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Biz Formation Academy

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

Unit 1 · Texas

Texas LLC Formation Chapter (2026): 7 Sections and the 3 Best LLC Services

In 2026 the services this chapter recommends for forming an LLC in Texas are TX Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199), best first. 7 sections take the reader through formation; the state fee is $300.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Key facts for this chapter

Charge at the filing office $300 sos.texas.gov, as published October 2026
Recurring report No fee Due date as the state words it: May 15
Three-year state cost $300 Filing plus the recurring state fees
Chapter sections 7 Taken one at a time

What this chapter teaches

  • The Texas formation document, its fee and its recipient
  • What the registered agent rule requires
  • How to remain in good standing
  • How the recommended services compare

Recommended reading for Texas

Three-year cost and paperwork completed carry the most weight; how we grade lists all five.

1. TX Registered Agent.org: best for Texas LLCs that watch every dollar

Recommended first
$199 in year one, $99 afterward

TX Registered Agent.org is ranked first in Texas: a formation charge of $199 above state fees, and an agent renewal of $99.

Its three-year total is below Mainstay Filing's, which earns first place because cost carries 34%.

The price stops short of the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • The agent renews at $99
  • $199 to form
  • Agent covered in year one

Limitations

  • The price does not cover filing the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit TX Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Mainstay Filing: best for one bill for filing and upkeep

Serves all states
$199 a year plus the state fee

Entry number 2 is Mainstay Filing, where the textbook price of $199 a year includes filing, a registered agent and the Public Information Report, with no change at renewal.

Total three years and it comes to $200 more than TX Registered Agent.org.

Submitting the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report is part of the service, and the state charges nothing.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Public Information Report prepared and filed
  • The EIN application is part of the price
  • Official fee with nothing added

Advantages

  • $199 a year covers filing, agent and report
  • The EIN application is prepared as well
  • The renewal stays at $199

Limitations

  • A yearly premium of $100 compared with TX Registered Agent.org
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for a small agent renewal

In-state service
$199 in year one, $99 afterward

Texas Registered Agent.ai is ranked third: a formation charge of $199 above state fees, and an agent renewal of $99.

The price stops short of the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report.

On price, it matches TX Registered Agent.org.

Price covers

  • Formation paperwork completed
  • One year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • The agent renews at $99
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $199 to form

Limitations

  • The price does not cover filing the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report
  • An EIN add-on is $99
Visit Texas Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

All prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 TX Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit TX Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$199/yr$597 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Texas Registered Agent.ai $199$99/yr$397 Visit Texas Registered Agent.ai Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Company prices as listed on November 13, 2026. The $300 state fee is omitted from these figures.

Forming a Texas LLC, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Select and check the company name

    Name availability is decided by the Texas Secretary of State, so the search belongs at the front of the process.

    It helps to have a fallback name ready.

  2. Section 2

    Name your registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent.

    The address has to be a street address where papers can be handed to the agent during normal business hours. A mailbox service or answering service alone does not qualify.

    Any service in the recommended reading provides a registered agent.

    Reference: sos.texas.gov, as published October 2026

  3. Section 3

    Decide between self-filing and a service

    Without a service the charge is the state's $300. With a recommended service it grows by $199.

  4. Section 4

    Next comes the Certificate of Formation

    The Certificate of Formation (Form 205) goes to the Texas Secretary of State with a fee of $300; the governing law is Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005. Once accepted, the LLC exists.

    Reference: sos.texas.gov, as published October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Get the EIN

    The IRS, not Texas, issues EINs. Apply after the state approves the LLC and give the number to your bank. This section is inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Section 6

    Record how the company will be run

    A one-member Texas LLC should still have a written operating agreement in its records.

  7. Section 7

    Prepare for the second year

    Calendar entry for the owner: the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, at no fee, every year, due May 15. Lateness is penalized at $50.

    Reference: comptroller.texas.gov, as published October 2026

The cost of this chapter

Line itemRecipientPrice
Fee to form Government$300
Report submitted to the state GovernmentNo fee
Late filing Government$50
Optional service The service company$199 initially
State total over three years Government$300

The three-year state row is computed as the filing fee, plus the report in each of years two and three, plus any yearly minimum tax. Service fees have their own rows.

Why TX Registered Agent.org is first

finished ahead of on tuition over three years, which counts for 34%.

Years one through three at TX Registered Agent.org come out at $397, which leaves $200 in the owner's pocket compared with Mainstay Filing.

Texas review questions

What does Texas charge to form an LLC?

Texas charges $300. Hiring one of them costs $199 extra.

Which form creates the LLC?

The Certificate of Formation (Form 205) creates the company, and the Texas Secretary of State is the recipient.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Texas require each year?

Texas requires the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year, at no cost, with timing described as May 15.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

The state accepts filings directly from owners, so no service is needed: $300 plus a registered agent.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

TX Registered Agent.org, because $199 on top of the state fee, with the first year of agent service included, then $99 a year. After it come Mainstay Filing and Texas Registered Agent.ai.

Related chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Primary text behind Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source: comptroller.texas.gov, accessed October 2026.
  2. Primary text behind Texas report due date: statutes.capitol.texas.gov, accessed August 2026.
  3. Primary text behind Tex: sos.texas.gov, accessed August 2026.
  4. Primary text behind Texas registered agent statute: sos.texas.gov, accessed October 2026.
  5. Price reference: TX Registered Agent.org, pricing page, November 13, 2026
  6. Price reference: Mainstay Filing, Texas service page, November 13, 2026
  7. Price reference: Texas Registered Agent.ai, pricing page, November 13, 2026