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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 3 · Idaho

Foreign LLC Registration in Idaho (2026): 5 Moves and the 3 Best Services

Our order for registering an LLC from another state in Idaho, 2026, is Mainstay Filing ($199), ID Registered Agent.org ($199) and Idaho Registered Agent.co ($199). Idaho wants $100 from a foreign LLC. 5 moves show the rest.
From the Founder Primer desk

Key facts

State fee to register
$100
legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026
Good-standing proof
90 days
No older than
Report fee
None
Annual report
Three years of state fees
$100
No service fees counted
How many moves
5
First to last

What you will be able to do

  • When an LLC from elsewhere must register in Idaho
  • How the filing is made
  • Staying in good standing
  • How the picks compare

Our picks for Idaho

Cost over three years first, then to-dos cleared, renewal, Idaho fit and readable pricing (scoring page).

Start with this Service $199; renewal $149 a year

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one vendor for both states

In Idaho, Mainstay Filing is number one: $199 over the state fee in any state, first-year agent included.

You pay $100 more than at ID Registered Agent.org across three years and keep less of the paperwork.

Year two onward, the agent runs $149 annually, and that holds in every state.

Inside the price
  • Registration, prepared and sent
  • Registered agent free in year one
  • A fifty-state service
In its favor
  • Registered agent free in year one
  • Same fee in every state
  • $199 above the state fee
Against it
  • ID Registered Agent.org's agent renewal is $50 lower
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Idaho focus Service $199; renewal $99 a year

2. ID Registered Agent.org: best for adding only Idaho

ID Registered Agent.org lands second: Idaho registration filed for $199, with a year of agent service; renewal $99.

Inside the price
  • The Idaho registration, prepared and sent
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • $99 yearly from year two
  • A year of agent service included
  • $199 and the state fee
Against it
  • Idaho only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit ID Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Idaho focus Service $199; renewal $99 a year

3. Idaho Registered Agent.co: best for Idaho-only registrations

Idaho Registered Agent.co lands third: Idaho registration filed for $199, with a year of agent service; renewal $99.

It costs the same as ID Registered Agent.org.

Inside the price
  • The Idaho registration, prepared and sent
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • $199 and the state fee
  • A year of agent service included
  • $99 yearly from year two
Against it
  • Idaho only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit Idaho Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 services side by side

# Service First year From year two Three-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199 $149/yr $497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 ID Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit ID Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Idaho Registered Agent.co $199 $99/yr $397 Visit Idaho Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. Add the $100 state fee to every row.

The moves

  1. Move 1

    When registration is required

    Term to know: a foreign LLC is formed in another state. It registers before doing business there. Operating unregistered costs you: Idaho courts shut the door on unregistered LLCs as plaintiffs (Idaho Code 30-21-502(b)). Its contracts stay valid (Idaho Code 30-21-502(c)).

    Where this comes from: archive.sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026

  2. Move 2

    Order the certificate from home

    You must have certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the home state, no older than 90 days.

    Leave this for just before you file.

  3. Move 3

    Appoint a registered agent in Idaho

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical street address in Idaho. P.O. boxes and commercial mailboxes are not accepted.

    Each pick includes the registered agent.

    Where this comes from: legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026

  4. Move 4

    Send in the Foreign Registration Statement

    The registration is the Foreign Registration Statement plus $100, addressed to the Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services.

    Where this comes from: legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026

  5. Move 5

    Stay registered

    Registered LLCs file the annual report, before the end of the month in which the LLC registered.

Idaho costs by move

Item Payee Total
Foreign registration Paid to the state $100
Service fees (optional) Your service $199 up front
State fees, years one to three Paid to the state $100

We get the three-year state number by adding the filing, the reports due in years two and three and any yearly minimum tax. Service fees stay separate.

How we ordered the Idaho picks

To-dos the price takes off you is 38% of the mark, and it is where moved ahead in Idaho.

With the LLC active in two states, reach settled the order.

Short answers

How much is Idaho's fee for an out-of-state LLC?

$100 in state fees. Our picks add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Registration takes one form, and the Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services handles it.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the home state, issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Idaho courts shut the door on unregistered LLCs as plaintiffs (Idaho Code 30-21-502(b)). Its contracts stay valid (Idaho Code 30-21-502(c)).

What is due after registering?

The annual report keeps the registration alive.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing, since service fee $199, plus Idaho's fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two. Then ID Registered Agent.org and Idaho Registered Agent.co.

More primers

Sources, so you can check us

  1. Backup for the Idaho yearly filing: Annual report: due date, official section: legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  2. Backup for the Idaho Code § 30-25-201 section: legislature.idaho.gov, read August 2026.
  3. Backup for the Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source section: sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  4. Backup for the Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source section: legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  5. Backup for the Idaho registered agent statute section: legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  6. Backup for the Idaho Secretary of State, Foreign Registration Statement section: archive.sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  7. Backup for the Idaho Secretary of State, business FAQ section: sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  8. Backup for the Idaho Code 30-21-505, activities that are not doing section: legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  9. Backup for the Idaho Code 30-21-213, annual report section: legislature.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  10. Backup for the Withdrawal of Foreign Registration Statement section: archive.sos.idaho.gov, read October 2026.
  11. Backup for the Idaho Code 30-21-502, registration to do business section: legislature.idaho.gov, read November 2026.
  12. The Idaho service page from Mainstay Filing, November 13, 2026
  13. The pricing page from ID Registered Agent.org, November 13, 2026
  14. The pricing page from Idaho Registered Agent.co, November 13, 2026