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Form a limited liability company in California

File Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the California Secretary of State. The filing fee is $70.00; a Statement of Information is due within 90 days; and the Franchise Tax Board may charge a minimum annual tax.

File Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the California Secretary of State. The filing fee is $70.00; a Statement of Information is due within 90 days; and the Franchise Tax Board may charge a minimum annual tax.

At a glance

DetailValue
KindFiling
AuthorityCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division
Where it appliesus, us-ca
FeesArticles of Organization (Form LLC-1) filing fee: $70; Certified copy (optional): $5; Special handling fee for an in-person submission: $15; Minimum annual tax to the Franchise Tax Board (paid separately, not with this filing): $800
How it is filedFile online (bizfile Online); File by mail; File in person, with a $15 special handling fee
Last verified against its sources2026-10-04
Version1

Everything below is drawn from one JSON object. Each rule, fee and deadline carries the exact words of the Secretary of State’s page, the form itself or the statute, with the hash of the text that was read; the form’s fields are listed with the reusable fact each one maps to, so a person’s answers fill this form and every other form that asks the same thing.

Rules

Requirement: Name an agent for service of process: either an individual (items 3a and 3b) or a corporation (item 3c). (checked as: whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation is one of individual, corporation)

Requirement: An individual agent is named with a California street address, not a P.O. Box. (checked as: (whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = corporation or Registered agent address: state = CA))

Requirement: The name must contain an LLC identifier such as LLC or L.L.C.; “LLC” is added if it is not included.

Requirement: The purpose statement is printed on the form and must not be altered.

Fees

FeeAmountWhen
Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) filing fee$70always
Certified copy (optional)$5optional
Special handling fee for an in-person submission$15how the filing is sent (online, by mail, or in person) = in_person
Minimum annual tax to the Franchise Tax Board (paid separately, not with this filing)$800The form says an LLC “may have to pay” it each year. For a first taxable year beginning in 2027 through 2029 the amount is $400 (Revenue and Taxation Code 17941(g)(2)); see the annual tax.

Deadlines

File the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12): Due within 90 days of initial registration and every two years thereafter.

Form: Articles of Organization, Limited Liability Company (LLC-1)

Version: REV 11/2023. Source: https://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/llc/forms/llc-1.pdf. Kept copy: sha256:beca1ceae4817db7…

FieldMaps toTypeRequiredLimits
1. Limited Liability Company Namebusiness.legal_namestringalways
2a. Initial Street Address of Principal Officebusiness.principal_office.address.line1stringalwayspattern ^(?![\s\S]\b[Pp]\.?\s[Oo]\.?\s*[Bb][Oo][Xx]\b)[\s\S]+$
2a. City (no abbreviations)business.principal_office.address.citystringalways
2a. Statebusiness.principal_office.address.statestringalways
2a. Zip Codebusiness.principal_office.address.postal_codestringalways
2b. Initial Mailing Address of LLC, if different than item 2abusiness.mailing.address.line1stringoptional
2b. City (no abbreviations)business.mailing.address.citystringoptional
2b. Statebusiness.mailing.address.statestringoptional
2b. Zip Codebusiness.mailing.address.postal_codestringoptional
3. Service of Process: an individual (3a and 3b) or a corporation (3c)business.registered_agent.kindenumalwaysone of: individual, corporation
3a. California Agent's First Name (if agent is not a corporation)business.registered_agent.name.firststringif whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = individual
3a. Middle Namebusiness.registered_agent.name.middlestringoptional
3a. Last Namebusiness.registered_agent.name.laststringif whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = individual
3a. Suffixbusiness.registered_agent.name.suffixstringoptional
3b. Street Address (if agent is not a corporation)business.registered_agent.address.line1stringif whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = individualpattern ^(?![\s\S]\b[Pp]\.?\s[Oo]\.?\s*[Bb][Oo][Xx]\b)[\s\S]+$
3b. City (no abbreviations)business.registered_agent.address.citystringif whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = individual
3b. Statebusiness.registered_agent.address.statestringif whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = individualone of: CA
3b. Zip Codebusiness.registered_agent.address.postal_codestringif whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = individual
3c. California Registered Corporate Agent’s Name (if agent is a corporation)business.registered_agent.corporate_namestringif whether the agent for service of process is an individual or a corporation = corporation
4. Management (Select only one box)business.management_structureenumalwaysone of: One Manager, More than One Manager, All LLC Member(s)
6. Organizer sign herebusiness.organizer.signaturesignaturealways
6. Print your name herebusiness.organizer.namestringalways
  • Item 5, the purpose statement, is printed on the form and is not altered.
  • A paper submission includes the Business Entities Submission Cover Sheet, which is not made part of the filed document.
  • Checks and money orders are payable to the Secretary of State.

How it is filed

  • File online (bizfile Online): https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/
  • File by mail: California Secretary of State, Limited Liability Company Filings, P.O. Box 944260, Sacramento, CA 94244-2600
  • File in person, with a $15 special handling fee: 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814; Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays

What an agent may do: not stated by any source yet (UNKNOWN); nothing is submitted without the person’s authorization.

What this page does not know

  • Whether someone other than the organizer may submit through bizfile Online is not stated by the pages read.
  • Processing times, and the fees for special handling, preclearance and expedited filing, are on other Secretary of State pages that have not been read.
  • Checking whether a name is available, and reserving it, are not modeled yet.