06 · jurisdiction profile

California business filings, made easier to navigate.

This is the practical starting point for researching entities administered by California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, Business Entities Section. Find the public search tool, understand the state’s filing rhythm, and plan the evidence and maintenance steps that follow.

Open official entity search ↗

Domestic LLC

$70.00 for California domestic LLC Articles of Organization. The SOS provides online filing through BizFile Online and paper filing; the reviewed official forms page does not state a different base fee for online versus paper, so the $70.00 statutory fee is the comparison point. California LLCs must also account for the separate Franchise Tax Board annual $800 minimum tax and related filings.

Domestic corporation

$100.00 for domestic corporation Articles of Incorporation under the California SOS fee schedule. Standard filing is not priced by authorized-share count on the base form, although the charter must state authorized shares and later share-related filings can carry separate fees. Online BizFile filing is the fastest route; paper and in-person service use the same statutory filing category.

Standard turnaround

BizFile Online is the fastest California filing route, but ordinary review timing depends on workload and filing type. Paper submissions are slower and may require weeks. The SOS does not guarantee acceptance merely because an online payment was made; the document becomes effective when accepted and filed under its requested or statutory effective date.

Executive overview

What this state profile helps you decide

A state registry profile has two jobs. First, it tells you where the official record lives and how to search it. Second, it gives you enough compliance context to understand what the record means after you find it.

For California, the filing office is California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, Business Entities Section. The current public-facing portal is powered or identified as BizFile Online. The agency page and search engine should be treated as the final source for live forms, accepted payment methods, processing queues, and entity-specific notices.

Use this page when you need a high-level answer. Use the linked modules when you are preparing an actual filing, trying to cure a delinquency, ordering documentary evidence, or changing the statutory agent.

State filing snapshot

The numbers and obligations to surface first

Decision point	What the current profile says
Domestic formation	LLC: $70.00 for California domestic LLC Articles of Organization. The SOS provides online filing through BizFile Online and paper filing; the reviewed official forms page does not state a different base fee for online versus paper, so the $70.00 statutory fee is the comparison point. California LLCs must also account for the separate Franchise Tax Board annual $800 minimum tax and related filings. Corporation: $100.00 for domestic corporation Articles of Incorporation under the California SOS fee schedule. Standard filing is not priced by authorized-share count on the base form, although the charter must state authorized shares and later share-related filings can carry separate fees. Online BizFile filing is the fastest route; paper and in-person service use the same statutory filing category.
Foreign qualification	LLC: $70.00 for a foreign LLC Application to Register with California, plus any required certified-copy or service charges. The LLC must provide its foreign jurisdiction, California agent for service of process, principal/office information, and the supporting formation record required by the form. Qualification does not eliminate California Franchise Tax Board obligations, including the annual minimum tax in applicable cases. Corporation: $100.00 for a foreign corporation Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation/Application for qualification, plus any required attachments or certification charges. The corporation appoints a California agent for service of process and must file California corporate statements and tax returns as applicable. The SOS filing fee is separate from California income and franchise taxes.
Recurring maintenance	LLC: California LLCs file a Statement of Information within 90 days of formation/registration and then every two years during a six-month filing window around the anniversary month; the regular SOS fee is $20.00. The LLC also commonly owes an $800.00 annual minimum franchise tax to the California Franchise Tax Board, due by the 15th day of the fourth month of the taxable year, subject to statutory exceptions and current law. Failure to file the SOS statement can produce penalties, suspension, or forfeiture separate from tax consequences. Corporation: California corporations file a Statement of Information every year, generally during the six-month window ending on the last day of the anniversary month; the regular fee is $25.00 for a domestic stock corporation, with different amounts for nonprofit and foreign categories. The corporation separately files California tax returns and may owe the $800.00 minimum franchise tax, depending on classification and tax rules. The SOS Statement of Information is not the corporate income-tax return.
Registered agent	California calls the registered agent the agent for service of process. The agent may be an individual resident of California or an eligible corporation authorized to act as an agent, and must maintain a California street address for service; a P.O. box alone is insufficient. The agent's name and address are public in the SOS record. A corporate agent must be authorized and in good standing; an individual agent must be available to receive process. California does not use a universal commercial/noncommercial checkbox for ordinary public searches.

Choose your next guide

01↗

Business lookup

A focused California operating guide for business lookup.

02↗

Annual reports

A focused California operating guide for annual reports.

03↗

Good standing

A focused California operating guide for good standing.

04↗

Registered agent

A focused California operating guide for registered agent.

Formation is the beginning, not the compliance plan

The cheapest formation route is not always the simplest operating route. Before filing, confirm the name standard, statutory agent requirements, authorized-share or member information, local licensing, tax registrations, and any professional-entity restrictions that apply to the planned activity.

After formation, calendar the first report or statement immediately. A newly created entity may have a first-year exception, an anniversary-month due date, a quarterly filing window, or a separate tax obligation. Treat the agency record, revenue department account, and local license file as related—but separate—workstreams.

How to use the official record responsibly

Save the entity ID, legal name, status, registered agent and office, formation or qualification date, and the most recent filed document. When a third party asks for “proof,” ask whether it needs a current certificate, certified charter, tax clearance, apostille, or a plain search result. Those are different documents with different evidentiary value.