Texas

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Texas LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Texas that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also asks for Texas's Certificate of Fact - Status ($15), no older than 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Texas records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Texas and California side by side

	Texas formed here	California registering here
Document	Texas Certificate of Fact - Status	Form LLC-5
State fee	$15	$70 at order
How it is handled	Texas: online through SOSPortal, usually within 10 minutes, as a download link that lasts 90 days	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Texas Secretary of State	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	sos.state.tx.us	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Name endings	limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either	limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC
Yearly filing	Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report, fee set by the state, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	May 15 each year	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$50 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Texas registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Texas companies register with California

Order the Texas certificate
The Certificate of Fact - Status ($15) is ordered from Texas separately; it is not part of our California order. An instant Texas certificate reaches California only hours old, well inside the limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It lists us as your California agent for service of process, next to your Texas name and formation date, with the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Texas delays the California filing. Once California approves it, the Texas company can do business there.

California costs for Texas companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Fact - Status, paid to Texas	$15
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Texas certificate included	$284

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

Will your Texas name work for California?

California accepts your Texas name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. Texas's list (limited liability company, limited company or an abbreviation of either) 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 Texas company. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Your California agent and the Texas one

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

Staying in good standing in Texas and California

Texas wants the Public Information Report + Franchise Tax Report every year; 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, Texas to California

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

The other way: California into Texas

An LLC formed in California that registers with Texas files Form 304 with $767.13 in state fees and a $50 required expedite; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Questions Texas owners ask about California

Does my Texas company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Texas 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 $15 to Texas for the Certificate of Fact - Status, $284 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Texas's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Texas's Certificate of Fact - Status ($15), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Texas's report (fee set by the state) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Texas name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas's yearly report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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