Maryland

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Maryland LLC Foreign Registration in California

To do business in California, an LLC formed in Maryland registers there on Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also asks for Maryland's Certificate of Status ($20), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Maryland records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Maryland vs California: the paperwork

	Maryland formed here	California registering here
Document	Maryland Certificate of Status	Form LLC-5
State fee	$20	$70 at order
How it is handled	Maryland: online through Maryland Business Express, emailed right away	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), Charter Division	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	businessexpress.maryland.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1), $300, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	April 15	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Maryland resident agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Maryland companies register with California

Order the Maryland certificate
The Certificate of Status ($20) is ordered from Maryland separately; it is not part of our California order. Ordered from Maryland on filing day, it easily meets California's limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It names us as your California agent for service of process, with your Maryland name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Maryland delays the California filing. After approval, your Maryland LLC is registered with California.

California costs for Maryland companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Status, paid to Maryland	$20
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Maryland certificate included	$289

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

Your Maryland name and California's rules

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

Your California agent and the Maryland one

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

Yearly filings: California and Maryland

Maryland wants the Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1) every year ($300); California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Maryland to California

A corporation formed in Maryland files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Maryland's periodic report ($300) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a California company in Maryland

An LLC formed in California that registers with Maryland files Maryland's registration (no form number) with $104.50 in state fees and a $50 required expedite, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Maryland to California

Does my Maryland company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Maryland 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 $20 to Maryland for the Certificate of Status, $289 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Maryland's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Maryland's Certificate of Status ($20), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Maryland's report ($300) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

Yes: the Maryland resident agent stays, and ours covers California for year one.

Will California accept my Maryland name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland's Business Entity Annual Report (Form 1).

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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