Foreign registration charge
$100
Source: sos.iowa.gov, October 2026
Foreign LLC guide · Iowa
Registering an Out-of-State LLC in Iowa (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services
Short answer for Iowa: Iowa Registered Agent.co ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and IA Registered Agent.org ($199), which is the sequence we would follow for registering a foreign LLC in 2026. Fee to register: $100. Fee for each yearly report: $30. Rank on three-year state fees: 11th of 50.
What Iowa charges
11th
of fifty for the state side of registering
The smaller the number, the less the state charges. Compare the other states
Report, per cycle
$30
Biennial report
Home-state certificate
90 days
Must have been issued after this point
State charges, years one to three
$130
Opening filing followed by years two and three
Iowa: our recommendations
Five criteria set the order, led by three-year service charges and the filings covered; the methodology has the weights.
1. Iowa Registered Agent.co: best for a low yearly agent fee
$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $99 yearly
Why Iowa Registered Agent.co leads: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.
The three-year service bill is smaller than Mainstay Filing's, which is our heaviest criterion.
What the price buys
- The foreign registration filing
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- Agent service for year one comes with it
- The agent renews at $99
- $199 to register
Against it
- A different agent has to cover the home state
2. Mainstay Filing: best for a third or fourth state later
$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $149 yearly
Mainstay Filing follows: $199 plus Iowa's own fee, then the agent at $149 a year from year two.
Iowa Registered Agent.co costs $100 less in three-year service fees.
Year two brings the agent charge, $149 a year, wherever the company registers.
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 service is included
- A single fee anywhere
- $199 on top of Iowa's own fee
Against it
- A bigger agent renewal ($149)
3. IA Registered Agent.org: best for a second Iowa choice
$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $99 yearly
IA Registered Agent.org follows: $199 over the state fee to register, then $99 yearly.
On price it is level with Iowa Registered Agent.co.
What the price buys
- The foreign registration filing
- A year of agent service
In its favor
- Agent service for year one comes with it
- The agent renews at $99
- $199 to register
Against it
- A different agent has to cover the home state
Iowa picks compared
| No. | Service | First-year fee | From year two | Service charges, three years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa Registered Agent.co | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit Iowa Registered Agent.coPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 2 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $149/yr | $497 | Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
| 3 | IA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $99/yr | $397 | Visit IA Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy. |
Company price pages, copied November 12, 2026. Every row needs Iowa's $100 registration fee added.
Add it up
The registration fee is $100, with the $30 report from year two; the service's prices are added to it.
Iowa next to the states ranked around it
| Place | State | Three-year foreign LLC fees |
|---|---|---|
| 9th | South Carolina | $110 |
| 10th | Nebraska | $125 |
| 11th | Iowa | $130 |
| 12th | Indiana | $137 |
| 13th | Alabama | $150 |
For the other states, go to Foreign LLC fees by state.
Iowa foreign LLC registration fee and form (official)
Foreign LLCs register on the Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement (Form 635_0010), which is submitted to the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services with $100. The application must include certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, dated within 90 days.
From then on it owes the biennial report ($30), January 1 to April 1 of each odd-numbered year.
What to gather first
- Certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, not more than 90 days.
- Your LLC's legal name and the day it was formed.
- A registered agent within the state (included with every pick).
- Money for the $100 filing fee.
What happens if you do not register
Before registering, the LLC may not bring a lawsuit in the state's courts (Iowa Code 489.902). Whatever it signed remains in force (Iowa Code 489.902(3)).
How we ordered the Iowa picks
Iowa Registered Agent.co moved ahead of Mainstay Filing on three-year service charge, a criterion weighted 34%.
Choosing Iowa Registered Agent.co costs $397 in service fees across three years ($100 below Mainstay Filing).
Questions and answers
What fee does a foreign LLC pay to register with Iowa?
$100 at the state office. Hiring one adds $199.
Which form does Iowa use to register a foreign LLC?
Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement (Form 635_0010), submitted to the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services.
Does the home state have to issue a certificate?
Yes. certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation; it has to be dated within 90 days of the filing.
Does a foreign LLC owe anything every year?
Yes, the biennial report, at $30.
What are the consequences of operating there without registering?
Before registering, the LLC may not bring a lawsuit in the state's courts (Iowa Code 489.902). Whatever it signed remains in force (Iowa Code 489.902(3)).
Does Iowa 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 Iowa Registered Agent.co (registration for $199 plus state fees, with the agent covered in year one), followed by Mainstay Filing and IA Registered Agent.org.
Sources for this chapter
- For Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, see help.sos.iowa.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, see help.sos.iowa.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Iowa report due date, see legis.iowa.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Iowa Code § 489.201, see legis.iowa.gov (opened August 2026)
- For Iowa formation fee: Filing fee, official source, see legis.iowa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Iowa registered agent statute, see legis.iowa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Iowa Secretary of State, business entity forms and, see sos.iowa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For LLC Foreign Registration Statement, Form 635_0010, see sos.iowa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Iowa Code 489.902, registration requirement, see legis.iowa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Iowa Code 489.905, activities that do not count, see legis.iowa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Iowa Secretary of State, certificate of existence, see sos.iowa.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Iowa Code 489.902, registration to do business, see legis.iowa.gov (opened November 2026)
- For Iowa Code 490.1502, registration of a foreign corporation, see legis.iowa.gov (opened November 2026)
- For South Carolina Business Entities Online, see businessfilings.sc.gov (opened October 2026)
- For SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs, see sos.sc.gov (opened October 2026)
- For South Carolina Code, Title 33, Chapter 44, see scstatehouse.gov (opened October 2026)
- For SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs, see dor.sc.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Nebraska Secretary of State, forms and fee information, see sos.nebraska.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Application for Certificate of Authority, foreign LLC, see sos.nebraska.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Neb, see nebraskalegislature.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Neb, see nebraskalegislature.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Nebraska Secretary of State, annual and biennial reporting, see sos.nebraska.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Indiana Secretary of State business forms, see in.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Indiana Code 23-0.5-5, registration of foreign entities, see iga.in.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Indiana Code 23-0.5-9, fees, see iga.in.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Indiana Code 23-0.5-4, registered agents, see iga.in.gov (opened October 2026)
- For INBiz Business Entity Report, see inbiz.in.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Alabama Secretary of State, LLC filings, see sos.alabama.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Foreign LLC Application for Registration, see sos.alabama.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Secretary of State fee schedule, see sos.alabama.gov (opened October 2026)
- For Secretary of State Online Services, see alabamainteractive.org (opened October 2026)
- For Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01, see alison.legislature.state.al.us (opened October 2026)
- For Department of Revenue, business privilege tax notice, see revenue.alabama.gov (opened October 2026)
- Iowa Registered Agent.co, pricing page, on the company's page November 12, 2026
- Mainstay Filing, Iowa service page, on the company's page November 12, 2026
- IA Registered Agent.org, pricing page, on the company's page November 12, 2026