Foreign registration · Form CR2E027

California LLC Foreign Registration in Florida

To do business in Florida, an LLC formed in California registers there on Form CR2E027, with $125 in state fees. Florida also wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), dated within 90 days. We file it with the Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section using your California records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

What California and Florida each ask for

	California formed here	Florida registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Form CR2E027
State fee	$5	$125 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Florida
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	form.sunbiz.org
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 90 days
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Report, $138.75, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	May 1
Late yearly filing	$250 late fee	$400 late fee
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Florida registered agent

How California companies register with Florida

Order the California certificate
The Certificate of Status ($5) is ordered from California separately; it is not part of our Florida order. An instant California certificate reaches Florida only hours old, well inside the limit of 90 days.
We prepare and file Form CR2E027
It names us as your Florida registered agent, with your California name and formation date and the certificate attached. California issues the certificate instantly, so the Florida filing can go in the same day. After approval, your California LLC is registered with Florida.

First-year cost, California to Florida

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$125
Certificate of Status, paid to California	$5
Our service, with a year of Florida registered agent service	$199
First-year total, California certificate included	$329

Will your California name work for Florida?

Florida accepts your California name if it includes Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. or LLC. California's list (limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. If another Florida company uses the California name, an alternate name is allowed. Florida can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Agents: Florida and California

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

Staying in good standing in California and Florida

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); Florida wants the Annual Report every year ($138.75). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, California to Florida

A corporation formed in California files Form CR2E007 with Florida ($70 in state fees). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Florida's Annual Report ($150). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Florida company in California

An LLC formed in Florida that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Questions California owners ask about Florida

Does my California company need to register in Florida?

Yes, once a California business operates there; Florida law lists 13 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Florida registration cost?

$324 at checkout plus $5 to California for the Certificate of Status, $329 in all (checkout is $125 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

Yes: Florida wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), no more than 90 days old at filing.

What are the yearly costs for California and Florida?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and Florida's report ($138.75).

What if I don't register with Florida?

A California company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Florida can add a civil penalty of up to $1,000 and a fine of at least $500.

Does Florida require a registered agent?

Yes: the California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers Florida for year one, with a street address there.

Will Florida accept my California name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its California name at home. Florida names must include Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. or LLC; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new Florida LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Florida's Annual Report ($138.75), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from Florida later?

California companies leave by filing a Notice of Withdrawal of Certificate of Authority ($25); until then, Florida's report stays due alongside California's filings.

Official sources

People also search

LLC into Florida, by home state (48)

California into other states (47)

The same move for a corporation