Skip to content
LLC SchoolhousePlain LLC lessons, one state at a time.

Lesson 3 · Idaho

Foreign LLC Registration in Idaho (2026): a 5-Step Lesson and the 3 Best Services

Here is who we would send a new founder to for registering an LLC from another state in Idaho in 2026: Mainstay Filing ($199), Idaho Registered Agent.co ($199) and ID Registered Agent.org ($199), in grade order. 5 steps and a $100 filing fee are all that stand between you and registration.

Taught by the LLC Schoolhouse editors

The short version

State registration fee$100Look it up at legislature.idaho.gov; last checked October 2026
Home-state certificate90 daysHow recent it must be
Upkeep filingNoneAnnual report
Three years of state fees$100Registration, reports and any minimum tax
How many steps5Numbered below

In this lesson

  • When an out-of-state LLC must register with Idaho
  • The filing, its fee and its office
  • The yearly upkeep
  • Our graded picks and the reasoning

The Idaho services we recommend

Graded on our report card: three-year cost (32%), lesson steps handled (33%), renewal, fit with Idaho's steps and clear pricing.
Highest mark

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

$199 plus fees; $149 a year later

Mainstay Filing gets our top grade for Idaho: you pay $199 plus state fees to register, and the first year with a registered agent is free.

Three years here cost $100 more than Idaho Registered Agent.co, in return for doing more of the work.

The agent renews at $149 a year in every state.

What the price covers

  • Registration filed for you
  • The registered agent costs nothing in year one
  • The same price in any state

Marks in its favor

  • Registered agent free in year one
  • The same fee in every state
  • $199 plus the state fee

Where it loses points

  • Idaho Registered Agent.co's agent costs $50 less each renewal
Idaho specialist

2. Idaho Registered Agent.co: best for a low yearly agent cost

$199 plus fees; $99 a year later

Idaho Registered Agent.co lands in second place, and the reason is clear: $199 on top of the state fee to register, then $99 each year.

What the price covers

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • $199 and the state fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • The first agent year is in the price

Where it loses points

  • Your home state needs a separate agent
Idaho specialist

3. ID Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in Idaho

$199 plus fees; $99 a year later

ID Registered Agent.org lands in third place, and the reason is clear: $199 on top of the state fee to register, then $99 each year.

Idaho Registered Agent.co and this service charge the same.

What the price covers

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • One year of agent service

Marks in its favor

  • $199 and the state fee
  • Then $99 a year
  • The first agent year is in the price

Where it loses points

  • Your home state needs a separate agent

Compare the picks

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Mainstay Filing$199$149/yr$497Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Idaho Registered Agent.co$199$99/yr$397Visit Idaho Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3ID Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit ID Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Prices come from each company's own site, read November 13, 2026. No row includes the $100 state fee.

The steps

  1. Step
    1

    Confirm that you must register

    If your LLC was formed elsewhere and works in Idaho, it must first register there as a foreign LLC. Here is what happens if you skip it: If the LLC might ever need to sue, registering first matters (Idaho Code 30-21-502(b)). Its agreements are not voided (Idaho Code 30-21-502(c)).

    Where this comes from: Look it up at archive.sos.idaho.gov; last checked October 2026

  2. Step
    2

    Order the document from your home state

    Order certificate of existence (certificate of good standing) from the home state, not more than 90 days.

    Do this step right before you file.

  3. Step
    3

    Name your Idaho registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. The address has to be a physical street address in Idaho. P.O. boxes and commercial mailboxes are not accepted.

    The services in our list provide this.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at legislature.idaho.gov; last checked October 2026

  4. Step
    4

    Turn in the Foreign Registration Statement

    What the Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services needs from you is the filing named above and a $100 fee.

    Where this comes from: Look it up at legislature.idaho.gov; last checked October 2026

  5. Step
    5

    Stay registered

    Look out for the annual report (before the end of the month in which the LLC registered).

Idaho costs by step

WhatGoes toAmount
The registration stepPaid to the state$100
Service fees (optional)Your service$199 up front
State total over three yearsPaid to the state$100
Three-year state total: the filing, plus reports in years two and three, plus any minimum tax. Sources are below.

How the grade worked out

What settled it was homework the price handles, worth 33% of the grade.

Two states are involved when you register, and a single provider for both pulled ahead of Idaho Registered Agent.co.

Short answers

What does Idaho charge for registering a foreign LLC?

$100 at the state office. The services on this page charge $199 more.

Which form do I file to register?

The form to use is the Foreign Registration Statement, and the Idaho Secretary of State, Business Services is where it goes.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

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

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

If the LLC might ever need to sue, registering first matters (Idaho Code 30-21-502(b)). Its agreements are not voided (Idaho Code 30-21-502(c)).

What is due after registering?

Keep the registration alive by filing the annual report.

Which service should handle the registration?

Mainstay Filing: $199 beyond the state fee, with the registered agent free in year one and $149 a year afterward. Then come Idaho Registered Agent.co and ID Registered Agent.org.

Keep studying

Class references

  1. Want to see Idaho yearly filing: Annual report: due date, official for yourself? Open legislature.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  2. Want to see Idaho Code § 30-25-201 for yourself? Open legislature.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in August 2026 before writing the lesson.
  3. Want to see Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source for yourself? Open sos.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  4. Want to see Idaho formation fee: Filing fee, official source for yourself? Open legislature.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  5. Want to see Idaho registered agent statute for yourself? Open legislature.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  6. Want to see Idaho Secretary of State, Foreign Registration Statement for yourself? Open archive.sos.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  7. Want to see Idaho Secretary of State, business FAQ for yourself? Open sos.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  8. Want to see Idaho Code 30-21-505, activities that are not doing for yourself? Open legislature.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  9. Want to see Idaho Code 30-21-213, annual report for yourself? Open legislature.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  10. Want to see Withdrawal of Foreign Registration Statement for yourself? Open archive.sos.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in October 2026 before writing the lesson.
  11. Want to see Idaho Code 30-21-502, registration to do business for yourself? Open legislature.idaho.gov. We confirmed that page in November 2026 before writing the lesson.
  12. Mainstay Filing Idaho service page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  13. Idaho Registered Agent.co pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026
  14. ID Registered Agent.org pricing page: opened and read on November 13, 2026