Foreign registration · Form 521

California LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

Wisconsin registers an LLC from California as a foreign LLC on Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin asks nothing of California here, not even the Certificate of Status. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services from your California records, then serve as your registered agent there for year one.

What California and Wisconsin each ask for

	California formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	California Certificate of Status (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$5	$100 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 Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	California Secretary of State, Business Entities	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially	March 31
Late yearly filing	$250 late fee	$25 late fee
Agent	Your California agent for service of process	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How California companies register with Wisconsin

We prepare and file Form 521
It names us as your Wisconsin registered agent, with your California name and formation date. No California paperwork holds up the Wisconsin filing. Once Wisconsin approves it, the California company can do business there.

Will your California name work for Wisconsin?

We check your exact California name against Wisconsin's records before filing.

Agents: Wisconsin and California

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

Staying in good standing in California and Wisconsin

California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20); Wisconsin wants the Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) every year ($80). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, California to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in California files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Status ($5)). After that come California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into California

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

Common questions: California to Wisconsin

Does my California company need to register in Wisconsin?

Yes, once a California business operates there; Wisconsin law lists 11 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does the Wisconsin registration cost?

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay California.

Do I need California's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for California and Wisconsin?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), California's report ($20, every two years) and Wisconsin's report ($80).

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

A California company cannot sue in court there until it registers, and Wisconsin can add up to $97.50 for each year or part of a year.

Does Wisconsin require a registered agent?

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

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but California keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12).

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

California companies leave by filing a Withdrawal of Registration of Foreign Limited Liability Company; until then, Wisconsin's report stays due alongside California's filings.

Official sources

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