Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Illinois LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Illinois that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Illinois's Certificate of Good Standing ($25), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Illinois records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Illinois and California side by side

	Illinois formed here	California registering here
Document	Illinois Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLC-5
State fee	$25	$70 at order
How it is handled	Illinois: online as an instant PDF, printed from the receipt page or sent by email link	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services, Limited Liability Division	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	ilsos.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1), $75, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	Before the first day of the entity's anniversary month each year	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$100 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Illinois registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Illinois to California, step by step

Order the Illinois certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Illinois separately; it is not part of our California order. An instant Illinois certificate reaches California only hours old, well inside the 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 Illinois name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Illinois delays the California filing. Once California approves it, the Illinois company can do business there.

California costs for Illinois companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Illinois	$25
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Illinois certificate included	$294

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

Will your Illinois name work for California?

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

Agents: California and Illinois

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

Yearly filings: California and Illinois

Illinois wants the Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form LLC-50.1) every year ($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, Illinois to California

A corporation formed in Illinois files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Illinois's Annual Report (Form BCA 14.05) ($75) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

Common questions: Illinois to California

Does my Illinois company need to register in California?

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

How much does it cost to register an Illinois LLC in California?

$269 at checkout plus $25 to Illinois for the Certificate of Good Standing, $294 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Illinois's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants it ($25), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Illinois's report ($75) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

An Illinois company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Illinois name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Illinois 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 Illinois 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 Illinois's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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