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Registered agent fee schedules | California

3 Best Registered Agents in California (2026): Fee Schedule

We rank California registered agents for 2026 as Mainstay Filing ($149/yr), California Registered Agent.ai ($99/yr) and CA Registered Agent.org ($99/yr), best value first. A year of agent service starts at $99 to $149; three years cost $297 to $447.

Prepared by the Agent Fee Tables editorial team ·

Schedules ordered by: Best value first, using our five-part order

California charges at a glance

Agent ruleYesleginfo.legislature.ca.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
Year-one fees$99 to $149Fee per year
Three-year range$297 to $447Three years of service fees
Statement of Information$20 per two yearssos.ca.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
Break-evenDoes not occurNo schedule overtakes another

The California schedules

Every charge is copied from the company's own pricing page. A different agent leaves the state fee as it was.
1

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies that may expand

Leads the list

Billed $149 in year one and $149 afterward

Opening charge
$149
Renewal charge
$149/yr
Charges, three years
$447

Mainstay Filing comes first because $149 a year here, and the identical charge in every other state.

California Registered Agent.ai charges $150 less by year three; the 31% weight on duties still puts this one first.

Duties the charge covers

  • A physical address on file
  • Up to three government mailings a year, scanned free
  • Covers LLCs, corporations, LPs, LLPs and nonprofits

Charges in its favor

  • $149 a year, no change at renewal
  • One account for any state

Charges against it

  • $50 a year above California Registered Agent.ai
  • You still do the reports
Check Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2

2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for the smallest three-year total

Local option

Billed $99 in year one and $99 afterward

Opening charge
$99
Renewal charge
$99/yr
Charges, three years
$297

Schedule 2 is California Registered Agent.ai. $99 a year and $99 at renewal, aimed at LLCs that stay in one state.

Duties the charge covers

  • A street address inside the state
  • Legal documents posted to your account

Charges in its favor

  • Year 1 $99, year 2 $99
  • A smaller annual charge than Mainstay Filing

Charges against it

  • No help outside the state
  • Does not take on the Statement of Information
Check California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3

3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a local backup

Local option

Billed $99 in year one and $99 afterward

Opening charge
$99
Renewal charge
$99/yr
Charges, three years
$297

Schedule 3 is CA Registered Agent.org. $99 a year and $99 at renewal, aimed at LLCs that stay in one state.

Line for line, it ties California Registered Agent.ai.

Duties the charge covers

  • A street address inside the state
  • Legal documents posted to your account

Charges in its favor

  • A smaller annual charge than Mainstay Filing
  • Year 1 $99, year 2 $99

Charges against it

  • No help outside the state
  • Does not take on the Statement of Information
Check CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Charges over time

OrderServiceCharges, year 1Charges, year 2Charges, year 3Charges, year 5
1Mainstay Filing$149$298$447$745Check Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2California Registered Agent.ai$99$198$297$495Check California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3CA Registered Agent.org$99$198$297$495Check CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Year one plus renewals, using charges from November 13, 2026. The order of charges holds for ten years.

Fee calculator

The calculator takes your number of years, adds year one to each renewal and shows every schedule.
3 years of fees come to Mainstay Filing $447, California Registered Agent.ai $297, CA Registered Agent.org $297. Smallest total: California Registered Agent.ai.

Official government charges

LineChargeSource
LLC formation filing$70leginfo.legislature.ca.gov {fee list dated August 2026}
Statement of Information$20 every two yearssos.ca.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
Cost of missing the deadline$250sos.ca.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
Minimum tax$800 yearlyftb.ca.gov {fee list dated October 2026}
What the state bills by year 3$2,490Filing, reports and any tax
The state's share is the filing, the reports in years two and three, and a minimum tax if there is one. Anything the state leaves unpriced is described, not totaled.

Why schedule one is first

Mainstay Filing wins duties inside the charge, worth 31%, with California Registered Agent.ai right behind.

One agent charge that works in every state outscored California Registered Agent.ai's lower one-state charge.

What California requires of a agent for service of process (California Secretary of State), in the state's own words

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. The governing statute is Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13.

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.

Source wording: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov {fee list dated October 2026}

State fees only

An owner who meets the address rule can serve free of charge; the schedules above put $99 to $149 a year on the convenience.

About these fees

What does a California registered agent charge per year?

Roughly $99 to $149 yearly.

What do three years of agent service cost?

$297 to $447 in service fees, with state fees on top.

Does the state insist that a California LLC have an agent for service of process?

Yes, it does. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

May the owner act as the agent for service of process?

If you qualify, yes; the requirements section has the rules.

What does the state charge the LLC every year?

The line that repeats is the Statement of Information, at $20 every other year (last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially). Add the minimum tax.

When does one schedule pass another in total charges?

No point of equal cost inside ten years.

Which registered agent is the best value in California?

Schedule one is Mainstay Filing, then California Registered Agent.ai, then CA Registered Agent.org.

Related schedules

Fee sources

  1. Backing for the California Secretary of State line: sos.ca.gov, August 2026.
  2. Backing for the California Secretary of State line: bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, August 2026.
  3. Backing for the California yearly filing: Statement of line: sos.ca.gov, October 2026.
  4. Backing for the Cal line: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, August 2026.
  5. Backing for the California registered agent statute line: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, October 2026.
  6. Backing for the California other cost: Annual LLC line: ftb.ca.gov, October 2026.
  7. Backing for the California other cost: Annual LLC line: ftb.ca.gov, October 2026.
  8. Charges from Mainstay Filing California service page, retrieved November 13, 2026
  9. Charges from California Registered Agent.ai pricing page, retrieved November 13, 2026
  10. Charges from CA Registered Agent.org pricing page, retrieved November 13, 2026