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Founder Primer

LLC paperwork, boiled down for founders.

Primer 3 · New York

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

Short answer for New York, 2026: use Mainstay Filing ($199), New York Registered Agent.ai ($199) and NY Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked best to worst, if you want help registering an LLC from another state. New York wants $250 from a foreign LLC. 5 moves show the rest.
From the Founder Primer desk

The short version

Fee at the state
$250
Per ny.gov, as of October 2026
Certificate to attach
365 days
How old it can be
Annual filing
$9
Biennial statement
What the state collects in 3 years
$259
Registration plus reports
Moves
5
One at a time

After this primer

  • When registration is required
  • The official form and fee
  • Staying in good standing
  • Our picks and the reasoning

The New York shortlist

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

First choice $199 plus state fee, then $149/yr

1. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and more

We start with Mainstay Filing: service fee $199, plus New York's fee; the agent is $149 a year from year two.

Three years cost $100 more than New York Registered Agent.ai, but it clears more of the to-do list, and the marks reward that.

From the second year the agent bills $149 yearly, no matter the state.

Inside the price
  • Registration filing
  • Agent for service of process free in year one
  • All fifty states
In its favor
  • Agent for service of process free in year one
  • $199 plus the state fee
  • Any state, one fee
Against it
  • Renewal $50 over New York Registered Agent.ai's
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
New York focus $199 plus state fee, then $99/yr

2. New York Registered Agent.ai: best for a low yearly agent cost

Second place is New York Registered Agent.ai, because $199 service fee, $99 a year for the New York agent.

Inside the price
  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • A $199 service fee
  • A year of agent service included
  • Then $99 a year
Against it
  • New York only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit New York Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
New York focus $199 plus state fee, then $99/yr

3. NY Registered Agent.org: best for registering in New York only

Third place is NY Registered Agent.org, because $199 service fee, $99 a year for the New York agent.

On price it ties with New York Registered Agent.ai.

Inside the price
  • The filing is made for you
  • One year of agent service
In its favor
  • A year of agent service included
  • Then $99 a year
  • A $199 service fee
Against it
  • New York only; your home state needs its own agent
Visit NY Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Marks and prices together

# 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 New York Registered Agent.ai $199 $99/yr $397 Visit New York Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 NY Registered Agent.org $199 $99/yr $397 Visit NY Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Pulled from each company's pricing page on November 13, 2026. Every row owes the $250 state fee as well.

The primer, move by move

  1. Move 1

    Decide if the LLC must register in New York

    Term to know: a foreign LLC is formed in another state. It registers before doing business there.

    Where this comes from: Per dos.ny.gov, as of October 2026

  2. Move 2

    Order the certificate from home

    You must have certificate of Existence (also called a Certificate of Good Standing), issued no earlier than 365 days.

    Leave this for just before you file.

  3. Move 3

    Line up a New York agent for service of process

    The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC; naming a registered agent is optional. New York has no registered-office requirement. The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for every New York LLC and mails a copy of any papers served to the address the company has on file. A designated registered agent's street address goes on the filing.

    All of our picks act as the agent for service of process.

    Where this comes from: Per nysenate.gov, as of October 2026

  4. Move 4

    Send in the Application for Authority of a Foreign Limited Liability Company

    the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations wants the filing above and $250.

    Where this comes from: Per ny.gov, as of October 2026

  5. Move 5

    Look at the recurring filing

    Expect the biennial statement and a $9 fee (every two years, in the month the application was filed).

What each move costs in New York

Cost item Goes to Cost
Filing to register Paid to the state $250
Biennial statement Paid to the state $9
Paid help The service $199 in the first year
Three years of state fees Paid to the state $259

State amounts are New York's official fees (sources below); service prices come from each company's site. Three years of state cost is the filing, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why Mainstay Filing is first

The deciding criterion: to-dos the price takes off you, at 38% of the mark.

The LLC was formed in one state and works in another, so a provider that serves both scored best.

New York questions

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

$250 to the state. Our picks add $199.

Which form do I file to register?

Registration takes one form, and the New York Department of State, Division of Corporations handles it.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of Existence (also called a Certificate of Good Standing), issued within 365 days of filing.

What is due after registering?

The biennial statement keeps the registration alive, at $9.

Which services are in this lesson?

Mainstay Filing, New York Registered Agent.ai and NY Registered Agent.org; prices are in the table above.

Which service should handle the registration?

Pick Mainstay Filing: $199 plus state fees to register, with the agent for service of process free for the first year. Behind it: New York Registered Agent.ai and NY Registered Agent.org.

Related primers

Sources, so you can check us

  1. Verify New York Department of State, Division of Corporations at dos.ny.gov. Our copy of it is from August 2026.
  2. Verify New York Department of State, Division of Corporations at filing.dos.ny.gov. Our copy of it is from August 2026.
  3. Verify New York report due date at nysenate.gov. Our copy of it is from August 2026.
  4. Verify NY Limited Liability Company Law § 203 at nysenate.gov. Our copy of it is from August 2026.
  5. Verify New York formation fee: Filing fee, official source at dos.ny.gov. Our copy of it is from October 2026.
  6. Verify New York registered agent statute at nysenate.gov. Our copy of it is from October 2026.
  7. Verify Department of State, Application for Authority at dos.ny.gov. Our copy of it is from October 2026.
  8. Verify LLC Law § 802, application for authority at nysenate.gov. Our copy of it is from October 2026.
  9. Verify LLC Law § 808, consequences of doing business at nysenate.gov. Our copy of it is from October 2026.
  10. Verify Department of State, Certificate of Publication at dos.ny.gov. Our copy of it is from October 2026.
  11. Mainstay Filing New York service page as of November 13, 2026
  12. New York Registered Agent.ai pricing page as of November 13, 2026
  13. NY Registered Agent.org pricing page as of November 13, 2026