Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Virginia LLC Foreign Registration in California

California registers an LLC from Virginia as a foreign LLC on Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Virginia's Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration ($6), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities from your Virginia records, then serve as your agent for service of process there for year one.

What Virginia and California each ask for

	Virginia formed here	California registering here
Document	Virginia Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration	Form LLC-5
State fee	$6	$70 at order
How it is handled	Virginia: online as an instant PDF from the Clerk's Information System	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	scc.virginia.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Registration Fee, $50, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	Last day of the LLC's anniversary month	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Virginia registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Virginia to California, step by step

Order the Virginia certificate
The Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration ($6) is ordered from Virginia separately; it is not part of our California order. Ordered from Virginia on filing day, it easily meets California's limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It names us as your California agent for service of process, with your Virginia name and formation date and the certificate attached. With the certificate issued on the spot, nothing from Virginia delays the California filing. After approval, your Virginia LLC is registered with California.

California costs for Virginia companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration, paid to Virginia	$6
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Virginia certificate included	$275

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

Will your Virginia name work for California?

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

Agents: California and Virginia

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

Staying in good standing in Virginia and California

Virginia wants the Annual Registration Fee every year ($50); California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Virginia to California

A corporation formed in Virginia files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Virginia's Annual Report + Annual Registration Fee ($50) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Virginia

An LLC formed in California that registers with Virginia files Form LLC1052 with $100 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within one year. See that filing.

Common questions: Virginia to California

Does my Virginia company need to register in California?

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

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

$269 at checkout plus $6 to Virginia for the Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration, $275 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Virginia's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Virginia's Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration ($6), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Virginia's report ($50) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Virginia name?

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

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

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