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California LLC or an LLC from Wyoming, Delaware, Nevada?

Living in California and forming elsewhere means registering the LLC back in California as a foreign LLC, which costs $70 on top of the other state’s fees; forming in California costs $70.

The routes side by side

RouteFormation feeCalifornia foreign feeFees to startYearly filings, 2 years
Form in California$70Not needed$70$20
Form in Wyoming$100$70$170$140
Form in Delaware$110$70$180$820
Form in Nevada$425$70$495$720

Only state fees: formation, the foreign fee and two years of yearly filings. State income, franchise and gross-receipts taxes are separate, are not in these totals and are the same or similar on both routes.

Head-to-head pages

Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in California (2026)

If you go the foreign route, here is who files the California registration, in order.

1. Mainstay Filing

$199 + $70 state fee = $269

Registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year.

2. CA Registered Agent.org

$199 + $70 state fee = $269

Registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.

3. California Registered Agent.ai

$199 + $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.

California questions

Do I still register in California if I form in another state?

If the LLC does business in California, California generally expects it to register as a foreign LLC with the California Secretary of State, Business Entities, for $70. That is what makes the second state an extra cost rather than a replacement.

What does it cost to form an LLC in California?

$70 in state fees.

Does the foreign registration repeat every year?

Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 (California Secretary of State), $20 (due: within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years).

Sources