Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

Virginia Corporation Foreign Registration in California

To do business in California, a corporation formed in Virginia registers there on Form S&DC-S/N, with $100 in state fees. California may ask for Virginia's Certificate of Good Standing ($6). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Virginia records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Virginia and California side by side

	Virginia formed here	California registering here
Document	Virginia Certificate of Good Standing	Form S&DC-S/N, Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation
State fee	$6	$100 at order
How it is handled	Virginia: online as an instant PDF from the Clerk's Information System	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	scc.virginia.gov	sos.ca.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report + Annual Registration Fee, $50, every year	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year
Due		Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Late yearly filing	$10 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Virginia registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Virginia companies register with California

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

Your Virginia name and California's rules

If another California company uses the Virginia name, an alternate name is allowed. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Virginia

California calls it an agent for service of process; Virginia says registered agent. Your current registered agent stays for Virginia; ours takes California's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Virginia and California

Each year your corporation files Virginia's Annual Report + Annual Registration Fee ($50) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Virginia plus California comes to $224 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Virginia to California

An LLC formed in Virginia files Form LLC-5 with California ($70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration ($6)). After that come Virginia's Annual Registration Fee ($50) and California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20). See the LLC filing.

Common questions: Virginia to California

Does my Virginia company need to register in California?

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

Is this a certificate of authority?

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

How much does the California registration cost?

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

What are the yearly costs for Virginia and California?

$224 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $50 to Virginia and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Virginia name?

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

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but Virginia 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 Virginia's Annual Report + Annual Registration Fee.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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