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LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Lesson 1 · California

How to Start an LLC in California (2026): a 8-Step Lesson and the 3 Best LLC Services

The graded picks for setting up an LLC in California this year (2026) are CA Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and California Registered Agent.ai ($199), best grade first. Work through 8 steps below; the state's own fee is $70, plus $20 for the Statement of Information.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

Before you begin

Fee to file$70Class notes: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (August 2026)
Statement of Information$20 every 2 yearsMark your calendar: last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Minimum tax each year$800Class notes: ftb.ca.gov (October 2026)
State fees over three years$2,490Before any service fees
Lesson steps8From start to finish

Lesson goals

  • The California filing, what it costs and where it goes
  • How to meet the agent for service of process rule
  • The yearly upkeep
  • Our graded picks and the reasoning

Who we would hire in California

The order follows five published criteria; read how we grade for the details.
Start here

1. CA Registered Agent.org: best for California LLCs on a tight budget

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

First in the class in California is CA Registered Agent.org: a $199 formation fee, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

Cost decides this one: across three years it totals less than Mainstay Filing.

Its price leaves out the Statement of Information, so plan to file that yourself every two years.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • $199 above the state fee
  • The first agent year is included
  • The agent renews at $99

Where it loses points

  • There is no Statement of Information service
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Upkeep included

2. Mainstay Filing: best for a hands-off first year

$199 a year, with $269 covering the state fee

Mainstay Filing is a sound second choice because $199 a year hands off the formation, the agent for service of process role and the Statement of Information to someone else.

CA Registered Agent.org is $200 lower across three years, which keeps this one out of first.

That includes the Statement of Information, with the state's $20 billed at cost.

What the price covers

  • Filing with the state
  • Agent for service of process for twelve months
  • Statement of Information prepared and filed
  • The EIN application
  • The state fee is passed through at cost

Marks in its favor

  • $199 per year for the whole bundle
  • Renewal stays at $199
  • The EIN step is in the price

Where it loses points

  • $100 a year more than CA Registered Agent.org's renewal
Local choice

3. California Registered Agent.ai: best for founders who prepare their own reports

$199 plus state fee, then $99/year

California Registered Agent.ai is a sound third choice because a $199 formation fee, then $99 a year to keep the agent.

Its price leaves out the Statement of Information, so plan to file that yourself every two years.

It costs exactly what CA Registered Agent.org does.

What the price covers

  • The formation filing
  • The first year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • The agent renews at $99
  • The first agent year is included
  • $199 above the state fee

Where it loses points

  • There is no Statement of Information service
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)

Prices in one table

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1CA Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit CA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3California Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit California Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Posted prices, read November 13, 2026. The state fee ($70) is not counted.

Starting an LLC in California, one step at a time

  1. Step
    1

    Choose the LLC's name

    Before filing, search the business records at the California Secretary of State so you know the name is not already on the California register.

    A backup name helps if the first one is taken.

  2. Step
    2

    Choose a agent for service of process

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

    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.

    Any service in our graded list can be your agent for service of process.

    Where this comes from: Class notes: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (October 2026)

  3. Step
    3

    Will you file it yourself or use a service?

    You can file on your own and pay the state $70, or let a service do it for $199 more; the grades are above.

  4. Step
    4

    Hand in the Articles of Organization

    The Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) is what you prepare for the California Secretary of State, and the filing fee that goes with it is $70, as Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01 provides.

    Where this comes from: Class notes: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (August 2026)

  5. Step
    5

    Do not miss California's special rule

    • $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

    Where this comes from: Class notes: ftb.ca.gov (October 2026)

  6. Step
    6

    Get the company a tax ID (EIN)

    Once approved, the LLC can get a federal tax ID, the EIN, from the IRS. A business bank account will need it. Mainstay Filing includes the EIN application in its yearly price.

  7. Step
    7

    Write an operating agreement

    An operating agreement spells out who owns the California LLC and how decisions are made. You keep it with your records, and the state never sees it.

  8. Step
    8

    Put the yearly deadlines on your calendar

    Mark the Statement of Information on your calendar: $20, every two years, with the deadline last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. The late charge is $250. On top of that, the state taxes the LLC: $800 a year minimum LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form FTB 3522), separate from the Statement of Information.

    Where this comes from: Class notes: sos.ca.gov (October 2026)

California costs by step

WhatPaid toAmount
Filing feeTo the state$70
Statement of InformationTo the state$20 every two years
Late filing penaltyTo the state$250
Yearly minimum taxTo the state$800 a year
A service, if you use oneService company$199 in year one
Three-year state totalTo the state$2,490
Official California fees, cited below. The three-year line adds the filing fee, the reports in years two and three and any minimum tax.

Why CA Registered Agent.org comes first

won on tuition over three years (32% of the grade), with right behind.

Paying CA Registered Agent.org for three years adds up to $397, which is $200 below the Mainstay Filing total.

Questions students ask

Which fees come with forming an LLC in California?

California charges $70. A service from our graded list adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

It is the Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1), and you hand it to the California Secretary of State.

Is an agent for service of process required?

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

What does California require each year?

California asks for the Statement of Information every two years. The fee is $20, and the due date is last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially. A yearly minimum tax applies as well.

Can I form the LLC without a service?

Nothing stops you from doing it yourself: the state wants $70, and you must also name an agent for service of process.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

By grade: CA Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and California Registered Agent.ai. CA Registered Agent.org is first because $199 gets you started with a free first agent year, and $99 each year from year two.

More lessons

Class references

  1. Homework check for California Secretary of State: the facts come from sos.ca.gov, a page we last confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  2. Homework check for California Secretary of State: the facts come from bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov, a page we last confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  3. Homework check for California yearly filing: Statement of Information, official source: the facts come from sos.ca.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  4. Homework check for Cal: the facts come from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, a page we last confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  5. Homework check for California registered agent statute: the facts come from leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  6. Homework check for California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and: the facts come from ftb.ca.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  7. Homework check for California other cost: Annual LLC tax: amount and: the facts come from ftb.ca.gov, a page we last confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our notes to the original.
  8. November 13, 2026: the pricing page for CA Registered Agent.org
  9. November 13, 2026: the California service page for Mainstay Filing
  10. November 13, 2026: the pricing page for California Registered Agent.ai