Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

North Dakota Corporation Foreign Registration in California

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

What North Dakota and California each ask for

	North Dakota formed here	California registering here
Document	North Dakota Certificate of Good Standing	Form S&DC-S/N, Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation
State fee	$20	$100 at order
How it is handled	North Dakota: online	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	North Dakota Secretary of State	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	firststop.sos.nd.gov	sos.ca.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $25, every year	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year
Due	August 1	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Late yearly filing	$20 late fee	$250 late fee
Agent	Your North Dakota registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How North Dakota 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 North Dakota name and formation date. If California wants the North Dakota certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your North Dakota corporation is registered with California.

Your North Dakota name and California's rules

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

Agents: California and North Dakota

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

Yearly filings: California and North Dakota

Each year your corporation files North Dakota's Annual Report ($25) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, North Dakota plus California comes to $199 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, North Dakota to California

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

The other way: California into North Dakota

A corporation formed in California that registers with North Dakota files North Dakota's registration (no form number) with $145 in state fees. See that filing.

Questions North Dakota owners ask about California

Does my North Dakota company need to register in California?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the California registration cost?

$299 at checkout; California may also want North Dakota's Certificate of Good Standing, at extra cost.

How long does the California registration take?

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

What are the yearly costs for North Dakota and California?

$199 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $25 to North Dakota and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

California can charge a North Dakota company a penalty of $20 a day.

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my North Dakota name?

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

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but North Dakota 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 North Dakota's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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