Class session 3 · California
Foreign LLC Registration Class, California (2026): 5 Assignments and the 3 Best Services
Class overview
What this class teaches
- Which LLCs must register
- What to file and what it costs
- What staying registered costs
- Who we would hire to file
California: the graded services
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a second state and beyond
Mainstay Filing earns the top grade in California: $199 over the state fee, the agent for service of process free in year one and $149 a year after that.
You pay $100 extra across three years compared with California Registered Agent.ai, and you keep less of the paperwork.
After year one, agent service costs $149 a year.
Covered by the tuition
- Registration prepared and sent
- Any state, one price
Strengths
- Ready for the next state too
- $199 plus the state fee
Weak spots
- A pricier agent renewal ($149)
2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a budget registration
California Registered Agent.ai makes a respectable second: registration costs $199 plus state fees, and the first agent year is already paid.
Covered by the tuition
- The registration filing
- One year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- A small $99 renewal
- $199 plus the state fee
- A year of agent service is included
Weak spots
- A single-state service
3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a small agent renewal
CA Registered Agent.org makes a respectable third: registration costs $199 plus state fees, and the first agent year is already paid.
It charges exactly what California Registered Agent.ai charges.
Covered by the tuition
- The registration filing
- One year of agent service is part of the price
Strengths
- A small $99 renewal
- A year of agent service is included
- $199 plus the state fee
Weak spots
- A single-state service
The California grades compared
| # | Service | First year | From year two | Three-year total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | California Registered Agent.ai | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | CA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Registering with California, assignment by assignment
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Assignment
1Is California registration needed?
An LLC formed in another state has to register with California before it does business there. Ignore the rule and this follows: An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff here (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).
Textbook page: ftb.ca.gov, last read in October 2026
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Assignment
2Request the certificate your home state issues
You need certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, issued no more than 180 days.
Request it close to the date you plan to file.
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Assignment
3Name an agent for service of process for California
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.
The grade list covers this role.
Textbook page: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, last read in October 2026
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Assignment
4Put together and mail the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC)
the California Secretary of State, Business Entities is the office that wants the filing above plus $70.
Textbook page: bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, last read in October 2026
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Assignment
5Keep the registration alive
Once registered, a foreign LLC sends in the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 ($20), within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years. Budget for this too: $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.
What this class costs
| Entry | Goes to | Sum |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign registration | Goes to the state | $70 |
| Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 | Goes to the state | $20 |
| Tax due every year | Goes to the state | $800 a year |
| Service fees (optional) | Service | $199 at the start |
| State total across three years | Goes to the state | $2,490 |
How the grades came out
pulled ahead of on homework the price does, which counts for 34%.
The company belongs to one state and operates in a second, so one provider for both is the better fit.
Short answers
Which fees does California take from a foreign LLC?
$70 in state fees. A service adds $199.
Which form do I file to register?
Look for the Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) (Form LLC-5); it goes to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.
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?
An LLC that has not registered cannot be a plaintiff here (Corp. Code 17708.07(a)).
What is due after registering?
Look ahead to the Statement of Information, Form LLC-12, which costs $20.
Which service should handle the registration?
Mainstay Filing, because it files the California registration for $199 plus the state fee, and the first agent year is free. Behind it come California Registered Agent.ai and CA Registered Agent.org.
Textbook pages and extra reading
- If you want proof of the California Secretary of State facts, sos.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the California Secretary of State facts, bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source facts, sos.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Cal facts, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in August 2026.
- If you want proof of the California registered agent statute facts, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms facts, sos.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Form LLC-5 facts, bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Corporations Code section 17708.03 facts, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135 facts, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements facts, ftb.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- If you want proof of the California Corporations Code 17708.07 facts, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in November 2026.
- If you want proof of the California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and facts, ftb.ca.gov is the page to read, and we last read it in October 2026.
- California service page from Mainstay Filing as of November 13, 2026
- pricing page from California Registered Agent.ai as of November 13, 2026
- pricing page from CA Registered Agent.org as of November 13, 2026