Colorado

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Colorado LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Colorado that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Colorado's Certificate of Good Standing (free), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities from your Colorado records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Colorado vs California: the paperwork

	Colorado formed here	California registering here
Document	Colorado Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLC-5
State fee	No fee	$70 at order
How it is handled	Colorado: online as an instant PDF	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Colorado Secretary of State, Business Program	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	sos.state.co.us	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Periodic Report, $25, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	Last day of the entity's anniversary month	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Colorado registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Colorado companies register with California

Order the Colorado certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing (free) is ordered from Colorado separately; it is not part of our California order. Ordered from Colorado on filing day, it easily meets California's limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It lists us as your California agent for service of process, next to your Colorado name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Colorado delays the California filing. After approval, your Colorado LLC is registered with California.

First-year cost, Colorado to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Colorado	No fee
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Colorado certificate included	$269

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

Your Colorado name and California's rules

California accepts your Colorado name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Colorado name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If another California company uses the Colorado name, an alternate name is allowed. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Colorado

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

Yearly filings: California and Colorado

Colorado wants the Periodic Report every year ($25); California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). The new registration does not replace any home-state filing.

LLC or corporation, Colorado to California

A corporation formed in Colorado files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Colorado's Periodic Report ($25) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a California company in Colorado

An LLC formed in California that registers with Colorado files Colorado's registration (no form number) with $100 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Colorado to California

Does my Colorado company need to register in California?

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

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

$269 at checkout, plus Colorado's Certificate of Good Standing, which is free.

Do I need Colorado's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants it (free), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less; Colorado's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Colorado and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Colorado's report ($25) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

Yes: the Colorado registered agent stays, and ours covers California for year one.

Will California accept my Colorado name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Colorado name at home. California names must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC.

Can I form a new California LLC instead?

Yes, but Colorado keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20), and the original keeps Colorado's Periodic Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

Colorado companies leave by filing Form LLC-4/7 (no state fee); until then, California's report stays due alongside Colorado's filings.

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