LLC Formation in California (2026): 8 Moves and the 3 Best LLC Services
Short answer for California, 2026: use CA Registered Agent.org ($199), California Registered Agent.ai ($199) and Mainstay Filing ($199), ranked best to worst, if you want help starting an LLC. California takes $70 at filing and expects the Statement of Information every two years. 8 moves cover it.
Three-year cost and to-dos cleared weigh the most. How we score lists all five criteria.
Our pick$199 plus fees, then $99 yearly
1. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a small first invoice
CA Registered Agent.org leads the list, since $199 on top of the state fee, agent free in year one, then $99 a year.
A lower three-year cost than Mainstay Filing puts it first; cost is worth 27%.
Make time for the Statement of Information every two years; it is not in the price.
Inside the price
Filing with the state
Agent service for year one
In its favor
No agent fee in year one
$199 and the state fee
Then $99 a year
Against it
Filing the Statement of Information is outside what it does
Help with the EIN is $99 more
One-state plan$199 plus fees, then $99 yearly
2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a low agent renewal
California Registered Agent.ai lands second: $199 on top of the state fee, agent free in year one, then $99 a year.
Make time for the Statement of Information every two years; it is not in the price.
It costs the same as CA Registered Agent.org.
Inside the price
Filing with the state
Agent service for year one
In its favor
No agent fee in year one
$199 and the state fee
Then $99 a year
Against it
Filing the Statement of Information is outside what it does
Help with the EIN is $99 more
All fifty states$199/yr and the $70 state fee
3. Mainstay Filing: best for dropping the Statement of Information paperwork
Mainstay Filing lands third: the founder pays $199 a year and skips three separate vendors for filing, agent for service of process and Statement of Information.
Add up three years: $200 more than CA Registered Agent.org.
You will not touch the Statement of Information; the $20 state fee is simply passed through.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. The $70 state fee is not in these figures.
The primer, move by move
Move 1
Name the company
Do not file under a name someone else holds. the California Secretary of State lets you check in a minute.
Keep a runner-up name in reserve.
Move 2
Put a agent for service of process in place
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. 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.
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.
Skip the service: $70 to the state. Use one of our picks: $199 more, and you skip the forms.
Move 4
Submit the Articles of Organization
Send the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) and $70 to the California Secretary of State. Legal basis: Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01. That brings the LLC into being.
$800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.
Where this comes from: Official page: ftb.ca.gov (October 2026)
Move 6
Get your EIN
Once California approves the LLC, ask the IRS for an EIN. Banks and payroll providers need one. Mainstay Filing's yearly price covers this application.
Move 7
Sign an operating agreement
The operating agreement is the owners' rulebook. The company keeps it; the state does not ask for it.
Move 8
Stay in good standing in California
Keep the LLC active by filing the Statement of Information every two years ($20) before last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. Lateness costs $250. A yearly tax goes in the budget too: $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.
Where this comes from: Official page: sos.ca.gov (October 2026)
California costs by move
What
Recipient
Total
Forming the LLC
Paid to the state
$70
Statement of Information
Paid to the state
$20 every two years
Missing the deadline
Paid to the state
$250
State minimum tax
Paid to the state
$800 a year
Optional service
The service
$199 for year one
Three years of state fees
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
edged out on founder outlay over three years, worth 27%.
CA Registered Agent.org takes the cost criterion: $397 over three years, against $200 more at Mainstay Filing.
California quick answers
What does it cost to file an LLC in California?
$70 goes to the state. Service fees on this list run $199.
Which form creates the LLC?
The destination for the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) is the California Secretary of State.
Is an agent for service of process required?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What does California require each year?
The repeating item is the Statement of Information ($20, every two years, due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially). There is also a yearly minimum tax.
Can I form the LLC without a service?
You can: the state wants $70, and you name an agent for service of process yourself or hire one.
Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?
Pick CA Registered Agent.org: a California formation at $199 with year one of the agent covered, agent renewal $99. Behind it: California Registered Agent.ai and Mainstay Filing.
Proof for California Secretary of State: the claims lean on sos.ca.gov, which we last read in August 2026. Open it and compare.
Proof for California Secretary of State: the claims lean on bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, which we last read in August 2026. Open it and compare.
Proof for California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source: the claims lean on sos.ca.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
Proof for Cal: the claims lean on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, which we last read in August 2026. Open it and compare.
Proof for California registered agent statute: the claims lean on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
Proof for California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and: the claims lean on ftb.ca.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
Proof for California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and: the claims lean on ftb.ca.gov, which we last read in October 2026. Open it and compare.
CA Registered Agent.org pricing page as of November 13, 2026
California Registered Agent.ai pricing page as of November 13, 2026
Mainstay Filing California service page as of November 13, 2026