FastBusinessFiling

Form an LLC in California

Forming an LLC in California costs $70 in state filing fees, paid to the California Secretary of State. FastBusinessFiling prepares and files your articles for a flat $100, so the total to have it done for you is $170. The state's $70 is passed through at cost, not marked up, and was verified against the California Secretary of State on August 4, 2026.

Source: California Secretary of State. Checked August 4, 2026.

Start your California filing

Filed with your state within one business day

$100

plus your state's fee

Pick your state below and the exact government fee itemises here.

1. Which state?

2. The details

Federal tax ID (EIN)

Banks require an EIN to open a business account, and you need one to hire or to file most tax returns. We prepare the application and obtain the number for you once the company is filed.

Registered agent

Every LLC must name a registered agent with a physical street address in the state, available during business hours. Pick whichever suits you; there is no wrong answer.

The address must be a physical street address in CA.

3. Review and pay

Pick a state above to see your total.

What happens once you pay

  • Filed with your state within one business day
  • A specialist reads your order first. If anything looks wrong, we email you before filing, not after.
  • Rejected by the agency? We fix it and file again at no charge.
  • If we cannot get it filed at all, you get everything back, including the government fee.
  • Track it in your account with your email address. There is no password to invent.

State processing after that is the agency's queue, which runs from same day to a few weeks depending on where you are filing. We do not control it, so we do not promise a date for it.

Payment is handled by Stripe. Nothing is filed until payment clears, and government fees are refunded in full if we cannot file.

Filed in a day. One flat price. Nothing you didn't ask for.

  • Filed within one business day

    One tier, one speed, every order. There is no rush fee here because there is no slow lane to buy your way out of.

  • A specialist reads every filing

    Prepared and checked by someone who files these all day. If your name or address will not clear the state, you hear from us before it goes in.

  • Registered agent at $99, only if you want one

    The lowest published rate of the five services we compare, sitting beside a free option to name yourself. Most people never need to buy it.

  • One price, and nothing starts on its own

    $100 to form, $50 flat for every filing after. The only thing that can renew is a registered agent you chose, at the price you chose it for. No tiers, no trial that turns into a charge.

California llc formation at a glance

California government fee
$70
Our service fee
$100 flat
Total through us
$170
Prepared and submitted
Within one business day
Renewals or subscriptions
None

What is different about California

The $800 Franchise Tax Board annual tax applies from year one and is separate from this filing.

What California asks for after you form

  • Annual report

    $20 to the state. Statement of Information. The first one is due within 90 days of formation, then every 2 years. More on California annual reports.

  • Sales tax registration

    Free from the state, and only if you sell taxable goods. The permit is free, though the CDTFA may require a security deposit. More on California reseller permits.

  • Registered agent

    Every California LLC has to name one. It can be you at no cost if you have a street address in the state. Ours is $99 a year and optional, with no first year that quietly becomes a renewal.

  • Trade name, if you use one

    California registers trade names at the county level, so there is no single state fee. California registers fictitious business names at the county level. Contact us and we will quote your county by hand.

California questions

$70 goes to the California Secretary of State as the state filing fee. Our service fee is $100 flat, so $170 covers everything to have the filing prepared and submitted for you. You can also file it yourself directly with the state and pay only the $70.

Yes. California charges $20. Statement of Information. The first one is due within 90 days of formation, then every 2 years. We file it for $50 plus that fee.

Yes, if you have a street address in California where somebody can accept legal papers during business hours. A PO box will not do. Using your own address costs nothing. Our registered agent service is $99 a year and exists for people forming out of state or keeping a home address off the public record.

Only if you sell taxable goods. California's sales tax registration is free from the state. The permit is free, though the CDTFA may require a security deposit.. It is a separate filing from forming the LLC, and we handle it for $50.

We prepare and submit your filing within one business day of your order. After that it is the California Secretary of State's queue, which moves at a different speed in different weeks; we tell you what the state is quoting when you order rather than promising a date we do not control.

Other California filings

What other states charge

Government fees on this page were read from the California Secretary of State and last checked on August 4, 2026. States change them without much warning; we recheck all 51 on a schedule and your exact total is recalculated at checkout, so the number you pay is the number in force that day. FastBusinessFiling is a filing service, not a law firm or an accounting firm, and does not give legal or tax advice. You can file any of this yourself directly with California.