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How to start an LLC in California

Every step to form your LLC in California, with the state's fees and the official page for each. Checked against the state's own pages on September 30, 2026.

Filing fee
$70
Regular report
$20
What you file
Articles of Organization
Where
The California Secretary of State

Get the free checklist It follows these steps with you, for your business, and keeps track of what's done.

What an LLC costs in California

Filing Articles of Organization with the California Secretary of State$70
The regular report that keeps it in good standing$20
Franchise taxSee its step
First reportSee its step
An EIN from the IRSFree
A registered agentFree if you're your own; a service charges a yearly fee

The state's fees only. Card or handling fees, a registered agent service, local licenses and taxes come on top where they apply. Checked against official sources on September 30, 2026. It's general information, not legal or tax advice.

Step by step

In the order most owners do them. Each step says where it happens and links to the official page.

  1. With the state

    Check your name is free

    Search the California Secretary of State's business records to check no business already uses your name, or one too close to it. An LLC's name must also end with "LLC" or a similar ending.

    Search business names (opens the official site)

  2. Your records

    Choose a registered agent

    California calls it an agent for service of process. It can be a person who lives in California, with a street address there (not a P.O. box), or a corporation registered with the Secretary of State as a registered corporate agent (under Corporations Code section 1505), which must agree first.

  3. With the state

    File your Articles of Organization

    File them with the California Secretary of State on bizfile Online (fastest) or by mail. The state's fee is $70; paper filings delivered in person add a $15 handling fee. Once they're filed, your business exists.

    File online (opens the official site)

  4. With the state

    File your first Statement of Information

    Within 90 days after your business is formed, file a Statement of Information with the California Secretary of State on bizfile Online: $20 for an LLC, $25 for a corporation. Since August 1, 2026, filing it online needs User Access set up for your business on bizfile Online.

    About the report (opens the official site)

  5. Your records

    Write an operating agreement

    It sets out who owns the LLC, how decisions are made and what happens if someone leaves. It isn't filed with the state: keep it with your records. A lawyer can help you write one.

  6. With the IRS

    Get an EIN from the IRS

    An Employer Identification Number is your business's tax number, for taxes, hiring and a bank account. Apply once your Articles of Organization are filed. It's free from the IRS: with a Social Security number or ITIN, you can apply on the IRS's own site and get it at once. Watch out for look-alike sites that charge for it.

    Apply for an EIN on IRS.gov (opens the official site)

  7. With the state

    Register for state taxes

    If you'll sell or lease goods that are subject to sales tax, get a seller's permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration; registering online is free. Employers register with the Employment Development Department (EDD) within 15 days after paying more than $100 in wages in a calendar quarter; the EDD handles unemployment insurance and the other state payroll taxes.

    Register for state taxes (opens the official site)

  8. With the state

    Pay California's $800 yearly tax

    Every LLC formed or doing business in California pays an $800 tax each year to the Franchise Tax Board, even if it isn't doing business, until it's canceled. The first payment is due by the 15th day of the 4th month after it files with the Secretary of State, then by the 15th day of the 4th month of each tax year; an LLC with more than $250,000 of California income also pays a fee. Every corporation pays at least the $800 minimum franchise tax, except in its first taxable year.

    About the tax (opens the official site)

  9. City or county

    Check local licenses and permits

    The California Secretary of State doesn't issue business licenses or permits. Check your city's and county's rules on zoning, licenses and permits, and whether your trade needs a state license. CalGold, the state's permit assistance tool, lists what applies to your business type and location.

    Find your local requirements (opens the official site)

  10. Your records

    Open a business bank account

    Keep the business's money apart from your own: it keeps your records clear at tax time, and keeps the LLC separate from you. Banks usually ask for your filed Articles of Organization and your EIN.

  11. With the state

    Put the Statement of Information in your calendar

    After its first one, every California LLC files a Statement of Information with the Secretary of State every two years: in even-numbered years if it was formed in an even-numbered year, and in odd-numbered years if it was formed in an odd one, during the six months that end with the month it was formed. The fee is $20. A late statement brings a $250 penalty, and missing it can lead to suspension.

    About annual reports (opens the official site)

Questions about an LLC in California

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

The state's fee to file Articles of Organization is $70. To stay in good standing, it also files a regular report, which costs $20. It also asks for franchise tax and first report, which can cost more. An EIN from the IRS is free.

Does California require a yearly report for an LLC?

Yes. California asks every LLC for a regular report to stay in good standing. It costs $20, and the step below says when it's due and where to file it.

Can I form an LLC in California myself?

Yes. You file Articles of Organization with the California Secretary of State and pay the state's fee, and the steps above show where. You don't need a lawyer, though one can advise on your situation. PressUp's free checklist follows these steps with you.

Is this legal or tax advice?

No. PressUp isn't a law firm or an accountant. This guide is general information from California's official pages, checked on September 30, 2026. For advice about your own situation, ask a lawyer or an accountant.

Where this comes from

California's official pages, read on September 30, 2026:

LLC guides for other states