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Biz Formation Academy

A plain textbook on LLC paperwork, one state per chapter.

Unit 2 · California

California Registered Agent Chapter (2026): 6 Sections and the 3 Best Agents

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for appointing a registered agent in California are Mainstay Filing ($149 a year), CA Registered Agent.org ($99 a year) and California Registered Agent.ai ($99 a year), best first. 6 sections: the legal rule, eligibility, the address requirement and the filing that names the agent.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Read first

Is an agent for service of process required? Yes Source text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, October 2026
Yearly cost of the recommended agents $99 to $149 a year Taken from each company's price page
Statement of Information $20 every 2 years Source text at sos.ca.gov, October 2026
Annual minimum tax $800 Source text at ftb.ca.gov, October 2026
Chapter sections 6 Each one explained

You will be able to explain

  • The legal requirement
  • Eligibility and address rules
  • How an agent is recorded
  • Which agents are recommended and why

If you want someone else to file

The editorial board's five criteria are explained on how we grade and determine the order.

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

Best overall
$149 annually, unchanged at renewal

Mainstay Filing is ranked first in California: $149 a year from one provider, for this state and any later one.

Set against CA Registered Agent.org, the three-year premium is $150, which the 30% weight on paperwork covered outweighs.

Price covers

  • A street address for the registered office
  • Any papers served on the company get scanned for you at no cost
  • Three government mailings a year are scanned at no cost to you
  • Also serves nonprofits, corporations, LPs and LLPs

Advantages

  • $149 per year
  • Moves with the company to any state

Limitations

  • $50 a year above CA Registered Agent.org
  • This plan does not file reports
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. CA Registered Agent.org: best for single-state companies

Focused on California
$99 annually, unchanged at renewal

CA Registered Agent.org is ranked second: $99 a year with no change at renewal, for an LLC that stays within the state.

Price covers

  • A physical address in California
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Advantages

  • Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing
  • $99 per year

Limitations

  • Serves California alone
  • The owner completes the Statement of Information
Visit CA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for another local choice

Focused on California
$99 annually, unchanged at renewal

California Registered Agent.ai is ranked third: $99 a year with no change at renewal, for an LLC that stays within the state.

It publishes the same prices as CA Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • A physical address in California
  • Legal papers scanned and posted

Advantages

  • $99 per year
  • Costs less each year than Mainstay Filing

Limitations

  • Serves California alone
  • The owner completes the Statement of Information
Visit California Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Rankings and prices together

#ServiceAnnual priceRenewal priceThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $149$149/yr$447 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 CA Registered Agent.org $99$99/yr$297 Visit CA Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 California Registered Agent.ai $99$99/yr$297 Visit California Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices come from each company's own site, consulted November 13, 2026. The state charges the same whichever agent is named.

The chapter, section by section

  1. Section 1

    What California requires of an agent

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

    Reference: Source text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Who qualifies as an agent

    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. Source of the rule: Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13.

  3. Section 3

    Meet the address requirement

    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.

    Using a service keeps a home address out of the public record.

  4. Section 4

    Acting personally or hiring

    Professional agents among the recommended services charge $99 to $149 a year; serving personally is available to those who qualify.

  5. Section 5

    Make the agent a matter of public record

    The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) asks for the agent's name and address; the California Secretary of State also accepts filings from LLCs that change agents.

    Reference: Source text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, August 2026

  6. Section 6

    Keep the agent record accurate

    File the Statement of Information on time ($20, last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially) so the agent record remains correct. $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

    Reference: Source text at sos.ca.gov, October 2026

The cost of this chapter

SectionPayeeTotal
A professional agent The service company$99 to $149 a year
Renewal The service company$99 to $149 a year
Statement of Information Filing office$20 every two years
Minimum tax each year Filing office$800 a year

The filing fee, two later reports and any minimum tax make up the state's three-year total; the bibliography shows where each figure came from.

The reasoning behind the ranking

Chapters the price completes accounts for 30% of the ranking, and led on it in California.

One agent for every state beat the single-state plan.

California questions

Does California law call for 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?

An owner may serve if eligible; the tests are in sections 2 and 3.

Can I change my agent for service of process later?

Yes. A replacement requires a change filing at the California Secretary of State (section 5).

What does a registered agent cost in California?

The listed agents run $99 to $149 per year.

What does the LLC pay the state each year?

The state charges $20 for the Statement of Information each time and also collects the minimum tax.

Which registered agent would you choose?

Mainstay Filing, because $149 yearly is the agent price in all fifty states. After it come CA Registered Agent.org and California Registered Agent.ai.

See also

Bibliography and primary texts

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