Foreign registration · no form number

California LLC Foreign Registration in South Dakota

An LLC formed in California that wants to do business in South Dakota files an online registration (no form number), with $750 in state fees. South Dakota also wants California's Certificate of Status ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

California vs South Dakota: the paperwork

	California formed here	South Dakota registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status	Application for Certificate of Authority (Foreign LLC) (no form number)
State fee	$5	$750 at order
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed online with South Dakota
Paid expedite		$50
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	South Dakota Secretary of State
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	sdsos.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Must be current
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	'limited liability company', 'limited company', or one of the abbreviations L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC (limited may be written Ltd. and company Co.)
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Report, $55, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	During the entity's anniversary month each year
Late yearly filing	$250 late fee	$50 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: immediately
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our South Dakota registered agent

How California companies register with South Dakota

Order the California certificate
The Certificate of Status ($5) is ordered from California separately; it is not part of our South Dakota order. South Dakota wants the California certificate current, so it is ordered close to the filing date.
We prepare and file the registration
It lists us as your South Dakota registered agent, next to your California name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from California delays the South Dakota filing. Once South Dakota approves it, the California company can do business there.

First-year cost, California to South Dakota

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$750
Certificate of Status, paid to California	$5
Our service, with a year of South Dakota registered agent service	$199
First-year total, California certificate included	$954

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

Your California name and South Dakota's rules

South Dakota accepts your California name if it includes 'limited liability company', 'limited company', or one of the abbreviations L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC (limited may be written Ltd. and company Co.). 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 South Dakota's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the California company. South Dakota can hold a name for $25 before you file.

Your South Dakota agent and the California one

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

Staying in good standing in California and South Dakota

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); South Dakota wants the Annual Report every year ($55). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, California to South Dakota

A corporation formed in California files its own registration with South Dakota ($750 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Status ($5)). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and South Dakota's Annual Report. See the corporation filing.

Registering a South Dakota company in California

An LLC formed in South Dakota that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Good Standing/Existence ($20) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Questions California owners ask about South Dakota

Does my California company need to register in South Dakota?

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

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

$949 at checkout plus $5 to California for the Certificate of Status, $954 in all (checkout is $750 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

Yes: South Dakota wants California's Certificate of Status ($5), current at filing.

How long does the South Dakota registration take?

South Dakota approves online filings immediately; California's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: $50.

What are the yearly costs for California and South Dakota?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and South Dakota's report ($55).

Does South Dakota require a registered agent?

Yes: the California agent for service of process stays, and ours covers South Dakota for year one.

Will South Dakota 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. South Dakota names must include 'limited liability company', 'limited company', or one of the abbreviations L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC (limited may be written Ltd. and company Co.); “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new South Dakota LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files South Dakota's Annual Report ($55), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from South Dakota later?

California companies leave by filing a Notice of Cancellation of Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, South Dakota's report stays due alongside California's filings.

Official sources

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