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Foreign LLC guide · Arkansas

Arkansas Foreign LLC Registration (2026): Fees and the 3 Best Services

In 2026 we'd hire AR Registered Agent.org ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and Arkansas Registered Agent.co ($199) for foreign LLC registration in Arkansas, in that order. Arkansas charges $270 to register a foreign LLC and $150 for its yearly report, which ranks 37th of 50.
State Filing Data research desk

Arkansas fee data

among 50 states, foreign LLC fees

Low rank, low state fees. Compare states

Registration fee

$270

sos.arkansas.gov · October 2026

Yearly report

$150

Annual LLC franchise tax report

Home-state certificate

30 days

No older than this

Three-year state fees

$570

Registration + reports in years two and three

Who we'd use in Arkansas

Weights: 35% three-year service fees, 30% filings covered, 30% the rest (methodology).

Number one

1. AR Registered Agent.org: best for adding only Arkansas

$199 plus the $270 state fee, then $99 a year

AR Registered Agent.org leads here. The case for it: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Arkansas.

Lower three-year service fees than Mainstay Filing put it on top; cost carries 35% of our method.

What you pay for

  • The registration paperwork
  • A year of agent service

For

  • First agent year in the price
  • Then $99 a year
  • $199 + state fee

Against

  • No help outside this state
Any state

2. Mainstay Filing: best for companies in several states

$199 plus the $270 state fee, then $149 a year

Second on our list, Mainstay Filing: a $199 service fee in any state, the first agent year included.

On three-year service fees it trails AR Registered Agent.org by $100.

Year two onward the agent costs $149 a year.

What you pay for

  • Registration prepared and filed
  • Registered agent, free for the first year
  • Same service fee in every state

For

  • Handles your next state too
  • Service fee $199
  • Agent included for the first year

Against

  • $50 more a year for the agent
Local option

3. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: best for registering only in Arkansas

$199 plus the $270 state fee, then $99 a year

Third on our list, Arkansas Registered Agent.co: a $199 service fee and a $99 agent renewal in Arkansas.

It publishes the same prices as AR Registered Agent.org, so the two are close.

What you pay for

  • The registration paperwork
  • A year of agent service

For

  • First agent year in the price
  • Then $99 a year
  • $199 + state fee

Against

  • No help outside this state

Price comparison

#ServiceYear oneFrom year twoThree-year service fees
1 AR Registered Agent.org $199$99/yr$397
Visit AR Registered Agent.org Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2 Mainstay Filing $199$149/yr$497
Visit Mainstay Filing Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3 Arkansas Registered Agent.co $199$99/yr$397
Visit Arkansas Registered Agent.co Partner link. We may earn money if you buy.

Prices as published by each company on November 12, 2026. Add the $270 state fee to every row.

Registration plus upkeep, by year

State registration and report fees plus each service's price, by year.

State fees $570 plus AR Registered Agent.org at $397: $967 over 3 years.

Arkansas next to similar states

RankStateThree-year foreign LLC fees
35th Alaska$550
35th Maine$550
37th Arkansas$570
38th Kentucky$645
39th North Carolina$650

Foreign LLC fees by state has all fifty rows.

Registering a foreign LLC in Arkansas

The filing is the Application for Certificate of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FL-01), made with the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services; the fee is $270. Include certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, at most 30 days.

Later it owes the Annual LLC franchise tax report ($150), May 1.

Filing checklist

  • Certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, at most 30 days.
  • The exact legal name from the home state and the formation date.
  • Someone to serve as registered agent in Arkansas.
  • The $270 state charge.

Penalties for not registering in Arkansas

Registration has to come before any lawsuit the LLC wants to file there (A.C.A. 4-38-913(a)). The company's contracts are not void (A.C.A. 4-38-913(b)). The maximum penalty is $5,000. Expect back fees for the period before registering.

The reasoning

Of our five criteria, service fees over three years (35%) settled first place in Arkansas.

At $397 over three years, $100 below Mainstay Filing, AR Registered Agent.org leads on cost.

Questions about Arkansas

How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC in Arkansas?

$270 to the state. Add $199 for a service.

Which form registers a foreign LLC in Arkansas?

File Application for Certificate of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form FL-01) with the Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services.

Do I need a certificate from my home state?

Yes: certificate of existence (good standing) from the home state, dated within 30 days of filing.

What does a foreign LLC file after registering?

The Annual LLC franchise tax report, $150.

What if the LLC does business there without registering?

Registration has to come before any lawsuit the LLC wants to file there (A.C.A. 4-38-913(a)). The company's contracts are not void (A.C.A. 4-38-913(b)). The maximum penalty is $5,000. Expect back fees for the period before registering.

Is a registered agent needed there?

Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address.

Who should file the registration?

AR Registered Agent.org, Mainstay Filing and Arkansas Registered Agent.co, in that order.

Related guides

Data sources

  1. sos.arkansas.gov: Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax report: what and (checked October 2026)
  2. sos.arkansas.gov: Arkansas yearly filing: Franchise tax: amount and filing (checked October 2026)
  3. sos.arkansas.gov: Arkansas report due date (checked August 2026)
  4. arkleg.state.ar.us: Ark (checked August 2026)
  5. sos.arkansas.gov: Arkansas formation fee: Filing fee, official source (checked October 2026)
  6. arkleg.state.ar.us: Arkansas registered agent statute (checked October 2026)
  7. sos.arkansas.gov: Arkansas Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and (checked October 2026)
  8. sos.arkansas.gov: Form FL-01 (checked October 2026)
  9. arkleg.state.ar.us: Act 1041 of 2021, Uniform LLC Act (checked October 2026)
  10. sos.arkansas.gov: Form FL-04, application for cancellation (checked October 2026)
  11. commerce.alaska.gov: Form 08-0497, Certificate of Registration (checked October 2026)
  12. akleg.gov: Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.600 to 10.50.670 (checked October 2026)
  13. akleg.gov: Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.675 to 10.50.720 (checked October 2026)
  14. akleg.gov: Alaska Statutes, AS 10.50.750 to 10.50.765 (checked October 2026)
  15. akleg.gov: Alaska Statutes, AS 43.70.020 to 43.70.030 (checked October 2026)
  16. maine.gov: Maine Secretary of State, foreign entities (checked October 2026)
  17. maine.gov: Form MLLC-12 (checked October 2026)
  18. legislature.maine.gov: 31 MRSA § 1622, foreign qualification (checked October 2026)
  19. legislature.maine.gov: 31 MRSA § 1623, activities that do not (checked October 2026)
  20. legislature.maine.gov: 31 MRSA § 1629, consequences of not qualifying (checked October 2026)
  21. legislature.maine.gov: 31 MRSA § 1680, fees (checked October 2026)
  22. sos.ky.gov: Kentucky Secretary of State, business filings (checked October 2026)
  23. web.sos.ky.gov: Form FBE, Certificate of Authority (checked October 2026)
  24. apps.legislature.ky.gov: KRS 14A.9-020, consequences of transacting business without authority (checked October 2026)
  25. apps.legislature.ky.gov: KRS 14A.9-010, authority to transact business required (checked October 2026)
  26. apps.legislature.ky.gov: KRS 14A.6-010, annual report (checked October 2026)
  27. sos.ky.gov: Kentucky Secretary of State, fee schedule (checked October 2026)
  28. revenue.ky.gov: Kentucky other cost: Limited Liability Entity Tax, official (checked October 2026)
  29. sosnc.gov: North Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration (checked October 2026)
  30. sosnc.gov: Form L-09, Application for Certificate of Authority (checked October 2026)
  31. sosnc.gov: Secretary of State guide to registering a foreign (checked October 2026)
  32. ncleg.gov: G.S (checked October 2026)
  33. sosnc.gov: Annual report due dates (checked October 2026)
  34. AR Registered Agent.org: pricing page as published on November 12, 2026
  35. Mainstay Filing: Arkansas service page as published on November 12, 2026
  36. Arkansas Registered Agent.co: pricing page as published on November 12, 2026