Weak spots
- The Statement of Information is yours to file
- Built for California; elsewhere you need another agent
No.3
Best all-in coverage
3. Mainstay Filing: best for all fifty states
$149 yearly, no change
Score8.9out of 10
Third place: Mainstay Filing. The charge is $149 a year whether the company stays in one state or spreads out, and three government letters a year are scanned at no cost.
For a company not yet formed, the $199 yearly package adds the California filing and the Statement of Information.
CA Registered Agent.org costs $150 less over three years, and Mainstay Filing trails it on that criterion.
In the price
- A registered office street address in any state you need
- Same-business-day scanning of legal papers served, free of charge
- Three government letters a year scanned without charge
- Compliance reminders
Why pick it
- $149 a year, unchanged at renewal
- Accepts LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits
- Service of process on the company scanned within the same business day, no charge
- Three government letters a year scanned at no charge
Weak spots
- The agent plan runs $50 a year above CA Registered Agent.org
- Unless you buy the formation package, you file the annual report
The 3 rulings in brief
| Rank | Provider | Ruling score | Yearly charge | Renewal | Suited to | Link |
|---|
| 1 | CA Registered Agent.org | 9.5 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 2 | California Registered Agent.ai | 9.1 | $99 | $99/yr | The lowest yearly charge on this list | Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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| 3 | Mainstay Filing | 8.9 | $149 | $149/yr | An agent usable in all fifty states | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
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The 10-point scores are editorial. They apply the criteria on
How we rank and do not draw on customer ratings.
California registered agent charges in 2026: year one, renewals and the three-year total
| Provider | Year one | Year two | Year three | Total over three years | Price unchanged at renewal |
|---|
| CA Registered Agent.org | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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| California Registered Agent.ai | $99 | $99 | $99 | $297 | Yes |
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| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | $149 | $447 | Yes |
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Each charge was taken from the provider's own pages on November 12, 2026. California's own fees are the same whichever agent is chosen.
Why CA Registered Agent.org is placed first
The decisive criterion in California was charge over three years. For reference, the method assigns 31% to charge over three years, 31% to work taken off the founder and 38% across renewal conduct, fit with local rules and pricing in plain sight.
Over three years CA Registered Agent.org totals $297, $150 less than Mainstay Filing. A company that needs an agent only in California gains little from fifty-state reach, so the lower yearly charge carried the ruling.
Each criterion and its weight appear on How we rank.
What California requires of a agent for service of process (source: California Secretary of State)
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. An individual agent's California street address goes on the public record. A registered corporate agent's address is already on file with the state and is not repeated in the company's filing. Authority: Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13.
The California Statement of Information: its fee and due date
In California, the Statement of Information comes due every two years. $20 is payable to the state, and the deadline is last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. Filing late adds $250. Notices about it are sent to your agent for service of process.
Questions on California registered agents
Is a California LLC obliged to appoint a agent for service of process?
Yes. California law expects every LLC to appoint a agent for service of process with a physical address in the state, and that appointment is public.
What is the going yearly rate for a California registered agent?
Yearly charges fall between $99 to $149, and every provider holds its price at renewal.
Is the owner permitted to serve as the agent for service of process?
Yes, when the state's conditions are met. A California resident, or a corporation registered with the Secretary of State as a corporate agent under Corporations Code § 1505. A business cannot act as its own agent for service of process.
What is the deadline for the California Statement of Information?
$20 goes to the state, and the filing falls due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. Lateness costs $250 more.
Which registered agents were heard in this ranking?
CA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), California Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year) and Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), ruled upon in that order.
Which California registered agent does the record favor?
CA Registered Agent.org, since it charges $99 a year, holding that price at renewal, the lowest yearly charge on this list.
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
- Exhibit: CA Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: California Registered Agent.ai, pricing and service pages, November 12, 2026
- Exhibit: Mainstay Filing, California service page, November 12, 2026