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Biz Formation Academy

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

Chapter 3 · Vermont

Foreign LLC Registration Chapter, Vermont (2026): 5 Sections and the 3 Best Services

For registering an LLC formed elsewhere in Vermont in 2026, this chapter recommends Mainstay Filing ($199), Vermont Registered Agent.co ($199) and VT Registered Agent.org ($199), ranked from first to last. A foreign LLC pays Vermont $155 to register; the 5 sections show how.
Written by the Biz Formation Academy editorial board

Chapter summary

Fee to register $155 See sos.vermont.gov; page last consulted October 2026
Home certificate 90 days Maximum age at filing
Report fee $170 Annual report
State fees across three years $495 Service fees excluded
Sections in this chapter 5 Taken one at a time

Chapter objectives

  • Which LLCs must register
  • What to file and what it costs
  • Recurring obligations
  • Which services are recommended and why

Recommended reading for Vermont

The order rests on five weighted criteria described under how we grade, with three-year cost and paperwork completed on top.

1. Mainstay Filing: best for one provider for both states

Best overall
$199 and the $155 state fee, then $149 annually

Mainstay Filing is ranked first in Vermont: $199 above the state fee in any state; the registered agent costs nothing the first year, then $149 yearly.

Vermont Registered Agent.co costs $100 less over three years; this service still ranks higher because it does more of the work.

The agent line on the second invoice reads $149, and stays there in each state.

Price covers

  • Registration is filed for you
  • The registered agent carries no charge in year one
  • One fee wherever the LLC registers

Advantages

  • One price anywhere
  • A service charge of $199
  • Year-one agent service is covered

Limitations

  • Renewal $50 above Vermont Registered Agent.co's
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

2. Vermont Registered Agent.co: best for adding only Vermont

Vermont specialist
$199 and the $155 state fee, then $99 annually

Vermont Registered Agent.co takes second position; a service fee of $199 and a yearly agent renewal of $99.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • $199 to register
  • Agent covered in year one
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward

Limitations

  • Nothing offered outside the state
Visit Vermont Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

3. VT Registered Agent.org: best for registering in Vermont only

Vermont specialist
$199 and the $155 state fee, then $99 annually

VT Registered Agent.org takes third position; a service fee of $199 and a yearly agent renewal of $99.

It publishes the same prices as Vermont Registered Agent.co.

Price covers

  • Filing delivered to the state
  • A year of agent service is built into the price

Advantages

  • Agent covered in year one
  • $99 a year for the agent afterward
  • $199 to register

Limitations

  • Nothing offered outside the state
Visit VT Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Vermont rankings compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497 Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Vermont Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397 Visit Vermont Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 VT Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397 Visit VT Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices come from each company's own site, consulted November 13, 2026. The $155 state fee is omitted from these figures.

The chapter, section by section

  1. Section 1

    Determine whether registration is required

    Foreign registration is the filing by which an LLC formed outside Vermont is authorized to do business in Vermont. The consequences of failing to register include: lawsuits by the LLC must wait for registration (11 V.S.A. 4119(a)(1)) its contracts can still be enforced (11 V.S.A. 4119(b)) a daily charge of $50.

    Reference: See legislature.vermont.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  2. Section 2

    Collect the document issued by the home state

    You will need certificate of existence (certificate of good standing), from the preceding 90 days.

    Request it shortly before the filing date.

  3. Section 3

    Select the Vermont registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a street address in Vermont. P.O. boxes and virtual addresses are not accepted.

    Every recommended service provides the registered agent.

    Reference: See legislature.vermont.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  4. Section 4

    The state wants the Application for certificate of authority

    Complete the Application for certificate of authority, enclose $155, and send both to the Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division.

    Reference: See sos.vermont.gov; page last consulted October 2026

  5. Section 5

    Remain registered

    What follows registration is the annual report, priced at $170, with timing of within three months after your fiscal year ends.

The cost of this chapter

Line itemWho is paidTotal
Foreign registration Filing office$155
Annual report Filing office$170
Service, if hired The service$199 in the first year
State total over three years Filing office$495

Anything paid to Vermont is an official fee that can be verified in the bibliography. The three-year row combines the filing, two later reports and a minimum tax where one exists; service prices are not part of it.

How the ranking came out

finished ahead of on chapters the price completes, which counts for 30%.

The LLC is active in two states, and reach settled the order.

What readers ask

What does Vermont charge a foreign LLC to register?

$155 for the filing. Add $199 for a service.

Which form do I file to register?

A single form does the job, and the Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division handles it.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (certificate of good standing), issued within 90 days of filing.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

lawsuits by the LLC must wait for registration (11 V.S.A. 4119(a)(1)) its contracts can still be enforced (11 V.S.A. 4119(b)) a daily charge of $50.

What is due after registering?

Plan for the annual report, which costs $170.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing, Vermont Registered Agent.co and VT Registered Agent.org, from the highest ranking to the lowest.

Related chapters

Bibliography and primary texts

  1. Vermont Secretary of State fee schedule, Annual Report rests on sos.vermont.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  2. Vermont report due date rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted August 2026.
  3. Vermont formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  4. Vermont registered agent statute rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  5. Vermont Secretary of State, foreign registration rests on sos.vermont.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  6. 11 V.S.A. § 4112, application for certificate of rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  7. 11 V.S.A. § 4113, activities that are not rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  8. 11 V.S.A. § 4033, annual report rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted October 2026.
  9. 11 V.S.A. 4119, effect of failure to obtain rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted November 2026.
  10. 11A V.S.A. 15.02, consequences of transacting business without rests on legislature.vermont.gov, a text consulted November 2026.
  11. Prices quoted from the Vermont service page at Mainstay Filing on November 13, 2026
  12. Prices quoted from the pricing page at Vermont Registered Agent.co on November 13, 2026
  13. Prices quoted from the pricing page at VT Registered Agent.org on November 13, 2026