Texas

Foreign registration · Form 304

California LLC Foreign Registration in Texas

To do business in Texas, an LLC formed in California registers there on Form 304, with $767.13 in state fees and a $50 required expedite. Texas needs nothing from California: no Certificate of Status. We file it with the Texas Secretary of State using your California records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

California and Texas side by side

	California formed here	Texas registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Form 304
State fee	$5	$767.13 at order (filing fee $750 plus charges collected at filing)
How it is handled	California: online as a PDF within minutes, or on paper by mail or drop-off in Sacramento	Filed with Texas
Required expedite		$50 at order (Texas Express)
Faster options		next-day $500, same-day $750
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Texas Secretary of State
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	sos.state.tx.us
Name endings	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC	limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, fee set by the state, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	May 15 each year
Late yearly filing	$250 late fee	$50 late fee
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Texas registered agent

From California to Texas, step by step

We prepare and file Form 304
It lists us as your Texas registered agent, next to your California name and formation date. No California paperwork holds up the Texas filing. After approval, your California LLC is registered with Texas.

Your California name and Texas's rules

Texas accepts your California name if it includes limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either. 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 Texas company uses the California name, an alternate name is allowed. We search Texas's records for California's name on file before anything is filed.

Your Texas agent and the California one

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

Staying in good standing in California and Texas

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); Texas wants the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year. The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, California to Texas

A corporation formed in California files Form 301 with Texas ($767.13 in state fees and the $50 required expedite, the same). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Texas's Franchise Tax Report + Public Information Report (no fee). See the corporation filing.

Registering a Texas company in California

An LLC formed in Texas that registers with California files Form LLC-5 with $70 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Fact - Status ($15) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: California to Texas

Does my California company need to register in Texas?

Yes, once a California business operates there; Texas law lists 16 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Texas registration cost?

$1,016.13 at checkout, including the $50 required expedite, with nothing to pay California.

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

No, Texas takes Form 304 without it.

How long does the Texas registration take?

Typically 2 to 3 business days with Texas's required expedite; nothing comes from California first. Faster state options: next-day $500, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for California and Texas?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and Texas's report (fee set by the state).

What if I don't register with Texas?

A California company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does Texas require a registered agent?

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

Will Texas 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. Texas names must include limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new Texas LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Texas's Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from Texas later?

California companies leave by filing Form 608, Certificate of Withdrawal of Registration ($15); until then, Texas's report stays due alongside California's filings.

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