Skip to content
Founder Mentor Guide

Mentor walkthrough 2 · California

California Registered Agent Walkthrough (2026): 6 Stages and the 3 Best Agents

Ranked for 2026, the services worth your call for naming a registered agent in California are California Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), Mainstay Filing ($149 a year) and CA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year), in that order. Stage 1 is the California rule on an agent for service of process; by stage 6 the appointment is on file.

Advice from the Founder Mentor Guide mentors

What to know before you start

Required by law
Yes
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, seen in October 2026
Cost of hiring an agent
$99 to $149 a year
Posted prices
Statement of Information
$20 every 2 years
sos.ca.gov, seen in October 2026
State minimum tax
$800
ftb.ca.gov, seen in October 2026
Stages
6
In order

What you will get from this walkthrough

  • Why California wants an agent on file
  • Eligibility and address rules
  • How to name or swap the agent
  • The agents we picked

Who we would phone in California

Ranked on the scoring page: three-year cost (32%), work taken off your desk (32%), year-two price, fit with California rules and honest pricing.

Our call

1. California Registered Agent.ai: best for owners watching every dollar

Start with this one$99 yearly, no change at renewal

California Registered Agent.ai is our first call in California: a street address in the state for $99 a year.

It beats Mainstay Filing on three-year cost, and cost is a big slice of how we rank.

What you get

  • A California address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

What works

  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
  • $99 each year, no increase

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • Statement of Information is left out of the price
Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a nationwide agent at one price

All fifty states$149 yearly, no change at renewal

Pick number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where a steady $149 per year, with nothing to change if you move into another state.

California Registered Agent.ai comes in $150 cheaper across three years, enough to keep this one out of first.

What you get

  • A California street address for the record
  • Papers served on the company are scanned for you, no charge
  • Up to three government mailings a year are scanned for free
  • Also works for nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

What works

  • $149 a year, same at renewal
  • The same provider anywhere

What to watch

  • California Registered Agent.ai is $50 a year lower
  • Reports remain your job
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Our call

3. CA Registered Agent.org: best for a second California choice

One-state plan$99 yearly, no change at renewal

Third place goes to CA Registered Agent.org, since a street address in the state for $99 a year.

It charges exactly what California Registered Agent.ai charges.

What you get

  • A California address for the registered office
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

What works

  • Under Mainstay Filing on price
  • $99 each year, no increase

What to watch

  • No help in other states
  • Statement of Information is left out of the price
Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The California picks side by side

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1California Registered Agent.ai$99$99/yr$297Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$149$149/yr$447Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3CA Registered Agent.org$99$99/yr$297Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. Your choice of agent leaves the state fees untouched.

The California agent, in order

  1. Stage 1

    Understand the requirement

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

    Check it yourself: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, seen in October 2026

  2. Stage 2

    See who is eligible

    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. (Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13)

  3. Stage 3

    The address rule

    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.

    Every service we recommend provides the in-state address.

  4. Stage 4

    Choose the person or company

    Owners who meet the tests can name themselves, and for the rest the recommended agents start at $99 to $149 each year.

  5. Stage 5

    Record the appointment

    The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) asks for the agent's name and address, and the California Secretary of State also handles the change filing when you switch.

    Check it yourself: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, seen in August 2026

  6. Stage 6

    Watch for changes

    California checks the agent's details through the Statement of Information ($20, every two years, due last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially); letters about it go to your agent for service of process. $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

    Check it yourself: sos.ca.gov, seen in October 2026

What this walkthrough costs

What forPayeeSum
Hiring an agentThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Every year afterThe provider$99 to $149 a year
Statement of InformationGoes to the state$20 every two years
Minimum taxGoes to the state$800 a year
Add the filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax and you have the state's three-year total. The pages listed below show where each figure came from.

How we scored the California picks

On three-year bill (32% of the score) finished first, with right behind.

California Registered Agent.ai totals $297 for years one to three, while Mainstay Filing runs $150 higher.

What founders ask

Does California make every LLC keep an agent for service of process?

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

Can I be my own agent for service of process?

You can, once you clear the who-qualifies and address rules in stages 2 and 3.

Can I change my agent for service of process later?

Yes. Replacing the agent takes a change filing at the California Secretary of State (stage 5).

What does a registered agent cost in California?

The agents we recommend charge $99 to $149 a year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

Each time, the state bills $20 for the Statement of Information and separately collects the minimum tax.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Go with California Registered Agent.ai: $99 yearly, and scans of served papers land in an online account. Then Mainstay Filing and CA Registered Agent.org.

Where we got the facts

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