Skip to content
Biz Formation Report

Rankings of registered agents, LLC formation and foreign registration services in all 50 states.

Foreign registration report · Texas

3 Best Foreign Registration Services in Texas (2026)

By the Biz Formation Report editorial team

Biz Formation Report ranks foreign registration services in Texas for 2026 as Mainstay Filing ($199), Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199) and TX Registered Agent.org ($199), in that order. Mainstay Filing earns the top grade: the Texas registration is filed for $199, and the registered agent is free in year one, then $149 a year.

No.1

Best here

1. Mainstay Filing: best for companies registered in several states

Score9.4out of 10
A $199 service fee and the state fee, then the agent at $149

Top grade, Mainstay Filing: $199 added to the state fee in any state, with a year of registered agent service included.

There is no agent charge in year one; after that it is $149 a year in every state.

Over three years Mainstay costs $100 more than Texas Registered Agent.ai; our grading treats the broader coverage as worth that.

What you get

  • Preparation and filing of the registration documents
  • The first year as your registered agent, at no cost
  • Papers served on the company scanned and uploaded the same business day, at no cost

Good

  • $199 service fee plus the state's fee
  • Served papers scanned within the same business day, free
  • Registered agent at no cost in year one
  • One price across all fifty states

Weak spots

  • The agent renews at $149, $50 more than Texas Registered Agent.ai
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Mainstay Filing review
No.2

Low renewal

2. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for companies adding Texas alone

Score8.9out of 10
$199 service fee and the state fee on top; the agent is $99 annually from year two

Second grade, Texas Registered Agent.ai: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Texas, agent renewing at $99.

The plan seats the company at an in-state street address and posts scans of papers served there to your online account.

What you get

  • Texas registration filed for you
  • Year-one registered agent service

Good

  • Year-one registered agent service is covered
  • $199 service fee, state fee added
  • $99 a year for the agent from year two

Weak spots

  • Serves Texas only; the home state still needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the Texas Registered Agent.ai review
No.3

Best local option

3. TX Registered Agent.org: best for registering in Texas only

Score8.8out of 10
$199 added to the state's fee; $99 a year for the agent after that

Third grade, TX Registered Agent.org: $199 beyond the state fee to register in Texas, agent renewing at $99.

The plan seats the company at an in-state street address and posts scans of papers served there to your online account.

Texas Registered Agent.ai and TX Registered Agent.org publish the same prices and plan features, so the grades are close and either is a sound pick.

What you get

  • Texas registration filed for you
  • The first year as your registered agent

Good

  • The first year as your registered agent is included
  • $99 annually to keep the agent
  • Registration costs $199 before the state fee

Weak spots

  • Serves Texas only; the home state still needs its own agent
  • The EIN application costs $99 extra
Visit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Read the TX Registered Agent.org review

Summary of the 3 grades

RankProviderGradeService feeYear twoBest fitSite
1Mainstay Filing9.4$199$149/yrCompanies with a presence in several statesVisit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Texas Registered Agent.ai8.9$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal we rank hereVisit Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3TX Registered Agent.org8.8$199$99/yrThe lowest agent renewal we rank hereVisit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Grades out of 10 are Biz Formation Report's own editorial judgment, based on the criteria explained on How we rank. They are not customer ratings.

Texas foreign registration service prices, 2026: year one, renewal and three-year outlay

ProviderYear 1Year 2Year 3Three-year outlayYear-one agent covered
Mainstay Filing$199$149$149$497Free
Texas Registered Agent.ai$199$99$99$397Included
TX Registered Agent.org$199$99$99$397Included

All prices were taken from the companies' own websites on November 12, 2026. Texas's $750 registration fee is payable on top of each row and is not part of these totals.

How the grades were set

The grading method assigns 32% to three-year bill and 32% to what the money buys, with renewal handling, local rules match and pricing openness taking 36%. For Texas, what the money buys decided it.

Foreign registration always involves two states, and one provider with one price in both graded best on coverage, ahead of Texas Registered Agent.ai.

Every criterion and weight is listed on How we rank.

Texas foreign LLC registration: fee, document and filing office

To register, the outside company submits the Application for Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form 304) to the Texas Secretary of State, with a state fee of $750.

After registration the company owes the Public Information Report, due May 15.

Documents to have on hand

  • The legal name as recorded in the home state, and the date of formation.
  • An in-state registered agent; any provider in this report can serve.
  • Payment of the $750 state fee with the filing.
  • The due date of the Public Information Report, noted in your calendar.

The cost of skipping Texas registration

An unregistered foreign LLC has no right to sue in Texas courts until it registers (BOC 9.051(b)). Its contracts remain enforceable (BOC 9.051(c)).

Texas foreign registration service: common questions

Must an LLC from another state register with Texas?

Yes, as soon as it transacts business there. Until then it has no standing to bring a lawsuit in the state's courts.

How much does Texas foreign registration cost?

$750 goes to the state and $199 to the service.

Which form handles foreign registration with Texas?

The state names the form in the facts above; it is sent to the Texas Secretary of State.

Is a registered agent still needed after foreign registration?

Yes. A registered agent with a street address in the state has to remain on file.

Which foreign registration services does this report rank?

Mainstay Filing ($199), Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199) and TX Registered Agent.org ($199), in descending order of grade.

What is the best foreign registration service for Texas?

Mainstay Filing: $199 plus the state's fee, with the registered agent free for year one and one price in every state.

More from us

Source notes

  1. Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source (verified October 2026)
  2. Texas report due date (verified August 2026)
  3. Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005 (verified August 2026)
  4. Texas registered agent statute (verified October 2026)
  5. Texas Secretary of State, foreign entities FAQ (verified October 2026)
  6. Form 304 instructions (verified October 2026)
  7. Business Organizations Code, Chapter 9 (verified October 2026)
  8. Texas Comptroller, franchise tax (verified October 2026)
  9. Texas Business Organizations Code, Chapter 9 (verified November 2026)
  10. Pulled November 12, 2026: Mainstay Filing, Texas service page
  11. Pulled November 12, 2026: Texas Registered Agent.ai, pricing and service pages
  12. Pulled November 12, 2026: TX Registered Agent.org, pricing and service pages