Minnesota

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Minnesota LLC Foreign Registration in California

California registers an LLC from Minnesota as a foreign LLC on Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Minnesota's Certificate of Good Standing ($5), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Minnesota records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Minnesota vs California: the paperwork

	Minnesota formed here	California registering here
Document	Minnesota Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLC-5
State fee	$5	$70 at order
How it is handled	Minnesota: online, issued as soon as it is paid for and kept in the online account for 90 days	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	sos.mn.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Renewal, no fee, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	December 31	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Minnesota registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Minnesota to California, step by step

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

California costs for Minnesota companies

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

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

Will your Minnesota name work for California?

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

Your California agent and the Minnesota one

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

Staying in good standing in Minnesota and California

Minnesota wants the Annual Renewal every year (no fee); 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, Minnesota to California

A corporation formed in Minnesota files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Minnesota's Annual Renewal (no fee) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Minnesota

An LLC formed in California that registers with Minnesota files Minnesota's registration (no form number) with $205 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Minnesota to California

Does my Minnesota company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Minnesota 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 Minnesota for the Certificate of Good Standing, $274 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Minnesota's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants it ($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; Minnesota'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 Minnesota and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Minnesota's report (no fee) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Minnesota name?

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

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

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