ARTICLE 8. Foreign Limited Liability Companies [17708.01. - 17708.09.]

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP 8.

in effect

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.01. Section 17708.01.

(a) The law of the state or other jurisdiction under which a foreign limited liability company is formed governs all of the following: (1) The organization of the limited liability company, its internal affairs, and the authority of its members and managers. (2) The liability of a member as member and a manager as manager for the debts, obligations, or other liabilities of the limited liability company. (b) A foreign limited liability company shall not be denied a certificate of registration by reason of any difference between the law of the jurisdiction under which the limited liability company is formed and the law of this state. (c) A certificate of registration does not authorize a foreign limited liability company to engage in any business or exercise any power that a limited liability company shall not engage in or exercise in this state.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.02. Section 17708.02.

(a) A foreign limited liability company may apply for a certificate of registration to transact business in this state by delivering an application to the Secretary of State for filing on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State. The application shall state all of the following: (1) The name of the foreign limited liability company, and, if the name does not comply with Section 17701.08, an alternate name adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 17708.05. (2) The state or other jurisdiction under whose law the foreign limited liability company is organized and a statement that the foreign limited liability company is authorized to exercise its powers and privileges in that state or other jurisdiction. (3) The street address of the foreign limited liability company’s principal office and of its principal office in California, if any. (4) (A) The name and street address of the foreign limited liability company’s initial agent for service of process in this state who consents to service of process and meets the qualifications specified in subdivision (c) of Section 17701.13. If a corporate agent is designated, only the name of the agent shall be set forth. (B) Consent under this paragraph extends to service of process directed to the foreign limited liability company’s agent in this state for a search warrant issued pursuant to Section 1524.2 of the Penal Code, or for any other validly issued and properly served search warrant, for records or documents that are in the possession of the foreign limited liability company and are located inside or outside of this state. This subparagraph shall apply to a foreign limited liability company that is a party or a nonparty to the matter for which the search warrant is sought. For purposes of this subparagraph, “properly served” means delivered by hand, or in a manner reasonably allowing for proof of delivery if delivered by United States mail, overnight delivery service, facsimile, or any other means specified by the foreign limited liability company, including email or submission via an internet web portal the foreign limited liability company has designated for the purpose of service of process. (5) A statement that the Secretary of State is appointed the agent of the foreign limited liability company for service of process if the agent has resigned and has not been replaced or if the agent cannot be found or served with the exercise of reasonable diligence. (6) The mailing address of the foreign limited liability company if different than the street address of the principal office, or principal office in California. (b) A foreign limited liability company shall deliver with a completed application under subdivision (a) a certificate of existence, status, or good standing or a record of similar import, issued within the past six months from the submission of the application for filing in California, signed by the Secretary of State or other official having custody of the foreign limited liability company’s publicly filed records in the state or other jurisdiction under whose law the foreign limited liability company is formed. (c) The Secretary of State shall include with instructional materials, provided in conjunction with registration under subdivision (a), a notice that filing the registration will obligate the foreign limited liability company to pay an annual tax to the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 17941 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. That notice shall be updated annually to specify the dollar amount of the tax.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.03. Section 17708.03.

(a) A foreign limited liability company that enters into repeated and successive transactions of business in this state, other than in interstate or foreign commerce, is considered to be transacting intrastate business in this state within the meaning of this article. (b) Without excluding other activities that may not be considered to be transacting intrastate business in this state within the meaning of this article, activities of a foreign limited liability company that do not constitute transacting intrastate business in this state include all of the following: (1) Maintaining or defending any action or suit or any administrative or arbitration proceeding, or effecting the settlement of those, or the settlement of claims or disputes. (2) Carrying on any activity concerning its internal affairs, including holding meetings of its members or managers. (3) Maintaining accounts in financial institutions. (4) Maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange, and registration of the limited liability company’s own securities or maintaining trustees or depositories with respect to those securities. (5) Selling through independent contractors. (6) Soliciting or procuring orders, whether by mail or electronic means or through employees or agents or otherwise, if the orders require acceptance outside this state before they become contracts. (7) Creating or acquiring indebtedness, evidences of indebtedness, mortgages, liens, or security interests in real or personal property. (8) Securing or collecting debts or enforcing mortgages or other security interests in property securing the debts and holding, protecting, or maintaining property so acquired. (9) Conducting an isolated transaction that is completed within 180 days and is not in the course of a number of repeated transactions of a like nature. (10) Transacting business in interstate commerce. (c) Without excluding other activities that may not be considered to be transacting intrastate business in this state within the meaning of this article, a foreign limited liability company shall not be considered to be transacting intrastate business in this state merely because its subsidiary transacts intrastate business in this state, or merely because of its status as any one or more of the following: (1) A shareholder of a domestic corporation. (2) A shareholder of a foreign corporation transacting intrastate business. (3) A limited partner of a foreign limited partnership transacting intrastate business. (4) A limited partner of a domestic limited partnership. (5) A member or manager of a foreign limited liability company transacting intrastate business. (6) A member or manager of a domestic limited liability company. (d) A person shall not be deemed to be transacting intrastate business in this state within the meaning of this article merely because of its status as a member or manager of a domestic limited liability company or a foreign limited liability company registered to transact intrastate business in this state. (e) This section does not apply in determining the contacts or activities that may subject a foreign limited liability company to service of process, taxation, or regulation under the law of this state other than this article.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.04. Section 17708.04.

Unless the Secretary of State determines that an application for a certificate of registration does not comply with the filing requirements of this article, the Secretary of State, upon payment of all required filing fees, shall file the application of a foreign limited liability company, and issue a certificate of registration to transact intrastate business in this state to the foreign limited liability company or its representative.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.05. Section 17708.05.

(a) A foreign limited liability company whose name does not comply with Section 17701.08 shall not obtain a certificate of registration until it adopts, for the purpose of transacting intrastate business in this state, an alternate name that complies with Section 17701.08. A foreign limited liability company that adopts an alternate name under this subdivision and obtains a certificate of registration with the alternate name need not comply with fictitious or assumed name statutes. After obtaining a certificate of registration with an alternate name, a foreign limited liability company shall transact intrastate business in this state under the alternate name unless the limited liability company is authorized under fictitious or assumed name statutes to transact intrastate business in this state under another name. (b) (1) If a foreign limited liability company authorized to transact intrastate business in this state changes its name or its alternate name or relinquishes its alternate name, the foreign limited liability company shall not thereafter transact intrastate business in this state under that name or alternate name until it delivers an amended application to register, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, to the Secretary of State for filing. A foreign limited liability company shall not change its alternate name unless its name does not comply with Section 17701.08. (A) If the new name of the foreign limited liability company does not comply with Section 17701.08, an alternate name, if one has not been adopted, shall be adopted pursuant to subdivision (a). (B) If the new name of the foreign limited liability company complies with Section 17701.08, the foreign limited liability company shall not adopt an alternate name pursuant to subdivision (a) and shall relinquish any alternate name. A foreign limited liability company that registered to transact intrastate business with an alternate name before January 1, 2014, shall not be required to relinquish the alternate name. (C) If the foreign limited liability company is changing its alternate name, the new alternate name shall comply with Section 17701.08. (2) The amended application for registration shall state the Secretary of State’s file number, the name or alternate name, and the new name or new alternate name adopted under subdivision (a). Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1), if the name of the limited liability company complies with Section 17701.08, the amended application for registration also shall contain the alternate name being relinquished. (3) The foreign limited liability company shall deliver with the amended application to register a certificate, issued by the Secretary of State or other official having custody of the foreign limited liability company’s publicly filed records in the state or other jurisdiction under whose law the limited liability company is formed, issued within the past six months from the submission of the amended application for filing in California, that certifies the change of name was made in accordance with the laws of that state or other jurisdiction. The certificate is not required if the foreign limited liability company is changing only its alternate name and the foreign limited liability company’s name does not comply with Section 17701.08. (4) Upon the filing of the amended application to register with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State shall issue to the foreign limited liability company a new certificate of registration in accordance with Section 17708.04.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.06. Section 17708.06.

(a) To cancel its registration to transact intrastate business in this state, a foreign limited liability company shall deliver to the Secretary of State for filing a certificate of cancellation, signed by a person with authority to do so under the law of the state of its organization, stating all of the following: (1) The name under which the foreign limited liability company is authorized to transact intrastate business in this state, and the Secretary of State’s file number for the foreign limited liability company. (2) That a final franchise tax return, as described by Section 23332 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, or a final annual tax return, as described by Section 17947 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, has been or will be filed with the Franchise Tax Board, as required under Part 10.2 (commencing with Section 18401) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (3) That upon the filing of the certificate of cancellation the registration of the foreign limited liability company shall be canceled and its right to conduct intrastate business shall cease. (b) The registration is canceled when the certificate of cancellation becomes effective. (c) The Secretary of State may cancel the application and certificate of registration of a foreign limited liability company if a check or other remittance accepted in payment of the filing fee is not paid upon presentation. Within 90 days of receiving written notification that the item presented for payment has not been honored for payment, the Secretary of State shall give a first written notice of the applicability of the section to the agent for service of process or to the person submitting the instrument. Thereafter, if the amount has not been paid by cashier’s check or equivalent, the Secretary of State shall give a second written notice of cancellation and the cancellation shall thereupon be effective. The second notice shall be given 20 days or more after the first notice.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.07. Section 17708.07.

(a) A foreign limited liability company transacting intrastate business in this state shall not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it has a certificate of registration to transact intrastate business in this state. (b) The failure of a foreign limited liability company to have a certificate of registration to transact intrastate business in this state does not prevent the foreign limited liability company from defending an action or proceeding in this state. (c) A member or manager of a foreign limited liability company is not liable for the debts, obligations, or other liabilities of the foreign limited liability company solely because the foreign limited liability company transacted intrastate business in this state without a certificate of registration. (d) If a foreign limited liability company transacts intrastate business in this state without a certificate of registration or cancels its certificate of registration, it shall be deemed to have appointed the Secretary of State as its agent for service of process for rights of action arising out of the transaction of intrastate business in this state.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.08. Section 17708.08.

If the members of a foreign limited liability company residing in this state represent 25 percent or more of the voting interests of the members of that foreign limited liability company, those members shall be entitled to all information and inspection rights provided in Section 17704.10.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 17708.09. Section 17708.09.

The Attorney General may maintain an action to enjoin a foreign limited liability company from transacting intrastate business in this state in violation of this title.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026