California LLC cost
Forming an LLC in California costs $890 in state fees in year one, then about $810 a year to stay in good standing.
Forming a California LLC
You file Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division (Business Entities). The state fee is $70. See the official fee.
File it yourself with the state →
Every year after
- Statement of Information (Form LLC-12): $20, filed every two years. Due: Every two years by the end of the calendar month of original registration (filing window opens 6 months before).
- First one: Within 90 days of filing the Articles of Organization.
- If you're late: $250 penalty for failure to file, assessed by the Secretary of State and collected by the Franchise Tax Board after a delinquency notice and 60 days without filing; can lead to suspension.
- Official report page
State taxes that apply even to a small LLC
- LLC annual tax: $800 — $800 every year, even with no business activity, until the LLC is canceled. First payment due the 15th day of the 4th month after registering with the Secretary of State. An additional LLC fee ($900 to $11,790) applies only when total California income is $250,000 or more source
Worth knowing
- Formation costs $70 for an LLC, $100 for a stock corporation and $30 for a nonprofit, plus a $20-$25 Statement of Information due within 90 days.
- LLCs owe the $800 annual tax starting in their first year (due the 15th day of the 4th month after formation); new corporations are exempt from the $800 minimum in their first taxable year.
- Corporations file a Statement of Information every year; LLCs and nonprofits file every two years.
- DBAs (fictitious business names) are filed with the county, not the Secretary of State.
Registered agent
California requires a registered agent. Agent for service of process must be a California-resident individual or a registered corporate agent (Corporations Code section 1505 certificate on file); the entity cannot be its own agent. Name and street address are public. You can serve as your own agent if you have a qualifying address; paid services usually charge a yearly fee.
| Other filings | State fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation | $10 | 60 days |
| DBA / assumed name (county) | — | Fictitious business name statements are filed with the county where the principal place of business is located; fee varies by county and the statement must be published in a local newspaper |
| Expedited processing | $350 | 24-hour filing $350 (online or Sacramento drop-off); same-day $750 (online or drop-off); 4-hour $500 (drop-off, precleared documents only); 24-hour preclearance $500. $15 special handling fee applies to hand-delivered filings only |
| Foreign LLC registration | $70 | Application to Register a Foreign LLC (Form LLC-5) |
Fees last checked 2026-10-20 against California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division (Business Entities) and the state revenue department. States change fees — confirm on the linked page before you file.
Thinking about forming somewhere else?
If you operate in California, an out-of-state LLC also has to register here as a foreign entity. See both costs side by side: