Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

Tennessee Corporation Foreign Registration in California

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

What Tennessee and California each ask for

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

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

Will your Tennessee name work for California?

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

Agents: California and Tennessee

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

Yearly filings: California and Tennessee

Each year your corporation files Tennessee's Annual Report ($20) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Tennessee plus California comes to $194 a year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Tennessee to California

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

The other way: California into Tennessee

A corporation formed in California that registers with Tennessee files Form SS-4431 with $600 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5). See that filing.

Questions Tennessee owners ask about California

Does my Tennessee company need to register in California?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the California registration cost?

$299 at checkout; California may also want Tennessee'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 Tennessee's certificate if California asks for it. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Tennessee and California?

$194 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $20 to Tennessee and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Tennessee name?

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

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but Tennessee 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 Tennessee's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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