Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Wisconsin LLC Foreign Registration in California

An LLC formed in Wisconsin that wants to do business in California files Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Wisconsin's Certificate of Status ($10), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Wisconsin records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Wisconsin and California each ask for

	Wisconsin formed here	California registering here
Document	Wisconsin Certificate of Status	Form LLC-5
State fee	$10	$70 at order
How it is handled	Wisconsin: online, emailed as soon as it is requested	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Corporate and Consumer Services	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	dfi.wi.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5), $25, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	End of the calendar quarter containing the LLC's anniversary date	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 Wisconsin registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Wisconsin to California, step by step

Order the Wisconsin certificate
The Certificate of Status ($10) is ordered from Wisconsin separately; it is not part of our California order. An instant Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin name and formation date, with the certificate attached. Wisconsin issues the certificate instantly, so the California filing can go in the same day. Once California approves it, the Wisconsin company can do business there.

California costs for Wisconsin companies

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Status, paid to Wisconsin	$10
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Wisconsin certificate included	$279

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

Your Wisconsin name and California's rules

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

Your California agent and the Wisconsin one

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

Yearly filings: California and Wisconsin

Wisconsin wants the Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5) every year ($25); 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, Wisconsin to California

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

The other way: California into Wisconsin

An LLC formed in California that registers with Wisconsin files Form 521 with $100 in state fees; no California certificate is needed. See that filing.

Common questions: Wisconsin to California

Does my Wisconsin company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Wisconsin 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 $10 to Wisconsin for the Certificate of Status, $279 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Wisconsin's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants Wisconsin's Certificate of Status ($10), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

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

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Wisconsin's report ($25) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

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

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Wisconsin name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin's Annual Report (Form 5 / CORP5).

How do I withdraw from California later?

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

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