Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

Connecticut Corporation Foreign Registration in California

To do business in California, a corporation formed in Connecticut registers there on Form S&DC-S/N, with $100 in state fees. California may ask for Connecticut's Certificate of Legal Existence ($80). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Connecticut records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Connecticut and California side by side

	Connecticut formed here	California registering here
Document	Connecticut Certificate of Legal Existence	Form S&DC-S/N, Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation
State fee	$80	$100 at order
How it is handled	Connecticut: online, with an express version, or by mail	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Connecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services Division	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	business.ct.gov	sos.ca.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $150, every year	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year
Due	Anniversary date of the filing of the first annual report	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Agent	Your Connecticut registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Connecticut companies register with California

We prepare and file Form S&DC-S/N
It names us as your California agent for service of process, with your Connecticut name and formation date. If California wants the Connecticut certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Connecticut corporation is registered with California.

Will your Connecticut name work for California?

If California's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Connecticut company. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Your California agent and the Connecticut one

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

Staying in good standing in Connecticut and California

Each year your corporation files Connecticut's Annual Report ($150) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Connecticut plus California comes to $324 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Connecticut to California

An LLC formed in Connecticut files Form LLC-5 with California ($70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Legal Existence ($50)). After that come Connecticut's Annual Report ($80) and California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20). See the LLC filing.

Registering a California company in Connecticut

A corporation formed in California that registers with Connecticut files Connecticut's registration (no form number) with $385 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions Connecticut owners ask about California

Does my Connecticut company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Connecticut business operates there; California registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

California calls it registration for Connecticut corporations; other states say certificate of authority.

How much does the California registration cost?

$299 at checkout; California may also want Connecticut's Certificate of Legal Existence, at extra cost.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less, plus time for Connecticut's certificate if California asks for it. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Connecticut and California?

$324 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $150 to Connecticut and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

California can charge a Connecticut company a penalty of $20 a day.

Does California require a registered agent?

Yes: the Connecticut registered agent stays, and ours covers California for year one.

Will California accept my Connecticut name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Connecticut name at home.

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but Connecticut keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25), and the original keeps Connecticut's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

Connecticut companies leave by filing Form CORP-SURC, Certificate of Surrender; until then, California's report stays due alongside Connecticut's filings.

Official sources

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