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Business Basics LabLLC paperwork, measured state by state.

Lab sheet 1 · Texas

Forming an LLC in Texas (2026): 7 Procedures and the 3 Best LLC Services

Texas Registered Agent.ai ($199), Mainstay Filing ($199) and TX Registered Agent.org ($199) measured best, in that order, for forming an LLC in Texas in 2026. 7 procedures follow; the state's charge measures $300.

Recorded by the Business Basics Lab staff ·

Sheet summary

State fee to file
$300Reference sos.texas.gov, October 2026
Recurring report
No feeDate per the state: May 15
Three years of state fees
$300State charges only
Procedure count
7In sequence

You will be able to

  • The official Texas fee and form
  • The registered agent requirement
  • What must be filed each year after formation
  • How the readings compare

Best reading

The Texas results

Measured on the method page: three-year cost (36%), procedures performed (28%), renewal, fit with Texas's protocol and price legibility.
Highest result

1. Texas Registered Agent.ai: best for a small first invoice

Formation $199; renewal $99 a year

Top of the Texas readings is Texas Registered Agent.ai: formation measures $199 beyond the state fee; the agent renews at $99.

Mainstay Filing measures higher across three years, which puts this service first.

The owner files the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year.

What the price performs

  • The Texas formation, prepared and filed
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A formation fee of $199
  • A free first agent year

Measured limits

  • The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report filing is not part of the price
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Upkeep included

2. Mainstay Filing: best for the Public Information Report filed on the owner's behalf

$199 a year

In second position is Mainstay Filing, where $199 per year performs the formation, keeps the registered agent and files the Public Information Report; year two measures $199.

A gap of $200 to Texas Registered Agent.ai across three years fixes its position.

It also files the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, for which Texas sets no fee.

What the price performs

  • Formation filing, prepared and submitted
  • Registered agent for the full year
  • Public Information Report filed on schedule
  • EIN application included
  • No markup on the state fee

Measured strengths

  • $199 yearly, all included
  • It submits the EIN application
  • $199 each year

Measured limits

  • Texas Registered Agent.ai renews for $100 less
Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Texas specialist

3. TX Registered Agent.org: best for a second Texas candidate

Formation $199; renewal $99 a year

In third position is TX Registered Agent.org, where formation measures $199 beyond the state fee; the agent renews at $99.

The owner files the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year.

It publishes the same prices as Texas Registered Agent.ai.

What the price performs

  • The Texas formation, prepared and filed
  • Agent service for the first year

Measured strengths

  • The agent renews at $99
  • A formation fee of $199
  • A free first agent year

Measured limits

  • The Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report filing is not part of the price
  • The EIN application is not included ($99)
Visit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.

The Texas results compared

#ServiceFirst yearFrom year twoThree-year total
1Texas Registered Agent.ai$199$99/yr$397Visit Texas Registered Agent.aiPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
2Mainstay Filing$199$199/yr$597Visit Mainstay FilingPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
3TX Registered Agent.org$199$99/yr$397Visit TX Registered Agent.orgPartner link. We may earn money if you buy.
Company prices as posted on November 13, 2026. Add Texas's $300 fee to each row.

The sheet, procedure by procedure

  1. Procedure 1: Confirm no other company holds the name

    A name held by another Texas company can cause the filing to be returned; the business search at the Texas Secretary of State gives the answer in advance.

    TipCarry a second name into the search.

  2. Procedure 2: Appoint a registered agent

    Every LLC must name a registered agent with an in-state street address. A Texas resident, including an owner, officer or employee, or an organization registered or authorized in Texas with a business office at the registered office. The company cannot be its own agent, and the agent has to consent.

    The address has to be a street address where papers can be handed to the agent during normal business hours. A mailbox service or answering service alone does not qualify.

    TipThe registered agent role is part of each ranked service.

    Specimen: Reference sos.texas.gov, October 2026

  3. Procedure 3: File directly or engage help

    Filing alone costs the $300 state fee and nothing else. A service adds $199 and prepares the forms; the ranking gives the order.

  4. Procedure 4: Prepare the Certificate of Formation

    Required inputs: the Certificate of Formation (Form 205), $300, and the Texas Secretary of State as the receiving office. Statute: Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.005.

    Specimen: Reference sos.texas.gov, October 2026

  5. Procedure 5: Request the LLC's federal tax ID

    Sequence: state approval, then the IRS number. This procedure sits inside the Mainstay Filing package.

  6. Procedure 6: Set the ownership rules in writing

    Even a single-owner Texas LLC gains from a written operating agreement kept on file.

  7. Procedure 7: Plan the second year

    Keeping the LLC active means filing the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year, by May 15. A late filing draws $50.

    Specimen: Reference comptroller.texas.gov, October 2026

What will be paid

ProcedurePaid toPrice
Filing the LLCPayable to the state$300
Recurring state reportPayable to the stateNo fee
Late feePayable to the state$50
Optional serviceThe service$199 up front
State fees, years one to threePayable to the state$300
Figures paid to Texas are its published fees, with the specimens listed beneath the table; each service row is that company's own price. The three-year state row sums the filing, the year-two report, the year-three report and any minimum tax.

Why Texas Registered Agent.ai comes first

The deciding criterion was measured cost over three years, worth 36% of the reading.

Texas Registered Agent.ai totals $397 over three years, a difference of $200 from Mainstay Filing.

Brief answers

What will a Texas LLC cost at the start?

$300 goes to the state. A ranked service adds $199 in year one.

Which form creates the LLC?

Locate the Certificate of Formation (Form 205); the Texas Secretary of State is where it is filed.

Is a registered agent required?

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

What does Texas require each year?

Upkeep consists of the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report (no fee, every year, due May 15).

Can I form the LLC without a service?

It is permitted: Texas asks $300, and a registered agent must also be named.

Which LLC service should a first-time founder use?

The order of the readings is Texas Registered Agent.ai, Mainstay Filing and TX Registered Agent.org. Texas Registered Agent.ai is first because $199 above the state fee, with year-one agent service included, then $99 a year.

See also

Specimens and records

  1. Notebook entry for Texas yearly filing: Annual report, official source: the observations rest on comptroller.texas.gov, revisited in October 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  2. Notebook entry for Texas report due date: the observations rest on statutes.capitol.texas.gov, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  3. Notebook entry for Tex: the observations rest on sos.texas.gov, revisited in August 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  4. Notebook entry for Texas registered agent statute: the observations rest on sos.texas.gov, revisited in October 2026. Replicate the check by opening that page.
  5. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of Texas Registered Agent.ai
  6. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the Texas service page of Mainstay Filing
  7. Recorded November 13, 2026 from the pricing page of TX Registered Agent.org