Alabama

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Alabama LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Alabama that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Alabama records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Alabama and California each ask for

	Alabama formed here	California registering here
Document	Alabama Certificate of Existence	Form LLC-5
State fee	$25	$70 at order
How it is handled	Alabama: online as an instant printable certificate with a seal and authentication number	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Alabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	sos.alabama.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report, fee set by the state, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due		Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Alabama registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Alabama to California, step by step

Order the Alabama certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($25) is ordered from Alabama separately; it is not part of our California order. Ordered from Alabama on filing day, it easily meets California's limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It names us as your California agent for service of process, with your Alabama name and formation date and the certificate attached. Alabama issues the certificate instantly, so the California filing can go in the same day. Once California approves it, the Alabama company can do business there.

California costs for Alabama companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Existence, paid to Alabama	$25
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Alabama certificate included	$294

California's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Alabama name and California's rules

California accepts your Alabama name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. Alabama uses the same endings, so it already fits. If another California company uses the Alabama name, an alternate name is allowed. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Alabama

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

Yearly filings: California and Alabama

Alabama wants the Form PPT — Alabama Business Privilege Tax Return and Annual Report every year; California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Alabama to California

A corporation formed in Alabama files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Alabama's Business Privilege Tax return (Form CPT) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Alabama

An LLC formed in California that registers with Alabama files Alabama's registration (no form number) with $184 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Alabama owners ask about California

Does my Alabama company need to register in California?

Yes, once an Alabama business operates there; California law lists 10 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register an Alabama LLC in California?

$269 at checkout plus $25 to Alabama for the Certificate of Existence, $294 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Alabama's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Alabama's Certificate of Existence ($25), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less; Alabama's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Alabama and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Alabama's report (fee set by the state) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

An Alabama company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Alabama name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Alabama name at home. California names must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC, the same endings Alabama uses.

Can I form a new California LLC instead?

Yes, but Alabama keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20), and the original keeps Alabama's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

Alabama companies leave by filing Form LLC-4/7 (no state fee); until then, California's report stays due alongside Alabama's filings.

Official sources

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