Maryland

Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

Maryland Corporation Foreign Registration in California

California registers a corporation from Maryland as a foreign corporation on Form S&DC-S/N, with $100 in state fees. California may ask for Maryland's Certificate of Status ($20). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Maryland records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Maryland and California side by side

	Maryland formed here	California registering here
Document	Maryland Certificate of Status	Form S&DC-S/N, Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation
State fee	$20	$100 at order
How it is handled	Maryland: online through Maryland Business Express, emailed right away	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	businessexpress.maryland.gov	sos.ca.gov
Yearly filing	Periodic report, $300, every year	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year
Due	April 15	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Maryland resident agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Maryland to California, step by step

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

Your Maryland name and California's rules

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

Agents: California and Maryland

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

Yearly filings: California and Maryland

Each year your corporation files Maryland's periodic report ($300) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Maryland plus California comes to $474 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Maryland to California

An LLC formed in Maryland files Form LLC-5 with California ($70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($20)). After that come Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) ($300) and California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20). See the LLC filing.

Registering a California company in Maryland

A corporation formed in California that registers with Maryland files Maryland's registration (no form number) with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. See that filing.

Questions Maryland owners ask about California

Does my Maryland company need to register in California?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

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

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

How long does the California registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for Maryland and California?

$474 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $300 to Maryland and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

Yes: the Maryland resident agent stays, and ours covers California for year one.

Will California accept my Maryland name?

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

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but Maryland 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 Maryland's periodic report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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