Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Vermont LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Vermont that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Vermont's Certificate of Good Standing ($35), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Vermont records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Vermont vs California: the paperwork

	Vermont formed here	California registering here
Document	Vermont Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLC-5
State fee	$35	$70 at order
How it is handled	Vermont: online as an instant download from the business dashboard	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	sos.vermont.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $45, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	By March 31 for calendar-year LLCs (within 3 months after end of fiscal year on record	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Vermont registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Vermont companies register with California

Order the Vermont certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($35) is ordered from Vermont separately; it is not part of our California order. An instant Vermont certificate reaches California only hours old, well inside the limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It names us as your California agent for service of process, with your Vermont name and formation date and the certificate attached. Vermont issues the certificate instantly, so the California filing can go in the same day. Once California approves it, the Vermont company can do business there.

First-year cost, Vermont to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Vermont	$35
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Vermont certificate included	$304

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

Your Vermont name and California's rules

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

Agents: California and Vermont

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

Yearly filings: California and Vermont

Vermont wants the Annual Report every year ($45); 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, Vermont to California

A corporation formed in Vermont files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Vermont's Annual Report ($60) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Vermont

An LLC formed in California that registers with Vermont files Vermont's registration (no form number) with $155 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 90 days. See that filing.

Questions Vermont owners ask about California

Does my Vermont company need to register in California?

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

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

$269 at checkout plus $35 to Vermont for the Certificate of Good Standing, $304 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Vermont's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants it ($35), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Vermont's report ($45) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Vermont name?

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

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

Official sources

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