Foreign registration · Form CD 241

California LLC Foreign Registration in Georgia

To do business in Georgia, an LLC formed in California registers there on Form CD 241, with $235 in state fees. Georgia asks nothing of California here, not even the Certificate of Status. We file it with the Secretary of State, Corporations Division from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What California and Georgia each ask for

	California formed here	Georgia registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Form CD 241, Application for Certificate of Authority for Foreign Limited Liability Company
State fee	$5	$235 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 Georgia
Paid expedite		2-business-day $120, same-day $275, 1-hour $1,200
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	sos.ga.gov
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Registration, $60, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	April 1
Late yearly filing	$250 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Georgia registered agent

From California to Georgia, step by step

We prepare and file Form CD 241
It lists us as your Georgia registered agent, next to your California name and formation date. Nothing has to come from California first, so the Georgia filing can go in right away. Once Georgia approves it, the California company can do business there.

Will your California name work for Georgia?

Georgia can hold a name for 30 days for $25 before you file.

Agents: Georgia and California

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

Staying in good standing in California and Georgia

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); Georgia wants the Annual Registration every year ($60). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

Registering a Georgia company in California

An LLC formed in Georgia that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Existence ($10) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: California to Georgia

Does my California company need to register in Georgia?

Yes, once a California business operates there; Georgia registers it as a foreign LLC.

How much does it cost to register a California LLC in Georgia?

$434 at checkout, with nothing to pay California.

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

No, Georgia takes Form CD 241 without it.

How long does the Georgia registration take?

Georgia's online processing takes about 7 business days; nothing comes from California first. Paid expedite: 2-business-day $120, same-day $275.

What are the yearly costs for California and Georgia?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and Georgia's report ($60).

What if I don't register with Georgia?

A California company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Georgia can add a penalty of $500.

Does Georgia require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Georgia LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Georgia's Annual Registration ($60), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from Georgia later?

California companies leave by filing an Application for Withdrawal of Certificate of Authority; until then, Georgia's report stays due alongside California's filings.

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