Foreign registration charge
$270
Source: sos.arkansas.gov, October 2026
Foreign LLC guide · Arkansas
Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Arkansas (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services
Short answer for Arkansas: Mainstay Filing ($199), AR Registered Agent.org ($199) and Arkansas Registered Agent.co ($199), which is the sequence we would follow for registering a foreign LLC in 2026. Fee to register: $270. Fee for each yearly report: $150. Rank on three-year state fees: 37th of 50.
The Arkansas fee sheet
37th
on the 50-state list, foreign registration basis
First place is the smallest bill. Fifty states in one table
Report, per cycle
$150
Annual LLC franchise tax report
Home-state certificate
30 days
Maximum age at filing
State charges, years one to three
$570
The registration fee, then two years of reports
Services that file for you, for Arkansas
Five criteria set the order, led by three-year service charges and the filings covered; the methodology has the weights.
1. Mainstay Filing: best for a company spreading out
$199 to register, $149 each year after
Why Mainstay Filing leads: a $199 service fee in whichever state you choose, plus a free first year of agent service.
Compared with AR Registered Agent.org, the three-year service bill is $100 higher, and more of the required filings are handled.
From year two the agent costs $149 a year, whichever state you register in.
What the price buys
- Your registration is prepared and filed
- No charge for the registered agent in the first year
- Serves all fifty states
In its favor
- First-year agent duty is covered
- $199 to register
- The same price in any state
Against it
- $50 more each year for the agent
2. AR Registered Agent.org: best for a low yearly agent fee
$199 to register, $99 each year after
Our second pick, AR Registered Agent.org, earns its place since a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Arkansas.
What the price buys
- Registration paperwork taken care of
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- First-year agent duty is on the house
- The agent renews at $99
- $199 above the state fee
Against it
- Gives no help beyond this state
3. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for registering with Arkansas alone
$199 to register, $99 each year after
Our third pick, Arkansas Registered Agent.co, earns its place since a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Arkansas.
On price it is level with AR Registered Agent.org.
What the price buys
- Registration paperwork taken care of
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- First-year agent duty is on the house
- The agent renews at $99
- $199 above the state fee
Against it
- Gives no help beyond this state
3 services in one table
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | AR Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit AR Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | Arkansas Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Every price was copied from its company's page on November 12, 2026. The $270 state fee is not part of any row.
Registration cost calculator
The registration fee is $270, with the $150 report from year two; the service's prices are added to it.
Arkansas next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year foreign LLC fees |
|---|---|---|
| 35th | Alaska | $550 |
| 35th | Maine | $550 |
| 37th | Arkansas | $570 |
| 38th | Kentucky | $645 |
| 39th | North Carolina | $650 |
For the other states, go to Foreign LLC fees by state.
The Arkansas filing for LLCs formed elsewhere
To register, an out-of-state LLC submits the Application for Certificate of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FL-01) to the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services and pays $270. Include certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, issued within 30 days.
Then, each cycle, it files the Annual LLC franchise tax report ($150), May 1.
Have these ready
- Certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, issued within 30 days.
- Name and formation date exactly as the home state records them.
- A registered agent with a street address in Arkansas; any service on this page can provide one.
- Funds to cover the $270 state fee.
Penalties for skipping registration in Arkansas
Before registering, the LLC may not bring a lawsuit in the state's courts (A.C.A. 4-38-913(a)). Its contracts remain valid (A.C.A. 4-38-913(b)). Penalties can climb as high as $5,000. The state also collects back fees for the unregistered period.
The reasoning behind the order
Paperwork the price takes on decided first place in Arkansas. It counts for 26% of the score; the remaining criteria are three-year service charge, year-two price, match to the state's calendar, fee labeling.
Covering several states outweighed AR Registered Agent.org's smaller renewal.
Arkansas foreign registration service questions answered
What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Arkansas?
$270 at the state office. Our picks add $199.
Which form does Arkansas use to register a foreign LLC?
Application for Certificate of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FL-01), submitted to the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services.
Does the home state have to issue a certificate?
Yes. certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state; it has to be dated within 30 days of the filing.
Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?
Yes, the Annual LLC franchise tax report, at $150.
What are the consequences of operating there without registering?
Before registering, the LLC may not bring a lawsuit in the state's courts (A.C.A. 4-38-913(a)). Its contracts remain valid (A.C.A. 4-38-913(b)). Penalties can climb as high as $5,000. The state also collects back fees for the unregistered period.
Does Arkansas require a registered agent of a foreign LLC?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Who should register my foreign LLC?
We would pick Mainstay Filing ($199 plus Arkansas's own fee, then the agent at $149 a year from year two), followed by AR Registered Agent.org and Arkansas Registered Agent.co.
Sources for this chapter
- Official page for Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Arkansas report due date: sos.arkansas.gov, opened August 2026
- Official page for Ark: arkleg.state.ar.us, opened August 2026
- Official page for Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Arkansas registered agent statute: arkleg.state.ar.us, opened October 2026
- Official page for Arkansas Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Form FL-01: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Act 1041 of 2021, Uniform LLC Act: arkleg.state.ar.us, opened October 2026
- Official page for Form FL-04, application for cancellation: sos.arkansas.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Form 08-0497, Certificate of Registration: commerce.alaska.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.600 to 10.50.670: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.675 to 10.50.720: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.750 to 10.50.765: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Alaska Statutes, AS 43.70.020 to 43.70.030: akleg.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities: maine.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Form MLLC-12: maine.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for 31 MRSA § 1680, fees: legislature.maine.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings: sos.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Form FBE, Certificate of Authority: web.sos.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for KRS 14A.6-010, annual report: apps.legislature.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Kentucky Secretary of State, fee schedule: sos.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official: revenue.ky.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration: sosnc.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority: sosnc.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign: sosnc.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for G.S: ncleg.gov, opened October 2026
- Official page for Annual report due dates: sosnc.gov, opened October 2026
- Arkansas service page at Mainstay Filing, noted November 12, 2026
- Pricing page at AR Registered Agent.org, noted November 12, 2026
- Pricing page at Arkansas Registered Agent.co, noted November 12, 2026