LLC cost guide · California

California LLC Route (2026): State Fees Leg by Leg and the 3 Best LLC Services

Plotting an LLC filing in California for 2026, the route we recommend runs California Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and CA Registered Agent.org ($199). On the three-year map, California stands 50th of 50: $70 to open, plus $20 every two years to keep the Statement of Information current.

Surveyed by the Filing Mapper team

Updated November 12, 2026

California route markers

50th

of fifty by three-year state tolls

Counted from the lightest toll up. Compare the neighbors

Entry fee: $70; leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (surveyed August 2026)
Statement of Information: $20 / 2 yrs; The checkpoint closes, in the state's words: last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. sos.ca.gov (surveyed October 2026)
Penalty for missing the checkpoint: $250; sos.ca.gov (surveyed October 2026)
Yearly minimum tax: $800; ftb.ca.gov (surveyed October 2026)
State toll, three years: $2,490; Leg one, then checkpoints two and three, with a minimum tax at each of the three stops

Route services for California

Five weighted criteria set the stops in order, with three-year cost and steps covered counting most (the method lists them).

1. California Registered Agent.ai: best for California LLCs on a thin budget

Our lead pick$199 for lap one, $99 for each lap after

Stop one, California Registered Agent.ai: $199 to open the LLC with the first agent lap covered, then $99 each lap.

Cost decides this stop: three years here come in under three years with Mainstay Filing.

The Statement of Information checkpoint is outside its fare, so the owner clears it every two years.

The fare covers

The paperwork that opens the LLC
First year of agent service

On the plus side

$99 yearly from lap two
No agent fare in lap one
An opening fee of $199

On the minus side

No Statement of Information service
Charges $99 for the EIN application

Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for owners who would rather someone else file the Statement of Information

Widest reach$199 a year, state toll billed apart ($269 at checkout)

Farther along, Mainstay Filing, where the owner pays $199 per year and gets the California formation plus the stops that repeat: agent for service of process duty and the Statement of Information.

California Registered Agent.ai is $200 cheaper over three years, which accounts for its higher placement.

At renewal the Statement of Information is handled, and the $20 due to the state is added at cost.

The fare covers

Leg one done for you: the formation is drafted and filed
Agent for service of process duty held through the year
The Statement of Information drafted and sent in by Mainstay
The EIN application is part of the route
State toll passed on as it stands

On the plus side

The EIN application is on the route
Renews at $199
A $199 annual ticket

On the minus side

$100 more each lap after the first

Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for California-only LLCs

Built for California$199 for lap one, $99 for each lap after

Continuing, CA Registered Agent.org is the third alternative, since $199 to open the LLC with the first agent lap covered, then $99 each lap.

The Statement of Information checkpoint is outside its fare, so the owner clears it every two years.

Fare for fare, it equals California Registered Agent.ai.

The fare covers

The paperwork that opens the LLC
First year of agent service

On the plus side

No agent fare in lap one
$99 yearly from lap two
An opening fee of $199

On the minus side

No Statement of Information service
Charges $99 for the EIN application

Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Fares in a row

Stop	Provider	Leg one	Later legs	Provider cost, three years
1	California Registered Agent.ai	$199	$99/yr	$397	Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2	Mainstay Filing	$199	$199/yr	$597	Visit Mainstay FilingPartner 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.

All fares shown are as the providers listed them on November 12, 2026. The state's $70 is not counted in the table.

State tolls and provider fares by year

Choose a trip length and a provider. State tolls follow the official schedule: $70 to open, then the Statement of Information beginning in year two, and the minimum tax every year.

California and the stops on either side of it

Mile	State	Three-year state fees
46th	Delaware	$910
47th	Nevada	$1,125
48th	Rhode Island	$1,450
49th	Massachusetts	$1,500
50th	California	$2,490

Every state is plotted in LLC costs by state.

What leg one costs in California, 2026

The toll for the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) at the California Secretary of State is $70, set by Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01. The providers below pass it through untouched.

$800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

California's recurring checkpoint

The Statement of Information checkpoint comes every two years, last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially, and the toll is $20. Missing it adds $250. Tax stop: $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

How the California stops were ordered

Three-year charge on the route settled first place in California; it carries 35% of the score, and the remaining criteria are steps the service takes over, year-two price, fit with the state's route, fee line separation.

California Registered Agent.ai's three-year provider cost is $397 ($200 under Mainstay Filing).

Questions along the way

How much does the state toll for forming an LLC in California?

$70 goes to the state. Our picks bill $199 above the state toll.

What toll comes with the California Statement of Information?

$20, every two years; the checkpoint closes last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. Arriving late adds $250.

Where does California fall on the 50-state route?

Mile 50th of 50 on three-year state tolls, at $2,490; mile 1 is the lightest toll.

Is an agent for service of process a fixed stop for California LLCs?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Is there a yearly state tax on the route as well?

$800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

Which service should walk my LLC through the route?

Start at California Registered Agent.ai: opening costs $199 above the state toll, and the agent costs $99 from lap two. Further along, Mainstay Filing and CA Registered Agent.org.

Connecting routes

Survey markers for this route

Survey marker

Marker: California Secretary of State is documented at sos.ca.gov, logged August 2026.
Marker: California Secretary of State is documented at bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, logged August 2026.
Marker: California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source is documented at sos.ca.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Cal is documented at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, logged August 2026.
Marker: California registered agent statute is documented at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and is documented at ftb.ca.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and is documented at ftb.ca.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: 6 Del is documented at delcode.delaware.gov, logged August 2026.
Marker: Delaware formation fee: Filing fee, official source is documented at delcode.delaware.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source is documented at corp.delaware.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Delaware yearly filing: Recurring obligation, official source is documented at corp.delaware.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Delaware yearly filing: HB 400, official source is documented at legis.delaware.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source is documented at nvsos.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Nevada formation fee: Fees at formation, official source is documented at leg.state.nv.us, logged October 2026.
Marker: Nevada yearly filing: Annual list + license: fees is documented at nvsos.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: R.I is documented at webserver.rilegislature.gov, logged August 2026.
Marker: Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source is documented at sos.ri.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Rhode Island formation fee: Filing fee, official source is documented at docs.sos.ri.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division is documented at docs.sos.ri.gov, logged August 2026.
Marker: Rhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division is documented at sos.ri.gov, logged August 2026.
Marker: Rhode Island other cost is documented at tax.ri.gov, logged October 2026.
Marker: M.G.L. c. 156C, sec. 12 is documented at sec.state.ma.us, logged August 2026.
Marker: Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source is documented at sec.state.ma.us, logged October 2026.
Marker: Massachusetts formation fee: Filing fee, official source is documented at sec.state.ma.us, logged October 2026.
Marker: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is documented at sec.state.ma.us, logged August 2026.
Marker: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth is documented at malegislature.gov, logged August 2026.
California Registered Agent.ai listed this pricing page on November 12, 2026
Mainstay Filing listed this California service page on November 12, 2026
CA Registered Agent.org listed this pricing page on November 12, 2026