Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Pennsylvania LLC Foreign Registration in California

California registers an LLC from Pennsylvania as a foreign LLC on Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also asks for Pennsylvania's Subsistence Certificate ($40), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Pennsylvania records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Pennsylvania vs California: the paperwork

	Pennsylvania formed here	California registering here
Document	Pennsylvania Subsistence Certificate	Form LLC-5
State fee	$40	$70 at order
How it is handled	Pennsylvania: online through Business Filing Services, or by mail on the copy and certificate request form	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	file.dos.pa.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Name endings	the term company, limited or limited liability company, an abbreviation of one of those terms, or words of like import used in the home state	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $7, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	September 30	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Agent	Your Pennsylvania registered office	Our California agent for service of process

From Pennsylvania to California, step by step

Order the Pennsylvania certificate
The Subsistence Certificate ($40) is ordered from Pennsylvania separately; it is not part of our California order. California counts 180 days from the day Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania name and formation date, with the certificate attached. The Pennsylvania certificate comes first; then the California filing goes in. After approval, your Pennsylvania LLC is registered with California.

First-year cost, Pennsylvania to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Subsistence Certificate, paid to Pennsylvania	$40
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Pennsylvania certificate included	$309

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

Will your Pennsylvania name work for California?

California accepts your Pennsylvania name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. Pennsylvania's list (the term company, limited or limited liability company, an abbreviation of one of those terms, or words of like import used in the home state) is not the same, but an ending such as “limited liability company” works in both states. If California's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Pennsylvania company. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Pennsylvania

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

Staying in good standing in Pennsylvania and California

Pennsylvania wants the Annual Report every year ($7); California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Pennsylvania to California

A corporation formed in Pennsylvania files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Pennsylvania's Annual Report ($7) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

Registering a California company in Pennsylvania

An LLC formed in California that registers with Pennsylvania files Form DSCB:15-412 with $250 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Pennsylvania owners ask about California

Does my Pennsylvania company need to register in California?

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

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

$269 at checkout plus $40 to Pennsylvania for the Subsistence Certificate, $309 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Pennsylvania's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Pennsylvania's Subsistence Certificate ($40), 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 Pennsylvania's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Pennsylvania and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Pennsylvania's report ($7) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

Yes: the Pennsylvania registered office stays, and ours covers California for year one.

Will California accept my Pennsylvania name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Pennsylvania name at home. California names must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC; “limited liability company” works in both states.

Can I form a new California LLC instead?

Yes, but Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

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