Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

Kentucky Corporation Foreign Registration in California

To do business in California, a corporation formed in Kentucky registers there on Form S&DC-S/N, with $100 in state fees. California may ask for Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities from your Kentucky records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

What Kentucky and California each ask for

	Kentucky formed here	California registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form S&DC-S/N, Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation
State fee	$10	$100 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	sos.ca.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year
Due	On or before June 30	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Kentucky to California, step by step

We prepare and file Form S&DC-S/N
It lists us as your California agent for service of process, next to your Kentucky name and formation date. If California wants the Kentucky certificate, it is ordered first. Once California approves it, the Kentucky company can do business there.

Will your Kentucky name work for California?

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

Agents: California and Kentucky

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

Yearly filings: California and Kentucky

Each year your corporation files Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Kentucky plus California comes to $189 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Kentucky to California

An LLC formed in Kentucky files Form LLC-5 with California ($70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10)). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20). See the LLC filing.

The other way: California into Kentucky

A corporation formed in California that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Kentucky to California

Does my Kentucky company need to register in California?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

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

How long does the California registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and California?

$189 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $15 to Kentucky and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Kentucky name?

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

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but Kentucky 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 Kentucky's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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