Tennessee

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Tennessee LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Tennessee that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Tennessee's Certificate of Existence ($20), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities from your Tennessee records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

Tennessee and California side by side

	Tennessee formed here	California registering here
Document	Tennessee Certificate of Existence	Form LLC-5
State fee	$20	$70 at order
How it is handled	Tennessee: online or by mail	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	sos.tn.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $300, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due		Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Agent	Your Tennessee registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Tennessee to California, step by step

Order the Tennessee certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($20) is ordered from Tennessee separately; it is not part of our California order. California accepts it within 180 days of Tennessee'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 Tennessee name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Once Tennessee's certificate is in hand, California's filing goes in. Once California approves it, the Tennessee company can do business there.

California costs for Tennessee companies

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

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

Your Tennessee name and California's rules

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

Your California agent and the Tennessee one

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

Staying in good standing in Tennessee and California

Tennessee wants the Annual Report 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, Tennessee to California

A corporation formed in Tennessee files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Tennessee's Annual Report ($20) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Tennessee

An LLC formed in California that registers with Tennessee files Form SS-4233 with $300 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 60 days. See that filing.

Questions Tennessee owners ask about California

Does my Tennessee company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Tennessee 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 Tennessee for the Certificate of Existence, $289 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Tennessee's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Tennessee's Certificate of Existence ($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, once Tennessee's certificate is in hand. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Tennessee and California?

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

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Tennessee name?

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

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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