Best Registered Agent by State › California
Registered agent in California: requirements, real cost and our pick
Our pick for California is Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, the same at renewal. Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
What California requires
Checked October 20, 2026.
Our pick and the field
| Provider | Year 1 | Renewal | What the page lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainstay Filing | $149 | $149 | Registered agent all year; service of process scanned and uploaded the same business day |
| FreeRegisteredAgent.com | $0 | $129 | Compliance alerts, per its Illinois page |
| Launch Registered Agent | $34.99 | $48.99 | Document scanning and upload; client portal; annual report reminders |
| ZenBusiness | $99 | $199 | Document receipt, scanning and upload to a dashboard; email notifications |
| Northwest Registered Agent | $125 | $125 | Its address on public filings; scans of state and legal mail; up to 5 pieces of other business mail scanned free a year; domain, website, email and phone line |
| InCorp Services | $129 | $129 | Same-day electronic service of process; compliance calendar; entity monitoring |
| Bizee | $149 | $149 | Compliance notifications; its address on the public record |
| LegalZoom | $249 | $249 | Alerts when mail arrives; documents scanned and uploaded; annual report reminders |
What an agent does and doesn’t do here
It takes service of process and official state mail. It is not a business mailing address, and cannot stand in for one, for example for bank verification. See the full list.
Why prices differ so much in California
Published year-one prices here run $0 to $249, a $249 spread. FreeRegisteredAgent.com is lowest in year one and Launch Registered Agent lowest at renewal. Three things drive the spread: a first-year price that renews higher, a free year that needs a formation order, and what is bundled, from scanning to annual-report reminders. Compare the renewal column, not the first one.
What is the best registered agent in California?
Mainstay Filing: $149 a year, the same at renewal. 7 other providers have a published California price, from $0 to $249 in year one.
Can I be my own registered agent in California?
The company cannot be its own agent here, so someone else, or a commercial agent, has to be named. 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.
How do I change my registered agent in California?
File the state’s change form with California Secretary of State; the fee is nothing (Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13).