Foreign Registration Fees

Foreign Registration Fees › California

California foreign registration fee

California charges $70 to register a foreign LLC, which ranks it 4th cheapest of the 50 states.

Where California sits on the ranking

Hawaii $51, Utah $59, Montana $70 and Nevada $75 are the closest on the list.

Rank
4th cheapest of 50
Fee
$70
Median of all states
$142.50
Form
Form LLC-5, Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC)

$70 for Form LLC-5, Application to Register.

Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in California (2026)

For California, these are the services we would use, in order.

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing $199 + the $70 state fee = $269; registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year.
  2. 2. CA Registered Agent.org $199 + the $70 state fee = $269; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
  3. 3. California Registered Agent.ai $199 + the $70 state fee = $269; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.

Service prices read from each provider’s California page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.

What it costs over three years

ServiceYear 1Agent, per year after3 years
Mainstay Filing$269$149$567
CA Registered Agent.org$269$99$467
California Registered Agent.ai$269$99$467

Three years = $199 service fee + the $70 state fee + the agent for years two and three. California yearly filing, not included above: Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 (California Secretary of State), $20 (due: within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years).

California fee questions

What is the foreign registration fee in California?

$70, paid to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities. $70 for Form LLC-5, Application to Register.

Where does California rank?

4th cheapest of 50. The median state fee is $142.50.

What does California cost over three years?

$567 with Mainstay Filing: the $199 service fee, the $70 state fee and the agent in years two and three. Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 (California Secretary of State), $20 (due: within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years) comes on top.

Sources