Foreign Qualification Fees

Foreign Qualification Fees › California

California foreign qualification fee

California charges $70 to qualify a foreign LLC, paid to the California Secretary of State, Business Entities with Form LLC-5, Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC).

The fee, broken down

State fee
$70
Route
$70 for Form LLC-5, Application to Register.
Rank
4th cheapest of 50
Against the median
$72.50 below the median
With a $199 service
$269
Yearly filing after
Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 (California Secretary of State), $20 (due: within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years)

Nearest on the ranking: Utah $59 · Montana $70.

Best 3 Foreign Registration Services in California (2026)

  1. 1. Mainstay Filing $199 + the $70 state fee = $269; registered agent free for the first year, then $149 a year.
  2. 2. CA Registered Agent.org $199 + the $70 state fee = $269; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.
  3. 3. California Registered Agent.ai $199 + the $70 state fee = $269; registered agent included for the first year, then $99 a year.

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.

What the fee buys

The fee pays for the California Secretary of State, Business Entities to review and file Form LLC-5, Application to Register a Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC). The application needs a certificate from your home state (certificate of good standing (existence or status) from the home state, no older than 180 days), which your home state charges for separately. File through the state office.

California fee questions

What is the California foreign qualification fee?

$70 for an LLC. $70 for Form LLC-5, Application to Register.

Is California expensive to qualify in?

It ranks 4th of 50 from the cheapest, $72.50 below the median of $142.50.

What will I pay each year after qualifying in California?

Statement of Information, Form LLC-12 (California Secretary of State), $20 (due: within 90 days of registering, then every 2 years), plus your registered agent.

Where the figures come from