Foreign Entity Fees › California
California foreign entity fees
To register a foreign LLC in California you pay $70 to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities; other entity types pay the fees in the table below.
Fee by entity type
| Entity | Foreign fee | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| LLC | $70 | Form LLC-5, Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) |
| For-profit corporation | $100 | Cal. Gov. Code § 12186; Cal. Corp. Code § 2105; CA SOS Business Entities Fee Schedule (Rev. 06/2018) |
| Nonprofit corporation | $30 | Cal. Gov. Code § 12186; Cal. Corp. Code § 2105; CA SOS Business Entities Fee Schedule (Rev. 06/2018) |
| Limited partnership | $70 | Cal. Corp. Code § 15909.02; § 15902.09; Cal. Gov. Code § 12186; CA SOS Business Entities Fee Schedule (Rev. 06/2018) |
| LLP | $70 | Cal. Corp. Code § 16959; § 16953; § 16101(8); Cal. Gov. Code § 12186; CA SOS Business Entities Fee Schedule (Rev. 06/2018) |
Non-LLC figures come from state research dated August 12, 2026; confirm with the California Secretary of State, Business Entities before you file.
Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in California (2026)
If the entity is an LLC, these are the filing services for California.
| # | Service | Service fee | California fee | Agent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mainstay Filing | $199 | $70 | Year one included, then $149/yr |
| 2 | CA Registered Agent.org | $199 | $70 | Year one included, then $99/yr |
| 3 | California Registered Agent.ai | $199 | $70 | Year one included, then $99/yr |
Service prices read from each provider’s California page on October 28, 2026. The state fee is the official figure below and is paid to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities.
The LLC filing
- Form
- Form LLC-5, Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Home-state certificate
- Certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, no older than 180 days
- Yearly filing
- Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 (California Secretary of State), $20 (due: within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years)
$70 for Form LLC-5, Application to Register.
Questions about California
What does an LLC pay to register in California?
$70, with Form LLC-5, Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC). $70 for Form LLC-5, Application to Register.
Is the California corporation fee the same as the LLC fee?
No. A foreign corporation pays $100; an LLC pays $70.
Which service should an LLC use in California?
Mainstay Filing: $199 plus the $70 state fee, with the agent free for the first year.
Sources for the LLC fee
- California Secretary of State, foreign LLC forms and fees (Form LLC-5 $70.00): www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/forms/limited-liability-companies-foreign-out-state-or-out-country, checked October 28, 2026
- California Form LLC-5 (PDF): bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/llc/forms/llc-5.pdf, checked October 28, 2026
- Corporations Code section 17708.03: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17708.03, checked October 8, 2026
- Revenue and Taxation Code section 19135: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC§ionNum=19135, checked October 8, 2026
- Franchise Tax Board, LLC filing requirements: www.ftb.ca.gov/file/business/types/limited-liability-company/index.html, checked October 8, 2026