Foreign registration · Form 521

Iowa LLC Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

An LLC formed in Iowa that wants to do business in Wisconsin files Form 521, with $100 in state fees. Wisconsin needs nothing from Iowa: no Certificate of Existence. We file it with the Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services using your Iowa records and act as your registered agent there for the first year.

Iowa and Wisconsin side by side

	Iowa formed here	Wisconsin registering here
Document	Iowa Certificate of Existence (not needed here)	Form 521, Foreign Registration Statement
State fee	$5	$100 at order
How it is handled	Iowa: online as a printable PDF right after payment	Filed online with Wisconsin
Paid expedite		next-day $100, 4-hour (in person) $250, 1-hour (in person) $500
Office	Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services
Official page	sos.iowa.gov	dfi.wi.gov
Yearly filing	Biennial Report, $30, every two years	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $80, every year
Due	April 1 of odd-numbered years	March 31
Agent	Your Iowa registered agent	Our Wisconsin registered agent

How Iowa companies register with Wisconsin

We prepare and file Form 521
It lists us as your Wisconsin registered agent, next to your Iowa name and formation date. Nothing has to come from Iowa first, so the Wisconsin filing can go in right away. Once Wisconsin approves it, the Iowa company can do business there.

Will your Iowa name work for Wisconsin?

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

Your Wisconsin agent and the Iowa one

Iowa and Wisconsin both call it a registered agent. Wisconsin papers come to us; Iowa's agent is unchanged.

Yearly filings: Wisconsin and Iowa

Iowa wants the Biennial Report every two years ($30); Wisconsin wants the Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) every year ($80). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Iowa to Wisconsin

A corporation formed in Iowa files Form 21 with Wisconsin ($100 in state fees, the same, plus the Certificate of Existence ($5)). After that come Iowa's Biennial Report ($60) and Wisconsin's Foreign Business Corporation Annual Report ($65). See the corporation filing.

The other way: Wisconsin into Iowa

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that registers with Iowa files Form 635_0010 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($10) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Iowa to Wisconsin

Does my Iowa company need to register in Wisconsin?

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

How much does it cost to register an Iowa LLC in Wisconsin?

$299 at checkout, with nothing to pay Iowa.

Do I need Iowa's certificate of good standing?

No, Wisconsin takes Form 521 without it.

What are the yearly costs for Iowa and Wisconsin?

Our registered agent renewal ($149 a year), Iowa's report ($30, every two years) and Wisconsin's report ($80).

What if I don't register with Wisconsin?

An Iowa 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 Iowa registered agent stays, and ours covers Wisconsin for year one.

Can I form a new Wisconsin LLC instead?

Yes, but Iowa keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) ($25), and the original keeps Iowa's Biennial Report.

How do I withdraw from Wisconsin later?

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

Official sources

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