Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Florida LLC Foreign Registration in California

To do business in California, an LLC formed in Florida registers there on Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Florida's Certificate of Status ($5), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities from your Florida records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Florida and California side by side

	Florida formed here	California registering here
Document	Florida Certificate of Status	Form LLC-5
State fee	$5	$70 at order
How it is handled	Florida: online, emailed as a PDF once payment goes through	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), Registration Section	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	dos.fl.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Name endings	Limited Liability Company, L.L.C. or LLC	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $138.75, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	May 1	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$400 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Florida registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Florida companies register with California

Order the Florida certificate
The Certificate of Status ($5) is ordered from Florida separately; it is not part of our California order. Ordered from Florida 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 Florida name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Florida delays the California filing. After approval, your Florida LLC is registered with California.

First-year cost, Florida to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Status, paid to Florida	$5
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Florida certificate included	$274

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

Your Florida name and California's rules

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

Your California agent and the Florida one

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

Yearly filings: California and Florida

Florida wants the Annual Report every year ($138.75); 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, Florida to California

A corporation formed in Florida files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Florida's Annual Report ($150) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Florida

An LLC formed in California that registers with Florida files Form CR2E027 with $125 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Florida owners ask about California

Does my Florida company need to register in California?

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

How much does the California registration cost?

$269 at checkout plus $5 to Florida for the Certificate of Status, $274 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Florida's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Florida's Certificate of Status ($5), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less; Florida'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 Florida and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Florida's report ($138.75) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Florida name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Florida name at home. California names must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new California LLC instead?

Yes, but Florida 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 Florida's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

People also search

LLC into California, by home state (48)

Florida into other states (47)

The same move for a corporation