Foreign registration · Form 326

California Corporation Foreign Registration in Louisiana

A corporation formed in California that wants to do business in Louisiana files Form 326, with $160 in state fees. Louisiana may ask for California's Certificate of Status ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Commercial Division from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

California vs Louisiana: the paperwork

	California formed here	Louisiana registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Form 326, Application of Foreign Corporation for Certificate of Authority
State fee	$5	$160 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Louisiana
Paid expedite		24-hour $35, 2 to 4 hour $60
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Louisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	sos.la.gov
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year	Annual Report, $30, every year
Due	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually	On or before the anniversary of the date authority to do business was issued
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Louisiana registered agent

How California companies register with Louisiana

We prepare and file Form 326
It names us as your Louisiana registered agent, with your California name and formation date. If Louisiana wants the California certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your California corporation is registered with Louisiana.

Will your California name work for Louisiana?

We check your exact California name against Louisiana's records before filing.

Your Louisiana agent and the California one

Louisiana calls it a registered agent; California says agent for service of process. Louisiana papers come to us; California's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in California and Louisiana

Each year your corporation files California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Louisiana's Annual Report ($30). With our $149 registered agent renewal, California plus Louisiana comes to $204 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, California to Louisiana

An LLC formed in California files Form 972 with Louisiana ($190 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5)). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20) and Louisiana's Annual Report ($35). See the LLC filing.

Registering a Louisiana company in California

A corporation formed in Louisiana that registers with California files Form S&DC-S/N with $100 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions California owners ask about Louisiana

Does my California company need to register in Louisiana?

Yes, once a California business operates there; Louisiana law lists 10 activities that do not count on their own.

Is this a certificate of authority?

Yes: Louisiana issues one to California corporations once the form is approved.

How much does it cost to register a California corporation in Louisiana?

$359 at checkout; Louisiana may also want California's Certificate of Status, at extra cost.

What are the yearly costs for California and Louisiana?

$204 a year: our $149 registered agent renewal, $25 to California and $30 to Louisiana for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with Louisiana?

A California company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Louisiana require a registered agent?

Yes: the California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Louisiana for year one.

Can I form a new Louisiana corporation instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Louisiana's Annual Report ($30), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550).

What does a Louisiana company file to register in California?

It files Form S&DC-S/N with $100 in state fees.

Official sources

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