Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Kentucky LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Kentucky that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also asks for Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Kentucky records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Kentucky vs California: the paperwork

	Kentucky formed here	California registering here
Document	Kentucky Certificate of Existence	Form LLC-5
State fee	$10	$70 at order
How it is handled	Kentucky: online as a printable certificate, or by mail or fax	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Kentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	web.sos.ky.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	On or before June 30	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Agent	Your Kentucky registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Kentucky companies register with California

Order the Kentucky certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($10) is ordered from Kentucky separately; it is not part of our California order. California accepts it within 180 days of Kentucky's issue date, so it is ordered shortly before filing.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It lists us as your California agent for service of process, next to your Kentucky name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Kentucky certificate comes first; then the California filing goes in. After approval, your Kentucky LLC is registered with California.

First-year cost, Kentucky to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Existence, paid to Kentucky	$10
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Kentucky certificate included	$279

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

Will your Kentucky name work for California?

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

Agents: California and Kentucky

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

Staying in good standing in Kentucky and California

Kentucky wants the Annual Report every year ($15); 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, Kentucky to California

A corporation formed in Kentucky files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Kentucky's Annual Report ($15) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Kentucky

An LLC formed in California that registers with Kentucky files Form FBE with $90 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Kentucky owners ask about California

Does my Kentucky company need to register in California?

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

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

$269 at checkout plus $10 to Kentucky for the Certificate of Existence, $279 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Kentucky's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Kentucky's Certificate of Existence ($10), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less, once Kentucky's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Kentucky and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Kentucky's report ($15) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Kentucky name?

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

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

People also search

LLC into California, by home state (48)

Kentucky into other states (47)

The same move for a corporation