Doing business in another state: a decision guide
Whether your LLC has to register in a second state turns on what it does there. Start with the five situations below, put the question to that state’s law, and if the answer is yes, find the cost in the table. Mainstay Filing files the registration if you want it done for you.
Five situations to check
- An employee or contractor works from the state. Ask whether the statute counts work done by people located in the state, and whether employees and independent contractors are treated alike.
- You sell to customers there but have no one on the ground. Ask whether the statute treats sales from outside the state differently from activity inside it.
- The LLC owns or leases property there. Ask whether owning or leasing real estate is listed as an activity that does, or does not, count.
- You open an office, shop or warehouse. Ask whether a fixed place of business is named in the statute. Settle the answer before you sign a lease.
- You hold meetings or keep a bank account there. Ask whether the statute lists these ancillary activities, and whether they count by themselves.
More on the situations page.
If the answer is yes: all 50 states
| State | Fee if you register | Law to read | Form | Paper from home state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $150 | 1 linked | Foreign Limited Liability Company (LLC) Application for Registration | None for an LLC |
| Alaska | $350 | 4 linked | Form 08-0497 | Required |
| Arizona | $150 | 2 linked | Form L025 | Required |
| Arkansas | $270 | 1 linked | Form FL-01 | Required |
| California | $70 | 2 linked | Form LLC-5 | Required |
| Colorado | $100 | 1 linked | Statement of Foreign Entity Authority | None for an LLC |
| Connecticut | $120 | 1 linked | Foreign Registration Statement, Limited Liability | Required |
| Delaware | $200 | 1 linked | Certificate of Registration of a Foreign Limited Liability Company | Required |
| Florida | $125 | 2 linked | Form CR2E027 | Required |
| Georgia | $235 | Filing page only | Form CD 241 | None for an LLC |
| Hawaii | $51 | 1 linked | Form FLLC-1 | Required |
| Idaho | $100 | 2 linked | Foreign Registration Statement | Required |
| Illinois | $150 | Filing page only | Form LLC-45.5 | Required |
| Indiana | $105 | 2 linked | State Form 56369 | Required |
| Iowa | $100 | 3 linked | Form 635_0010 | Required |
| Kansas | $115 | Filing page only | Form FA | None for an LLC |
| Kentucky | $90 | Filing page only | Form FBE | None for an LLC |
| Louisiana | $185 | 3 linked | Form 972 | Required |
| Maine | $250 | Filing page only | Form MLLC-12 | Required |
| Maryland | $100 | Filing page only | Limited Liability Company Registration (For non-Maryland Limited Liability Company) | Required |
| Massachusetts | $500 | Filing page only | Foreign Limited Liability Company Application for Registration (General Laws Chapter 156C, Section 48) | Required |
| Michigan | $50 | Filing page only | Form CSCL/CD 760 | Required |
| Minnesota | $185 | 3 linked | Foreign Limited Liability Company Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Minnesota | None for an LLC |
| Mississippi | $250 | Filing page only | Filing F0200 | Required |
| Missouri | $105 | Filing page only | Form LLC 4 | Required |
| Montana | $70 | Filing page only | Application for Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) | None for an LLC |
| Nebraska | $100 | Filing page only | Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company | Required |
| Nevada | $75 | 2 linked | Application for registration as a foreign limited-liability company | None for an LLC |
| New Hampshire | $100 | Filing page only | Form FLLC-1 | None for an LLC |
| New Jersey | $100 | 1 linked | Application for certificate of authority (Public Records Filing, entity type FLC) | Required |
| New Mexico | $100 | 1 linked | Foreign LLC Certificate of Registration | Required |
| New York | $250 | Filing page only | Form DOS-1361-f-a | Required |
| North Carolina | $250 | 1 linked | Form L-09 | Required |
| North Dakota | $135 | 1 linked | Application for a Certificate of Authority (foreign limited liability company) | Required |
| Ohio | $99 | 1 linked | Form 617 | None for an LLC |
| Oklahoma | $300 | Filing page only | SOS Form 0081 | Required |
| Oregon | $275 | 1 linked | Form 110 | None for an LLC |
| Pennsylvania | $250 | Filing page only | DSCB:15-412 | None for an LLC |
| Rhode Island | $150 | Filing page only | Form 450 | Required |
| South Carolina | $110 | 1 linked | Form F0008 | Required |
| South Dakota | $750 | Filing page only | Application for Certificate of Authority, Foreign Limited Liability Company | Required |
| Tennessee | $300 | 1 linked | SS-4233 | Required |
| Texas | $750 | 1 linked | Form 304 | None for an LLC |
| Utah | $59 | 2 linked | Foreign registration statement (foreign limited liability company) | Required |
| Vermont | $155 | Filing page only | Application for certificate of authority | Required |
| Virginia | $100 | 3 linked | LLC1052 | Required |
| Washington | $180 | 3 linked | Foreign Registration Statement | Required |
| West Virginia | $150 | 2 linked | LLF-1 | Required |
| Wisconsin | $100 | 2 linked | Form 521 | None for an LLC |
| Wyoming | $150 | 1 linked | FLLC-CertificateAuthority | Required |
Download: CSV.
Questions
How do I know if I am doing business in another state?
Read that state’s statute on foreign entities. Each state defines it in its own words, so there is no single answer for all 50. Every state page links the law where the state’s sources name it.
What if the answer is yes?
You register as a foreign LLC and pay the state fee, from $50 to $750. Mainstay Filing files it for $199 plus the state fee.
Do I need a lawyer?
For a borderline case, a lawyer in that state is the right call. This guide organizes the questions and prices the filing; it does not decide for you.