Foreign LLC Registration in California (2026): 5 Moves and the 3 Best Services
Short answer for California, 2026: use CA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199), ranked best to worst, if you want help registering an LLC from another state. First, do you need to register? Then 5 moves and a $70 fee.
Each company's listed price on November 13, 2026. Each row still needs California's $70 registration fee.
How registration works in California
Move 1
When registration is required
If your out-of-state LLC does business in California, register as a foreign LLC first. Without registration: Its own claims have to wait until it registers (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at ftb.ca.gov; we read it in October 2026
Move 2
Order the certificate from home
Attach certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, from the past 180 days.
Order it last so it is fresh when you file.
Move 3
Get an agent for service of process with a California address
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.
Fill in and send the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC)
That filing is the registration, and it costs $70.
Where this comes from: Check it yourself at bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov; we read it in October 2026
Move 5
Handle California's repeating filing
The repeat item is the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 at $20, within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years. And there is a tax: $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.
Costs, move by move
Item
Pay to
Total
The registration move
Paid to the state
$70
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12
Paid to the state
$20
State minimum tax
Paid to the state
$800 a year
A service, if you hire one
Service company
$199 in the first year
Three-year state total
Paid to the state
$2,490
These are the official California fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the year-two and year-three reports and any minimum tax.
Why this order
won on founder outlay over three years (27% of the mark), with close behind.
CA Registered Agent.org totals $397 across three years, saving $100 next to Mainstay Filing.
California quick answers
What will it cost to register a foreign LLC in California?
$70 as the official fee. The services here charge $199 extra.
Which form do I file to register?
Use the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5); the California Secretary of State, Business Entities receives it.
Do I need a certificate from my home state?
Yes: certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, issued within 180 days of filing.
What if the LLC does business there without registering?
Its own claims have to wait until it registers (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).
What is due after registering?
Move 5 has it: the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 for $20.
Which service should handle the registration?
CA Registered Agent.org first, then Mainstay Filing and California Registered Agent.ai; CA Registered Agent.org wins on founder outlay over three years.