California state business registration

If you chose a Limited Liability Company (LLC), Corporation (Corp), Limited Partnership (LP), or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) as your business structure you must register or incorporate with the California Secretary of State.

Step 1: Check name availability

Check if the name you want is available. You can check name availability here. Learn more about this process in our Choose a Name section.

Step 2: Filing

After you know the name you want is available, you can file the appropriate forms for your business structure with the CA Secretary of State.

Step 3: Statement of Information

Once the CA Secretary of State has processed your filing, you need to submit a Statement of Information within 90 days of your filing.

Log in to your account, search and select your entity name. You should see a Statement of Information button to file on the right hand side. The paper form is available at https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/forms.

Last updated November 15, 2024

Related

Business structures

When starting a business, you will need to select a business structure for your business. This decision impacts how much you pay in taxes and your personal liability (i.e. who is legally responsible for debts). You will need to decide before registering your business.

Business registration

All businesses that operate in San Francisco must register with the City. Businesses may also have registration requirements at the state and federal level.

Federal business registration

Most businesses must register with the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Step by step guide to starting a business in San Francisco

Find out where to begin, what you need, and how to plan for success.

Department

Office of Small Business