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Filing MapperRoutes through every state's LLC paperwork, priced leg by leg.

National picks

3 Best Foreign Registration Services (2026)

Anywhere in the US in 2026, we rank foreign registration services Mainstay Filing ($199), Maryland Registered Agent.co ($199) and Alaska Registered Agent.co ($199), best first. Mainstay Filing earns the lead since one $199 fee to register anywhere, and the first lap of agent service is free.

Surveyed by the Filing Mapper team

Providers for the national route

The criteria and weights are on the method page.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for every one of the fifty states

Our national pick$199 to start, $149 a year later

Mainstay Filing heads the national route: one $199 fee to register anywhere, and the first lap of agent service is free.

Across three years it costs $100 more than Maryland Registered Agent.co does in Maryland, and the extra buys cover in every state.

The fare covers

  • The registration drafted and filed by Mainstay
  • Fare does not change by state

On the plus side

  • $199 wherever you file
  • Then $149 per lap

On the minus side

  • Costs more per lap than a one-state agent
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Maryland Registered Agent.co: best for Maryland businesses

Maryland pick$199 to start, $99 a year later

Maryland Registered Agent.co is the second stop: it admits outside LLCs to Maryland for $199 above the state toll.

Its route ends at the Maryland line.

The fare covers

  • The Maryland registration, drafted and filed
  • Maryland agent duty for year one

On the plus side

  • $99 at renewal
  • Then $99 per lap

On the minus side

  • Maryland only
  • You file the yearly report
Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Alaska Registered Agent.co: best for Alaska businesses

Alaska pick$199 to start, $99 a year later

Alaska Registered Agent.co takes third place: it admits outside LLCs to Alaska for $199 above the state toll.

Its route ends at the Alaska line.

The fare covers

  • The Alaska registration, drafted and filed
  • Alaska agent duty for year one

On the plus side

  • $99 at renewal
  • Then $99 per lap

On the minus side

  • Alaska only
  • You file the yearly report
Visit Alaska Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3 providers compared

StopProviderLeg oneLater legsProvider cost, three years
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Maryland Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Maryland Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3Alaska Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Alaska Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Fares read November 12, 2026. Each provider passes the state toll through on top.

How far the state side swings

Where the LLC sits on the map decides it: three-year state fees for a foreign LLC can land anywhere between $70 and $2,490. No pick on this list marks them up. Find your state.

The reasoning

Each fare is scored on three-year cost, state steps covered, renewal, state fit and fee labeling. A nationwide ranking favors the provider that works wherever you file. For companies in Maryland or Alaska, Maryland Registered Agent.co and Alaska Registered Agent.co are the cheaper route.

A route for every state

Each state route sets the providers we rank beside that state's official fees. Foreign LLC fees by state.

Foreign Registration FAQ

What are the best foreign registration services in 2026?

Mainstay Filing, Maryland Registered Agent.co and Alaska Registered Agent.co, ranked in that order.

How much does a foreign registration service cost?

Plan for $199 to $199 plus the state toll.

How much do state fees vary?

Where the LLC sits on the map decides it: three-year state fees for a foreign LLC can land anywhere between $70 and $2,490.

Can one service cover every state?

Mainstay Filing works in all fifty states at one fare; each of the other two covers a single state.

Why are single-state services on a national list?

In their home states they come in under the national pick on price. Maryland Registered Agent.co is our pick for Maryland businesses; Alaska Registered Agent.co for Alaska businesses.

How did you choose the order?

Three-year provider cost and steps covered weigh most, then renewal, state fit and fee labeling.

More from this state

Survey markers for this route

Survey marker
  1. Marker, Montana Secretary of State, register a business: documented by help.sosmt.gov and logged October 2026.
  2. Marker, Montana Secretary of State, business fees: documented by sosmt.gov and logged October 2026.
  3. Marker, MCA 35-8-1001, transacting business: documented by mca.legmt.gov and logged October 2026.
  4. Marker, MCA 35-8-1002, consequences: documented by mca.legmt.gov and logged October 2026.
  5. Marker, MCA 35-8-1003, application contents: documented by mca.legmt.gov and logged October 2026.
  6. Marker, California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms: documented by sos.ca.gov and logged October 2026.
  7. Marker, Form LLC-5: documented by bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov and logged October 2026.
  8. Marker, Corporations Code section 17708.03: documented by leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and logged October 2026.
  9. Marker, Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135: documented by leginfo.legislature.ca.gov and logged October 2026.
  10. Marker, Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements: documented by ftb.ca.gov and logged October 2026.
  11. Marker, California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and: documented by ftb.ca.gov and logged October 2026.
  12. Mainstay Filing (pricing page), survey of November 12, 2026
  13. Maryland Registered Agent.co (pricing page), survey of November 12, 2026
  14. Alaska Registered Agent.co (pricing page), survey of November 12, 2026