The Iowa basics
11th
of 50 on what a foreign LLC owes the state
Fee the state takes at registration
$100
Report you must file again
$30
Biennial report
Paper from the home state
90 days
It must have been issued within
What the state collects in 3 years
$130
The registration fee, then reports in years 2 and 3
Iowa: the services we would choose
You can read the weights on the
method page; three-year fees and coverage carry the most.
Our top choice
1. Iowa Registered Agent.co: best for an easy Iowa registration
$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $99 a year
Our first choice is Iowa Registered Agent.co. You pay $199 plus the state fee, and your first agent year is included, then $99 a year for the agent.
You pay less over three years than at Mainstay Filing, and that is the criterion we weigh most.
What your money gets you
- Handles the foreign registration filing for you
- A year of agent service
What works
- Agent covered in year 1
- $199 to register
- A $99 renewal
Works anywhere
2. Mainstay Filing: best for one price in every added state
$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $149 a year
Next comes Mainstay Filing, because $199 plus state fees covers the registration, and the registered agent costs nothing in year 1.
Iowa Registered Agent.co wins on three-year fees by $100.
From the second year, agent service costs you $149 a year.
What your money gets you
- Prepares your registration and files it
- Your registered agent for the first year is free
- A service for all fifty states
What works
- The first agent year is paid for
- One price, any state
- $199 to register
What to weigh
- A renewal $50 above Iowa Registered Agent.co's
Iowa only
3. IA Registered Agent.org: best for registering only in Iowa
$199 plus the $100 state fee, then $99 a year
IA Registered Agent.org is third for you since you pay $199 plus the state fee, and your first agent year is included, then $99 a year for the agent.
It ties with Iowa Registered Agent.co on price.
What your money gets you
- Handles the foreign registration filing for you
- A year of agent service
What works
- Agent covered in year 1
- A $99 renewal
- $199 to register
Iowa picks in one table
Every price here was taken from the company's website on November 13, 2026. The $100 state fee is not part of any row.
Registration cost calculator
The registration fee is $100, with a $30 report from year 2, and provider fees are added on top.
How Iowa compares with the states near it in the ranking
Iowa foreign registration: the fee, the form and the office
Your registration goes through the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services: the Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement (Form 635_0010), with a fee of $100. Include certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, issued in the past 90 days.
Each later cycle you file the biennial report ($30), January 1 to April 1 of each odd-numbered year.
Your checklist
- Certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, at most 90 days.
- The legal name of your LLC and the day it was formed.
- A name for the registered agent with a street address in this state, which every provider on this page can supply.
- Payment for the $100 state charge.
If your LLC never registers
If your LLC could ever need to sue there, register first (Iowa Code 489.902). What your LLC signed can still be enforced (Iowa Code 489.902(3)).
Why Iowa Registered Agent.co comes first
Iowa Registered Agent.co wins on price over three years, which counts 33%, and Mainstay Filing is next.
The three-year fees at Iowa Registered Agent.co total $397, $100 beneath Mainstay Filing.
Quick answers
How much will it cost to register my out-of-state LLC with Iowa?
$100 for the filing itself. The providers here charge $199 more.
Which form do I use to register an out-of-state LLC with Iowa?
Use the Limited Liability Company Foreign Registration Statement (Form 635_0010) and send it to the Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services.
Does the state want a certificate from my home state?
Yes, you need certificate of existence (good standing) from the state or country of formation, dated within 90 days of your filing.
Will my foreign LLC have to file anything every year?
Yes, you file the biennial report and pay $30.
What happens if my LLC does business there without registering?
If your LLC could ever need to sue there, register first (Iowa Code 489.902). What your LLC signed can still be enforced (Iowa Code 489.902(3)).
Must I appoint a registered agent when registering in Iowa?
Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.
Which service should I choose to register a foreign LLC?
Our ranking is Iowa Registered Agent.co, Mainstay Filing and IA Registered Agent.org.
Where this briefing comes from
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division rests on help.sos.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division rests on help.sos.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa report due date rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Code § 489.201 rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in August 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa formation fee: Filing fee, official source rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa registered agent statute rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Secretary of State, business entity forms and rests on sos.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about LLC Foreign Registration Statement, Form 635_0010 rests on sos.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Code 489.902, registration requirement rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Code 489.905, activities that do not count rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Secretary of State, certificate of existence rests on sos.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Code 489.902, registration to do business rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in November 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Iowa Code 490.1502, registration of a foreign corporation rests on legis.iowa.gov, which we confirmed in November 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about South Carolina Business Entities Online rests on businessfilings.sc.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about SC Secretary of State, business entity FAQs rests on sos.sc.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about South Carolina Code, Title 33, Chapter 44 rests on scstatehouse.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about SC Department of Revenue, corporate FAQs rests on dor.sc.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Nebraska Secretary of State, forms and fee information rests on sos.nebraska.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Application for Certificate of Authority, foreign LLC rests on sos.nebraska.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Neb rests on nebraskalegislature.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Neb rests on nebraskalegislature.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Nebraska Secretary of State, annual and biennial reporting rests on sos.nebraska.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Indiana Secretary of State business forms rests on in.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Indiana Code 23-0.5-5, registration of foreign entities rests on iga.in.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Indiana Code 23-0.5-9, fees rests on iga.in.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Indiana Code 23-0.5-4, registered agents rests on iga.in.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about INBiz Business Entity Report rests on inbiz.in.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Alabama Secretary of State, LLC filings rests on sos.alabama.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Foreign LLC Application for Registration rests on sos.alabama.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Secretary of State fee schedule rests on sos.alabama.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Secretary of State Online Services rests on alabamainteractive.org, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Code of Alabama, section 10A-1-7.01 rests on alison.legislature.state.al.us, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- Everything in this briefing about Department of Revenue, business privilege tax notice rests on revenue.alabama.gov, which we confirmed in October 2026, so you can compare our wording with the source.
- You can see pricing page for Iowa Registered Agent.co on its own website, which we looked at on November 13, 2026
- You can see Iowa service page for Mainstay Filing on its own website, which we looked at on November 13, 2026
- You can see pricing page for IA Registered Agent.org on its own website, which we looked at on November 13, 2026