Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Delaware LLC Foreign Registration in California

California registers an LLC from Delaware as a foreign LLC on Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also asks for Delaware's Certificate of Good Standing ($50), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Delaware records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Delaware and California each ask for

	Delaware formed here	California registering here
Document	Delaware Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLC-5
State fee	$50	$70 at order
How it is handled	Delaware: through the Division of Corporations request service, sent by first-class mail unless a FedEx or UPS account is supplied	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Delaware Department of State, Division of Corporations	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	corp.delaware.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual LLC Tax, $400, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	On or before June 1	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$200 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate comes by mail	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Delaware registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Delaware to California, step by step

Order the Delaware certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($50) is ordered from Delaware separately; it is not part of our California order. It comes as a short form ($50) or a long form ($175). Mail time from Delaware counts against California's limit of 180 days, so the order allows for transit.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It names us as your California agent for service of process, with your Delaware name and formation date and the certificate attached. Allow for the days Delaware takes to send the certificate before the California filing goes in. After approval, your Delaware LLC is registered with California.

First-year cost, Delaware to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Delaware	$50
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Delaware certificate included	$319

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

Your Delaware name and California's rules

California accepts your Delaware name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Delaware name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If California's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Delaware company. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Your California agent and the Delaware one

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

Staying in good standing in Delaware and California

Delaware wants the Annual LLC Tax every year ($400); California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Delaware to California

A corporation formed in Delaware files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Delaware's Annual Franchise Tax Report ($50) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a California company in Delaware

An LLC formed in California that registers with Delaware files Delaware's registration (no form number) with $200 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 180 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Delaware to California

Does my Delaware company need to register in California?

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

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

$269 at checkout plus $50 to Delaware for the Certificate of Good Standing, $319 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Delaware's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants it ($50), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less, plus mail time for Delaware's certificate before filing. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Delaware and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Delaware's report ($400) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Delaware name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware's Annual LLC Tax.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

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