Foreign corporation registration
Pennsylvania Foreign Corporation Registration
A corporation formed in another state registers with Pennsylvania on Form DSCB:15-412, Foreign Registration Statement. The $250 filing fee goes to Pennsylvania; our $199 covers preparing and filing it plus the first year of Pennsylvania registered office service, for $449 at checkout. Pennsylvania does not ask for a home-state certificate with this filing.
Pennsylvania corporation registration at a glance
- Filing
- Form DSCB:15-412, Foreign Registration Statement
- State fee
- $250 filing fee
- Total with us
- $449, first year of Pennsylvania registered office service included
- Home-state certificate
- Not required
- Pennsylvania yearly filing
- Annual Report, $7, every year
- Filed with
- Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations
What Form DSCB:15-412 asks for
Form DSCB:15-412 has 8 numbered items. In practice, Pennsylvania needs:
- The exact name of your corporation as formed, with an ending Pennsylvania accepts: the word corporation, company, incorporated or limited, an abbreviation, the word association, fund or syndicate, or words of like import used in the home state
- The state it was formed in and its date of formation
- A Pennsylvania registered office with a street address there; we fill in ours
- A principal office address
Corporation into Pennsylvania, by home state
Every home state pays the same $449 at checkout for Pennsylvania.
| Formed in | Home-state certificate | First year |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not needed | $449 |
| Alaska | Not needed | $449 |
| Arizona | Not needed | $449 |
| Arkansas | Not needed | $449 |
| California | Not needed | $449 |
| Colorado | Not needed | $449 |
| Connecticut | Not needed | $449 |
| Delaware | Not needed | $449 |
| Florida | Not needed | $449 |
| Georgia | Not needed | $449 |
| Hawaii | Not needed | $449 |
| Idaho | Not needed | $449 |
| Illinois | Not needed | $449 |
| Indiana | Not needed | $449 |
| Iowa | Not needed | $449 |
| Kansas | Not needed | $449 |
| Kentucky | Not needed | $449 |
| Louisiana | Not needed | $449 |
| Maine | Not needed | $449 |
| Maryland | Not needed | $449 |
| Massachusetts | Not needed | $449 |
| Michigan | Not needed | $449 |
| Minnesota | Not needed | $449 |
| Mississippi | Not needed | $449 |
| Missouri | Not needed | $449 |
| Montana | Not needed | $449 |
| Nebraska | Not needed | $449 |
| Nevada | Not needed | $449 |
| New Hampshire | Not needed | $449 |
| New Jersey | Not needed | $449 |
| New Mexico | Not needed | $449 |
| New York | Not needed | $449 |
| North Carolina | Not needed | $449 |
| North Dakota | Not needed | $449 |
| Ohio | Not needed | $449 |
| Oklahoma | Not needed | $449 |
| Oregon | Not needed | $449 |
| Rhode Island | Not needed | $449 |
| South Carolina | Not needed | $449 |
| South Dakota | Not needed | $449 |
| Tennessee | Not needed | $449 |
| Texas | Not needed | $449 |
| Utah | Not needed | $449 |
| Vermont | Not needed | $449 |
| Virginia | Not needed | $449 |
| Washington | Not needed | $449 |
| West Virginia | Not needed | $449 |
| Wisconsin | Not needed | $449 |
| Wyoming | Not needed | $449 |
Pennsylvania registered office rule
Pennsylvania requires every registered foreign corporation to keep a registered office there. Our $199 includes the first year of Pennsylvania registered office service, then $149 a year.
Pennsylvania yearly filings
Once registered, your corporation files the Pennsylvania Annual Report every year, at $7, due June 30. The Pennsylvania filing window opens January 1 and closes June 30. From year two, keeping the Pennsylvania registration costs $156 a year with our registered office service.
How long Pennsylvania takes
We file Form DSCB:15-412 online with the Pennsylvania Department of State. Paid speed-ups: same-day $100, 3-hour $300, 1-hour $1,000; they are optional and not in the total.
Leaving Pennsylvania later
If your corporation stops doing business there, it ends the registration by filing a Statement of Withdrawal of Foreign Registration. Until that is filed, Pennsylvania's yearly filing stays due.
Pennsylvania foreign corporation questions
Do I have to register my corporation in Pennsylvania?
Yes, if it was formed in another state and does business there. An office, staff or regular sales there usually mean registering.
How much does foreign corporation registration in Pennsylvania cost?
$449 at checkout: the $250 filing fee plus our $199, which includes the first year of registered office service.
Does Pennsylvania need a certificate from my home state?
No, Pennsylvania does not ask for one with this filing.
What does it cost each year to stay registered in Pennsylvania?
$156 a year: $7 for the Annual Report and $149 for our registered office service. The home state's own yearly filing stays separate.
Do I need a registered agent in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Pennsylvania requires one for every corporation registered there from another state. Ours is included for the first year, then $149 a year.
What name rules does Pennsylvania have?
The name must include the word corporation, company, incorporated or limited, an abbreviation, the word association, fund or syndicate, or words of like import used in the home state.
How do I withdraw from Pennsylvania later?
File a Statement of Withdrawal of Foreign Registration with the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Can I form a new Pennsylvania corporation instead?
It is possible, but that is a separate company that files Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7), while the original keeps its home-state filings. Registering keeps one company in both states.
Is the Pennsylvania filing the same for an LLC?
Yes: LLCs and corporations both file Form DSCB:15-412 ($250 in state fees for either).
Is this a certificate of authority?
Pennsylvania calls it registration; other states call the same step a certificate of authority or foreign qualification.