✨ ZenBusiness ✨

If you’re looking for an excellent California LLC service then choose ZenBusiness. We’ve already formed 500,000+ businesses since 2017!

  • Free LLC Service: We’ll form your LLC for free (plus your state’s required fee), while some competitors charge hundreds of dollars for similar services.
  • $5,000 Grant Program: As a ZenBusiness customer you’re eligible to enter our grant program which includes $5,000 and other special resources to help start your business. In 2023, 40 grants will be awarded. As a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) we’re focused on more than just profits – we strongly believe in giving back.
  • Stellar Reviews: With more than 12,900 ZenBusiness reviews available online and high average ratings, it’s clear that our customers are typically quite pleased with our services.
  • Quality Guarantee: We offer a 60-day money-back guarantee on our services. While some competitors have steep service charges or short windows of availability for refunds, our 100% satisfaction guarantee provides significant peace of mind.

If you want a socially conscious California LLC service with excellent overall value, choose ZenBusiness.

Northwest

Northwest Registered Agent charges $225 (plus state fee) for LLC filing services. That said, Northwest’s personalized customer support is a feature that could make their prices worth paying for some entrepreneurs.

  • Higher Prices: Northwest charges $225 + state fee to form an LLC in California. However, that $225 package does at least include a year of registered agent service.
  • Customer Reviews: Northwest receives mostly positive customer feedback, but with several hundred reviews instead of the thousands you’ll find with the other companies in this guide, they can’t match competitors like us for review volume.
  • Known for Service: While some competitors outsource customer service to third-party call centers, Northwest keeps its support team in-house.

Overall, Northwest does have some points in its favor. However, keep in mind that it charges $225 (plus your state’s required fee) for its LLC filing services.

Want to learn more? See this Northwest LLC review.

LegalZoom

LegalZoom is one of the biggest names in the industry, with millions of customers served and frequent advertising efforts. LegalZoom provides an LLC filing package for free (plus the state’s fee).

  • Higher Average Prices: While LegalZoom charges $0 (+ your state fee) for LLC service, it has higher price points for some other services. For instance, it typically charges a rate of $249 per year for registered agent service and at least $149 to form a corporation.
  • Features: LegalZoom sometimes excludes valuable features from its LLC filing service packages. For instance, its Basic LLC service package includes only a digital welcome packet and a trial for a third-party web design service.
  • Service Guarantee: Much like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom offers a 60-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee that is among the best in the industry.

LegalZoom is a huge company, so while it offers extended support hours, the quality of its customer support may vary a bit from representative to representative.

Want to learn more? See this LegalZoom LLC review.

Incfile/Bizee

Incfile/Bizee offers LLC formations for free, as long as you pay your state’s fee. Incfile and ZenBusiness have some similar characteristics, but there are also some significant differences that set the two apart.

  • Lots of Reviews: Incfile/Bizee has tens of thousands of customer reviews with strong average rating scores.
  • Customer Support: If you prioritize responsive customer support, Incfile/Bizee may not be your best option. At times, their responses can be slow and some customers complain that they don’t get a response at all to emailed support inquiries.
  • Upsells: Incfile/Bizee can also pile on the upsells, with lots of suggested add-on services sprinkled throughout the order form.

If you’re looking for a cheap LLC formation service in California and ZenBusiness doesn’t feel right for some reason, Incfile/Bizee could be worth a closer look.

Want to learn more? See this Incfile/Bizee LLC review.

Compare Packages

Identify the LLC package and services that fit your needs and then get started.

Starter

Premium

Starter

$0

Premium

$349/yr

Starter

File in 2 to 3 weeks **

$0

PLUS STATE FEES

Premium

File in 1 to 5 days **

$349/yr

PLUS STATE FEES

Top Features

More InfoWe do everything needed to file your application with the state and make your business official. Standard LLC Filing
More InfoWe’ll file your paperwork quickly and accurately. If there are any errors with your filing, our team will do what’s needed to make it right. 100% Accuracy Guarantee
More InfoKeeps you compliant with all state-required annual report and amendment filings to maintain LLC protections and avoid fines. Worry-Free Compliance
More InfoThis essential document is like the constitution for your business. Operating Agreement
More InfoOur fastest service puts you to the front of our line of filings. Our Fastest Filing Speed
More InfoOur team will secure your EIN from the IRS so you can open a business bank account, hire employees, and pay taxes. EIN
More InfoIncludes over 25 templates for contracts, service agreements, waivers, and more. Business Documents
More InfoGet online with a website builder tool optimized for traffic and customers. Business Website Builder
More InfoBuild and protect your brand by registering a private domain name that matches your business name. Domain Name with Privacy
More InfoStay organized and give your business more credibility with a business email. Business Email Address

File in 2 to 3 weeks **

1 year free, then $199/yr*
+$99
+$79
+$99
+$99
+$15/mo
+$35/yr
+$25/yr

File in 1 to 5 days **

*SPECIAL OFFER – Get Starter for $0 plus state fees. Includes one optional free year of Worry-Free Compliance that renews at $199/yr.
**These filing times are averages and include our processing times and Secretary of State turnaround times which vary by state.

SunDoc Filings

SunDoc Filings isn’t among the most popular LLC formation services in most states, but its home state of California is an exception. That’s because the SunDoc Filings offices are in Sacramento, and they hand-deliver documents to the Secretary of State’s office three times per day.

This enables SunDoc Filings to form California LLCs faster than any competitor we’re aware of. This company also receives strong customer feedback, with around 3,000 positive reviews and very few examples of negative feedback.

However, SunDoc Filings also has some drawbacks, including pricing. The cheapest package they offer costs $79, but it doesn’t even include the preparation of your Articles of Organization — it only provides document filing. You’ll need to spend at least $99 to have SunDoc Filings prepare and file your documents, while ZenBusiness will do it for free.

There really isn’t much of a reason to use SunDoc Filings in other states, but if you need your California LLC formed in a hurry, they’re worth considering.

How to Set Up a California LLC on Your Own

Technically speaking, you don’t have to use an LLC formation service like ZenBusiness or LegalZoom. These services are incredibly helpful, but you can save money by completing the process yourself.

You can read our complete guide to DIY an LLC setup in California, but here’s a quick look at the process:

Choose a business name

Every LLC in California needs a name that’s memorable and gives potential clients a good idea of what goods or services are available. The name also needs to be unique — both for legal reasons and so your business stands out from the competition.

Appoint a CA registered agent

As we’ve mentioned in this guide, every LLC needs an agent who can accept service of process on your behalf. In all states, you can act as your own registered agent as long as you have a physical address in the state. That said, we generally recommend that you appoint someone else (like an online service) to act as your agent.

File the Articles of Organization

This document, once filled out and filed, officially forms your business in the state of California. You’ll need to provide some important information, including your contact information, your business address, signatures for your LLC’s members, and more. California has a $70 filing fee.

Setting up the LLC is as easy as 1-2-3; it’s the maintenance requirements that are a bit more complicated:

Register for and pay taxes

If you have employees, you’ll need to get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Then there are state-specific taxes, too. California has pretty heavy taxes. For LLCs taxed as corporations, there is a flat rate of 8.84%. The individual rate ranges between 1% and 13.3%. You will also need to account for sales taxes (7.25% plus local fees) and other miscellaneous taxes. More information can be found at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

Get licenses and permits

There’s no general state business license in California, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need to get professional licenses. California offers a nearly comprehensive resource for business licensing: CalGold.

Create an operating agreement

Even single-member LLCs should create a “master document” that sets out how the business will operate, both now and in the future.

File your biennial report

Every other year, your LLC will need to file an annual report to update the state about the standing of your business. California has a $20 filing fee for this document.

Obtain business insurance

Every business with employees needs to maintain workers’ compensation insurance and a commercial vehicle policy for company-owned vehicles. You may also want to get a general business liability policy, too.

Get a business bank account

You should sign up for a business bank account so you can write checks and make purchases in the name of the business instead of pulling from your personal accounts (a legal no-no). 

This is just the tip of the iceberg, though. For more detailed guidance, we recommend contacting an attorney or checking out the full California LLC Formation Guide.

California LLC Fast Facts

  • LLC Formation Speed: Real-time updates here (currently four business days for online submissions and six business days for hard copies)
  • Cost to File a CA LLC: $70, plus the service’s fee if you use one (you can add certified copies for $5 per page)
  • How to File Your Articles of Organization: Online or by mail
  • Biennial Reports: Due every other year (with the exception of your initial report, which must be filed within 90 days of forming your business); costs $20 to file
  • State General Business License: Not required, but industry licenses may apply
  • PLLCs: Not an option in CA

California Secretary of State Contact Information

Address:
1500 11th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Office Hours:
Monday through Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
excluding state holidays.
Telephone:
(916) 653-6814
Website:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/

What Is a California LLC?

LLCs are formal legal entities that are typically taxed similarly to sole proprietorships and general partnerships, in that the owners include any company profits or losses into their personal returns — the LLC itself does not owe income taxes. An LLC may also elect to be taxed like a corporation, although this is not a very common option. For more a more in-depth description see: What is an LLC?

The Total Cost of Forming and Maintaining an LLC in California

In addition to the costs of a business formation service or hiring an attorney (which are optional, as we’ve discussed), there are quite a few other required and optional expenses when forming and maintaining a California business. You cannot form an LLC in California without filing the Articles of Organization, the document that officially registers your business within the state. Read more about California costs – California LLC costs.

FAQ's

  • We invite you to take a look at our comprehensive guide to forming a limited liability company in California. This article walks you through the LLC formation process in this state step by step, ensuring that you don’t miss any crucial elements.

  • One of the most important steps in forming a California LLC is choosing a business name. Once you come up with ideas for your name, you should do a preliminary search through the state’s business search database to make sure your desired name is available. However, it’s important to note that this tool is unofficial.

    Once you’ve verified that your name is available using the business search database, you’ll need to mail a Name Availability Inquiry Letter to make this process official. For more information on conducting a business name search in California, check out our full article on the topic.

  • You can file your Articles of Organization online through the California Secretary of State’s BizFile tool, or you can print off a paper form and mail it to the Secretary of State’s office.

  • All California LLCs are required to file a Statement of Information every two years. This filing costs $20, and you can file it online. In addition, each LLC must pay the state’s annual LLC tax with Form 3522, which costs $800 each year.

  • To find out which permits and licenses are applicable to your business, head on over to the state’s “CalGold” permit and license website, where you can find extensive information about licensing requirements in this state.

  • The California Secretary of State has a handy page on their website where they display current turnaround times for LLC formations in real time. At the time of this writing, online filings were taking around three business days, while in-person filings took five business days.

    Do you need your business formed in a hurry? California has a few options, but they’re very expensive. They will form your LLC in 24 hours for $350, four hours for $500, or same day for $750. We will note that to qualify for the four-hour service, your documents must be precleared and approved by the state.

  • If you want more details about what these companies can offer in this state, or you’d like to take a look at some other options, check out our complete guide to California registered agents.

  • Unfortunately, not all businesses last forever. If the time comes when you need to close your LLC’s doors, you’ll need to do so in a manner consistent with the state’s regulations. That’s why we wrote our guide to California LLC dissolutions, so you can complete the process in a compliant manner.

  • If your LLC already exists in another state, you don’t actually need to “form” it in California. Instead, you’ll need to foreign qualify the business in this state. This process is somewhat similar to LLC formation, but there are some crucial differences as well. Take a look at our guide to foreign qualifications in California for more information.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.

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Written by Team ZenBusiness

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