California LLC Cost (2026): Filing Fee, Annual Fee, Due Date

The short answer

To form the LLC: $70 to file the Articles of Organization.
Every year after: $800 a year in franchise tax, plus a $20 Statement of Information every 2 years. $800 annual LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board, plus an income-based LLC fee once California income reaches $250,000. The Statement of Information is due at the end of the anniversary month, every second year.
If you file late: No flat late fee from California.
Five years, filing it yourself: $4,130 (five $800 tax payments and three statements): the formation fee plus five years of the state's recurring fee, with no service fees.

Start your California LLC

Our service fee and the California filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

What's included

Name availability check before we file
Articles of Organization prepared and filed with California
Submitted within 3 business days, or the same day as an option
Approved documents emailed, plus a private order page
California's after-formation deadlines in writing
A real person by email

California LLC one-time costs

What California charges once, when the LLC is formed, and the optional costs that arrive at the same time. The state fee is the same whether you file yourself or use a service.

State filing fee

Amount: $70
Notes: Paid to California to file the Articles of Organization. One time.

State expedite (optional)

Amount: Set by the state
Notes: 24-hour $350 or same-day $750 (online or drop-off); 4-hour $500 at the Sacramento counter only.

Registered agent

Amount: Free if you serve yourself; our agent service can be added in the application
Notes: Required in California; a street address in the state.

Operating agreement

Amount: Free if you write it
Notes: Not filed with the state.

Our filing service

Amount: Our fee, itemized at checkout
Notes: Optional. Our fee and the California filing & processing appear as separate lines before you pay.

California LLC one-time and optional costs, 2026
Cost	Amount	Notes
State filing fee	$70	Paid to California to file the Articles of Organization. One time.
State expedite (optional)	Set by the state	24-hour $350 or same-day $750 (online or drop-off); 4-hour $500 at the Sacramento counter only.
Registered agent	Free if you serve yourself; our agent service can be added in the application	Required in California; a street address in the state.
Operating agreement	Free if you write it	Not filed with the state.
Our filing service	Our fee, itemized at checkout	Optional. Our fee and the California filing & processing appear as separate lines before you pay.

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Online filing prices; a few states charge a different amount on paper.

California LLC ongoing costs

What California charges to keep the LLC in good standing, when it is due, and what the state does when a report is late or missed.

Statement of Information fee

The state's rule: $800 a year in franchise tax, plus a $20 Statement of Information every 2 years
Notes: Filed with the California Secretary of State, every two years.

Due

The state's rule: End of the anniversary month, every second year
Notes: State wording: Statement of Information: anniversary month (biennial); $800 tax: 15th day of the 4th month.

Late penalty

The state's rule: None

After missed reports

The state's rule: See state notes

Franchise or privilege tax

The state's rule: Set by the state
Notes: $800 annual LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board, plus an income-based LLC fee once California income reaches $250,000.

California LLC ongoing costs, 2026
Item	The state's rule	Notes
Statement of Information fee	$800 a year in franchise tax, plus a $20 Statement of Information every 2 years	Filed with the California Secretary of State, every two years.
Due	End of the anniversary month, every second year	State wording: Statement of Information: anniversary month (biennial); $800 tax: 15th day of the 4th month.
Late penalty	None
After missed reports	See state notes
Franchise or privilege tax	Set by the state	$800 annual LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board, plus an income-based LLC fee once California income reaches $250,000.

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us. Due rules, penalties and dissolution triggers are read from each state's statute or filing office page; the reinstatement figure is the state's own total at that point.

California LLC annual fee

California's recurring requirement: $800/year franchise tax + $20 report every 2 years, due Statement of Information: anniversary month (biennial); $800 tax: 15th day of the 4th month. California calls the filing the Statement of Information, and it goes to the California Secretary of State at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov. California keys the deadline to your own formation date: at the end of the anniversary month, every second year. In the state's words: Statement of Information: anniversary month (biennial); $800 tax: 15th day of the 4th month.

If you file late: No flat late fee published; a missed report still risks loss of good standing.

California charges every LLC an $800 annual tax (paid to the FTB, separate from formation) and requires a $20 Statement of Information within 90 days, then every 2 years. The first-year $800 exemption (AB 85) expired for LLCs formed after 2023. A late Statement of Information can draw a $250 penalty. Put both on your calendar and verify exact dates with California.

The due date, filing window and portal are covered step by step in California LLC annual report.

Other recurring obligations

Initial Statement of Information (LLC-12). within 90 days of registration. $20.
Statement of Information. every 2 years in the registration month. $20.
Franchise Tax Board annual LLC tax. first payment due by the 15th day of the 4th month after formation. $800 minimum per year.
Form 568 return each year, plus the LLC fee once California income reaches $250,000 (estimated on Form FTB 3536). Form 568 yearly; fee estimate by the 15th day of the 6th month. Fee $900 to $11,790 by income tier (none below $250,000).

California LLC filing fee: $70

The filing fee is what California charges to file your Articles of Organization, the document that creates the company. California charges $70. It is the one cost nobody can avoid: it is the same whether you file directly with the state or hire a service, and no legitimate service can waive it. Which form California uses, where it is filed and what it asks: how to register an LLC in California.

California's published processing time: Varies; California posts current processing dates at sos.ca.gov.

Faster review from the state: 24-hour $350 or same-day $750 (online or drop-off); 4-hour $500 at the Sacramento counter only.

By filing fee, California ranks 13 of 51 jurisdictions, cheapest first; the median state charges $100.

Five-year California LLC cost: $4,130

$70 to form, five $800 annual tax payments to the Franchise Tax Board and three $20 Statements of Information (the initial one, then every two years) come to $4,130 paid to California over five years, before the income-based LLC fee that starts at $250,000 of California income. Taxes on the company's income, licenses and a registered agent service are separate.

See your exact California total before you pay

Our service fee and the California filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay, each on its own line.

Start your California LLC →

What the California state fee does not include

The filing fee buys the state's approval of the Articles of Organization and nothing else. These are the costs that sit outside it.

Registered agent. California requires one, with a street address in the state. Serving as your own agent is free; the address becomes public record. Our registered agent service can be added in the application. California registered agent requirements.
Operating agreement. Not filed with the state and free if you write it yourself.
Business licenses and permits. Set by the city, county or licensing board for your line of business, not by the formation filing. Many California LLCs need none; a restaurant, contractor or salon usually needs several.
Taxes. An LLC's income is taxed through its owners' returns unless it elects otherwise, and sales tax or employer registrations are separate state accounts with no formation fee attached. $800 annual LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board, plus an income-based LLC fee once California income reaches $250,000.
Filing service. Our fee is itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay, with same-day submission as an option. The state fee is identical either way.

How to pay less for a California LLC

File the Articles of Organization yourself. California takes it online at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov for the $70 state fee alone.
Be your own registered agent if you have a California street address and are there during business hours. The trade-off is privacy: the address goes on the public record.
Write your own operating agreement. No state charges for it and California does not file it.
File the Statement of Information on time. California charges no late fee, but a missed report still leads to loss of good standing.
Skip state expedite unless a date depends on it. The state's standard queue costs nothing extra.
Form where you do business. An LLC that operates in California but is formed elsewhere must register in California as a foreign LLC anyway, paying California's registration fee and its recurring report on top of the home state's.

How California compares

By filing fee, California is number 13 of 51 jurisdictions, cheapest first. The filing fee is paid once; the recurring line is what separates states over time.

California

Filing fee: $70
Recurring: $800 a year in franchise tax, plus a $20 Statement of Information every 2 years
Five-year total: $4,130 (five $800 tax payments and three statements)

Oregon

Filing fee: $100
Recurring: $100 a year
Five-year total: $600

Nevada

Filing fee: $425
Recurring: $350 a year (annual list plus state business license)
Five-year total: $2,175

Arizona

Filing fee: $50
Recurring: None
Five-year total: $50

California and its neighbors
State	Filing fee	Recurring	Five-year total
California	$70	$800 a year in franchise tax, plus a $20 Statement of Information every 2 years	$4,130 (five $800 tax payments and three statements)
Oregon	$100	$100 a year	$600
Nevada	$425	$350 a year (annual list plus state business license)	$2,175
Arizona	$50	None	$50

State fees verified October 2026 and set by the state, not by us.

Every state's fee is in LLC cost by state, and the case for and against forming elsewhere is in cheapest states to form an LLC.

Filing yourself vs. using us

Filing directly with California costs only the state's own fee: $70. The state takes formations at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov. Through us, you pay our service fee plus the California filing & processing, for the name check, the Articles of Organization prepared and submitted, the approved documents emailed to you and California's deadlines in writing. Both lines are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

Sources

State fees verified October 2026; page last updated November 1, 2026. The figures above are read from California's own fee schedule, forms and statutes:

bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov (bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/llc/forms/llc-1.pdf)
sos.ca.gov (sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/faqs)
sos.ca.gov (sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/service-options)
llcbizfile.sos.ca.gov (llcbizfile.sos.ca.gov/SI/Search)
bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov (California Secretary of State, Statement of Information filing)

Standard Filings is a filing service, not a law firm. This page is general information from each state's published filing rules and fee schedules, not legal or tax advice.

California LLC cost FAQ

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

California charges $70. That is the state's own fee and it is the same whether you file yourself or use a service. If you have us file it, our service fee and the California filing & processing are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

Does California charge an annual fee for an LLC?+

Yes. California's recurring requirement: $800/year franchise tax + $20 report every 2 years, due Statement of Information: anniversary month (biennial); $800 tax: 15th day of the 4th month. $800 annual LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board, plus an income-based LLC fee once California income reaches $250,000.

When is the California LLC annual report due?+

California keys the deadline to your own formation date: at the end of the anniversary month, every second year. In the state's words: Statement of Information: anniversary month (biennial); $800 tax: 15th day of the 4th month.

What is the late penalty for a California LLC report?+

California charges no flat late fee for a late LLC report.

Is there a franchise tax in California?+

Yes, in the sense that matters for budgeting: $800 annual LLC tax to the Franchise Tax Board, plus an income-based LLC fee once California income reaches $250,000. It is assessed separately from the Statement of Information, by a different agency, and it is the state's charge, not ours.

How much is a registered agent in California?+

Nothing from the state: California charges no fee for naming a registered agent. Serving as your own agent is free if you have a street address in California and are there during business hours; the address becomes public record. A commercial registered agent charges a yearly fee that the agent sets, in exchange for keeping its California address on the record and forwarding what arrives.

Can I file the California Articles of Organization myself?+

Yes. California accepts the Articles of Organization directly from business owners at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov, and you pay only the state's $70 fee. California's published processing time: Varies; California posts current processing dates at sos.ca.gov. State expedite is optional: 24-hour $350 or same-day $750 (online or drop-off); 4-hour $500 at the Sacramento counter only.

What does your service add to the state fee?+

Our service fee covers a name availability check, your Articles of Organization prepared and filed, the approved documents emailed to you, and California's deadlines in writing. The California filing & processing is a separate line, and both are itemized on the checkout review screen before you pay.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Fees change; confirm the current amount with California before you rely on it.