Utah

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Utah LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Utah that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Utah's Certificate of Existence ($12), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Utah records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Utah and California side by side

	Utah formed here	California registering here
Document	Utah Certificate of Existence	Form LLC-5
State fee	$12	$70 at order
How it is handled	Utah: online, emailed automatically on payment	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	commerce.utah.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report/Renewal, $18, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	Last day of the entity's anniversary month each year	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$10 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Utah registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Utah to California, step by step

Order the Utah certificate
The Certificate of Existence ($12) is ordered from Utah separately; it is not part of our California order. It comes as a short form ($12) or a long form ($20). Ordered from Utah on filing day, it easily meets California's 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 Utah name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Utah issues the certificate instantly, so the California filing can go in the same day. After approval, your Utah LLC is registered with California.

First-year cost, Utah to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Existence, paid to Utah	$12
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Utah certificate included	$281

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

Will your Utah name work for California?

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

Agents: California and Utah

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

Yearly filings: California and Utah

Utah wants the Annual Report/Renewal every year ($18); 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, Utah to California

A corporation formed in Utah files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Utah's Annual Report / Annual Renewal ($18) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Utah

An LLC formed in California that registers with Utah files Utah's registration (no form number) with $59 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Utah to California

Does my Utah company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Utah 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 $12 to Utah for the Certificate of Existence, $281 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Utah's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Utah's Certificate of Existence ($12), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Utah's report ($18) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Utah name?

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

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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