Ohio

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Ohio LLC Foreign Registration in California

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

What Ohio and California each ask for

	Ohio formed here	California registering here
Document	Ohio Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLC-5
State fee	$5	$70 at order
How it is handled	Ohio: online or by mail	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Ohio Secretary of State, Business Services	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	cogs.ohiosos.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	No annual report	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due		Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Agent	Your Ohio statutory agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Ohio to California, step by step

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

First-year cost, Ohio to California

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

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

Your Ohio name and California's rules

California accepts your Ohio name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Ohio name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If another California company uses the Ohio name, an alternate name is allowed. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Ohio

California calls it an agent for service of process; Ohio says statutory agent. Your current statutory agent stays for Ohio; ours takes California's papers and notices.

Staying in good standing in Ohio and California

Ohio has no annual report for LLCs; California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Ohio to California

A corporation formed in Ohio files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Ohio

An LLC formed in California that registers with Ohio files Form 617 with $99 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Ohio to California

Does my Ohio company need to register in California?

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

Do I need Ohio'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, once Ohio's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Ohio and California?

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

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

Yes: the Ohio statutory agent stays, and ours covers California for year one.

Will California accept my Ohio name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Ohio 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 Ohio keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20), and Ohio has no yearly report for the original.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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