The California tally
Each row carries year one, the later-year price and the three-year total. California's $70 is booked on top.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for the most paperwork per dollar
Leading row
$199 per year, renewing at $199
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $199/yr
- Three-year tally
- $597
Mainstay Filing leads the California ledger. The entries: for $199 a year it files the formation, serves as agent for service of process and handles the Statement of Information.
The $200 three-year gap to California Registered Agent.ai is made up by the 28% jobs-covered column.
It files the Statement of Information and books the state's $20 at cost.
Included lines
- The LLC filing, booked
- Agent for service of process, full year
- Statement of Information, filed each cycle
- EIN application
- State fee passed straight through
Gains
- $199 a year takes in the whole bundle
- No separate EIN charge
- Renewal entry is $199
Minus column
- California Registered Agent.ai renews $100 lower
2
2. California Registered Agent.ai: best for a lean start
Local line
$199 plus fees; renewal $99
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Row 2, California Registered Agent.ai, books this way: a $199 formation fee and a $99 yearly agent renewal.
No Statement of Information is booked in the price.
Included lines
- State filing prepared and sent
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Year one of the agent comes with it
- Then $99 annually
- Only $199 to form
Minus column
- Expect to file the Statement of Information yourself
- Charges $99 to apply for your EIN
3
3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for another in-state filer
Local line
$199 plus fees; renewal $99
- First year
- $199
- Later years
- $99/yr
- Three-year tally
- $397
Row 3, CA Registered Agent.org, books this way: a $199 formation fee and a $99 yearly agent renewal.
No Statement of Information is booked in the price.
Line for line, it ties California Registered Agent.ai.
Included lines
- State filing prepared and sent
- Agent service, year one
Gains
- Year one of the agent comes with it
- Only $199 to form
- Then $99 annually
Minus column
- Expect to file the Statement of Information yourself
- Charges $99 to apply for your EIN
Running tally by year
Prices as booked on November 13, 2026; every column carries one more renewal. None of the totals cross in ten years.
Cost calculator
How long will you keep the company? Pick the years and compare, EIN application optional.
Official state fees
Each row above links its official source. The final line is our own addition of the filing, two reports and any minimum tax, and it leaves out variable costs such as publication.
Why the California rows sit where they do
Mainstay Filing ranks first on jobs ticked off, worth 28%, with California Registered Agent.ai next.
Paperwork per dollar decided it: the Statement of Information is a line in the price.
Counting the EIN, the break-even year is 2, when Mainstay Filing passes California Registered Agent.ai.
California LLC filing fee and rules (official)
The filing is the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), the fee is $70 and the office is the California Secretary of State. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
- $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.
Source: from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, recorded August 2026 as a ledger line
The zero-service option
State fees alone come to $2,490 for three years, and that is the floor. The table shows what each service adds, $397 to $597.
California price questions
What does an LLC service cost in California?
$199 in year one across our rows, plus the $70 state fee.
What do three years of service add up to?
Three-year service tallies: $397 to $597.
How much does California charge to file an LLC?
$70, which accompanies the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1).
What does California charge each year after formation?
$20 every second year for the Statement of Information, due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. Add the yearly minimum tax.
Is the EIN application included?
it is included with Mainstay Filing, $99 more with California Registered Agent.ai and $99 more with CA Registered Agent.org.
When does one service turn into the lower total?
Not within ten years; no row overtakes another.
Which LLC service is the best value in California?
The first line belongs to Mainstay Filing, the second to California Registered Agent.ai and the third to CA Registered Agent.org.
What each entry rests on
- California Secretary of State, booked August 2026 via sos.ca.gov
- California Secretary of State, booked August 2026 via bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov
- California yearly filing: Statement of, booked October 2026 via sos.ca.gov
- Cal, booked August 2026 via leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- California registered agent statute, booked October 2026 via leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
- California other cost: Annual LLC, booked October 2026 via ftb.ca.gov
- California other cost: Annual LLC, booked October 2026 via ftb.ca.gov
- Booked November 13, 2026 from the Mainstay Filing California service page
- Booked November 13, 2026 from the California Registered Agent.ai pricing page
- Booked November 13, 2026 from the CA Registered Agent.org pricing page