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California online filing state
California now forms an LLC online with the state. This $9.99 packet is a preparation worksheet and supporting file set — not a substitute for the current online filing — plus support and lifetime updates if the packet changes.
Use this packet to gather the information California asks for, then complete the current online filing on the official site.
California no longer publishes a paper articles of organization for new formations. File on the official state portal linked below.
The download helps you assemble names, addresses, registered-agent facts, and management choices before you file.
The state filing creates the LLC. Banks, members, and later disputes usually require a separate operating agreement.
This state packet includes 3 documents in print-ready PDF format. Labels describe each file's role, not the internal filename.
Articles vs operating agreement
California currently accepts new LLC formations online. This page is not selling a current paper substitute for that official portal.
The download is a preparation packet: supporting files and a worksheet so you can gather the facts the state asks for, then file on the official site.
An operating agreement is a different document. It usually is not filed with the state, but banks and members often require one.
Need the internal rulebook too? After you file, most customers also download a member-managed or manager-managed operating agreement for California.
Researched filing overview
California forms a domestic LLC with Articles of Organization under Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01. The Secretary of State marks new domestic Articles of Organization “Online Only”: file through bizfile Online, and pay the $70 state fee separately. The historic paper Form LLC-1 is not a current filing blank.
This packet pairs the Secretary of State’s official Starting a New Business checklist — the state’s own roadmap covering the bizfile registration and ongoing Statement of Information duties — with the current EDD commercial employer registration form (DE 1) and a shared federal EIN worksheet, so you can prepare the answers the online filing asks: the LLC name, initial designated office, agent for service of process, and management structure.
What happens before, during, and after the state filing. This product is the public formation document, not a filing service.
Choose a distinguishable California name with an LLC designator under Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.08 and an agent for service of process — an individual California resident or a registered corporate agent under § 17701.13. The agent’s street address goes on the filing.
California forms LLCs online only: file Articles of Organization through bizfile Online under Cal. Corp. Code § 17702.01. The $70 state fee is paid separately. The historic paper Form LLC-1 is not a current filing blank. A professional LLC uses the same online workflow. This product does not file for you.
File the initial Statement of Information (Form LLC-12, $20) within 90 days of formation, then every two years. Every California LLC also owes the $800 annual franchise tax to the Franchise Tax Board. Adopt a written operating agreement. An EIN is separate.
This section is the packet’s formation guide for California, including any checklist and statute text stored with the product. It is meant to be read on the page, not trapped in a preview window.
Quick answer
An articles of organization form is the document that one must complete and submit to the state to establish the creation of an LLC.
An articles of organization form is the document that one must complete and submit to the state to establish the creation of an LLC. It sets forth the name of the proposed company, the registered agent for service of process, and the address of the place of business, among other information. It comes complete with instructions and filing information for creating an LLC within the state.
California accepts the filing of articles of organization forms online via the California Secretary of State's online system for e-file documents.
One may determine the availability of a proposed business name by querying the state's official Business Search tool.
The requirements for naming an LLC within the state are set forth in California Corporations Code 17701.08. The name of the LLC must include “limited liability company,” “L. L. C.” or “LLC.” “Limited” may be abbreviated as “Ltd.,” and “company” may be abbreviated as “Co.” The name shall not include the words “bank,” “trust,” “trustee,” “incorporated,” “inc.,” “corporation,” or “corp.” and shall not include the words “insurer” or “insurance company” or any other words suggesting that it is in the business of issuing policies of insurance and assuming insurance risks.
California charges a $70 Articles of Organization filing fee, paid separately to the Secretary of State when you file on bizfile Online. The Secretary of State currently directs new domestic Articles of Organization to bizfile Online rather than a paper or in-person filing. Every LLC conducting business or organized in California must pay an annual tax of $800 to the state's Franchise Tax Board.
Ready to download the California packet? Checkout delivers the formation files immediately. The operating agreement is a separate product if you need ownership and management rules.
Get the California Packet — $9.99If you are not 100 percent satisfied after purchase, contact us for a full refund. Lifetime updates apply if we replace this packet. This guarantee is about the product and support, not a promise that a particular filing will be accepted.
No. The articles of organization is the public filing that creates the LLC. An operating agreement is a separate internal contract that sets ownership, voting, profit splits, and management. Most customers need both.
No current paper articles of organization is published for new California formations. California accepts this filing online. This packet is a preparation and support set, not the online portal itself.
When the state publishes a free official form, that blank is still free on the government site. This product packages the current form we carry, any companion files listed on this page, email support, and lifetime updates if we replace the packet. It is not a filing service and it does not pay the state’s filing fee.
This packet currently includes 3 documents in print-ready PDF format. The list on this page is the customer-facing inventory.
California generally does not file the operating agreement with these articles, but banks, lenders, and multi-member LLCs almost always want one. Choose member-managed if every owner will run the company, or manager-managed if appointed managers will run it.
No. ILRG provides self-help forms and information. You complete the documents and file them with the state, or use the official online portal where that is required. Consult a licensed attorney for tax elections, professional-license entities, or unusual ownership structures.
No. The Secretary of State marks new domestic Articles of Organization as Online Only and directs filers to bizfile Online. The $70 filing fee is paid separately.
File the initial Statement of Information (Form LLC-12, $20) within 90 days of formation, then every two years. Every LLC also owes the $800 annual franchise tax to the Franchise Tax Board.