Name: California Registered Agent.ai
Address: 1875 Mission St Ste 103, San Francisco, CA, 94103, US
Telephone: +12139835568
Price range: $99/year

Standing up an LLC in California is mostly paperwork: file the formation document, designate an agent, and stay on top of the annual obligations. $70 buys your state filing, roughly a week is the wait, and then recurring fees become your year-to-year concern. Below: every step, the all-in cost view, and what we handle if you'd rather not DIY.

Build Your California LLC — $199

We package the documents and file them at California Secretary of State for $199. State processing runs about roughly a week.

Build Your California LLC — $199

What an LLC Does for You in California

The LLC is a business form designed to give owners personal asset protection without corporate-level paperwork. Small businesses across California default to the LLC structure for liability protection that doesn't come with corporate-level formality.

California LLC Costs at a Glance

Item	Cost
Our LLC formation service	$199 one-time
State filing fee (California Secretary of State)	$70 one-time
Registered agent (required for every California LLC)	$99/year
State annual report fee	$800/year (Franchise Tax min)

$199 is the filing service. State fees go to California Secretary of State. Appointed agent is $99/year on its own.

How California LLC Formation Works

1. Pick a Compliant California LLC Name

Two boxes to check for naming: the name must contain an LLC designator, and it must not conflict with any entity already registered with California Secretary of State. California Secretary of State provides an online entity search; use it to confirm your chosen name is actually available before filing.

Avoid name elements that suggest banking, insurance, or governmental ties. The state will bounce the filing if you use them without prior approval.

2. Appoint Your California Registered Agent

The state-required agent for your LLC has to maintain a in-person address in California and be reachable throughout regular business hours, every business day. The agent details appear in California Secretary of State's public entity records, which means any person can look them up.

Our $99/year plan covers the agent role in California — your home address is kept out of the state government's public entity records.

3. File the Formation Paperwork with California Secretary of State

This is the actual formation step: submit Articles of Organization to California Secretary of State with the $70 fee attached. Form fields include the entity's legal name, the primary business address, the agent's details (name and address), whether members or managers run the LLC, and organizer information.

Online filings go through California Secretary of State's online portal and move faster than paper submissions through the state.

Plan on roughly a week for the state to process the filing. Rush filing may be available at extra cost.

4. Document the Operating Agreement

California Secretary of State won't ask for an operating agreement, but you'll need one for banking, member disputes, and any meaningful business operations. It establishes who owns what share, how money is distributed, who decides what, and what happens when members come or go. Without one, California's default LLC statute steps in — and those defaults may not match what you and your co-owners actually want.

5. Obtain the Federal EIN

An EIN is the federal-level identifier the IRS uses for the LLC. Banks won't open a business account without it; neither will payroll or federal taxes work without it. Head to IRS.gov to apply for free. The process runs about a few minutes; the EIN issues immediately.

Skip paying any service for an EIN: EINs are free from the IRS via a brief form.

6. Stay Compliant After Formation

Post-formation, you're responsible for the following ongoing items:

Preserve an agent on file at a California street address without interruption
Deliver the annual state filing each year on time
Run with an explicit division between LLC bookkeeping and personal records (distinct bank accounts and bookkeeping)
Meet federal and California tax deadlines as the calendar requires

If any of these are neglected, California Secretary of State can dissolve the entity. A dissolved LLC offers no asset protection.

Outsource it for $199. We prepare and file the California Articles on your behalf.

Launch My California LLC — $199

The Registered Agent Requirement

All California LLCs must maintain a appointed agent. It's a statutory requirement, not a recommendation. Agent specifications:

Have on file a verifiable California address (a PO box by itself isn't enough)
Be at the address all through regular business hours to receive legal mail
Deliver incoming state correspondence and court documents promptly so deadlines aren't missed

Owners often use their home address as agent and later wish they hadn't. It joins the California Secretary of State public listing and is searchable from day one.

Our $99/year plan covers the agent role in California — the agent on the public record is us, not you.

Questions People Ask

How much does it cost to form an LLC in California?

California Secretary of State charges $70 for the formation filing. That puts it in the lower bracket of LLC filing fees. The annual report adds $800/year (Franchise Tax min) on top of formation.

How long does it take to form an LLC in California?

Typical turnaround at California Secretary of State is roughly a week.

Does California require an annual report?

Yes, every year. The state report fee comes to $800/year (Franchise Tax min).

Do I need a registered agent for my California LLC?

Yes. The California agent requirement is unconditional — a appointed agent at a California location.

Can I form an LLC in California if I live in another state?

Yes. Non-residents can form California LLCs without any extra steps. (what you still need is the California agent piece. That's exactly what our $99/year service covers.)

Launch Your California LLC

California allows direct filing through California Secretary of State through California Secretary of State's online portal. $70 goes to the state at filing, a appointed agent on file is non-negotiable.

We act as the registered agent listed on your filing. At $99/year, an in-state California address on the public filing, same-day mail forwarding, and deadline reminders ahead of each compliance date.