Foreign Qualification

If your company is incorporated in one state (known as the "domestic" state), but you're transacting business with a physical location in another state, your company may be required to register as a "foreign corporation" or "foreign LLC" in that other state.

To qualify your company to do business in another state, you must file an "Application or Certificate of Authority" to transact business in that state. This is known as a Foreign Qualification.

If your company is required to qualify, but doesn't, you may lose access to that state's court system and have to pay potential fines, back taxes and penalties.

American Incorporators Ltd. can prepare and file the necessary paperwork to qualify your business as a foreign corporation or LLC in any of the 50 states.

Corporations and LLCs are also subject to taxes and annual report fees in both the state of formation and any states where the company is qualified to do business as a foreign entity.

Also, most states require corporations and LLCs to have a registered agent in each state where the company is qualified. American Incorporators can provide registered agent services in all 50 states.

American Incorporators - Foreign Qualification Services

• Name availability check in the state of foreign qualification.
  
  
• Preparation and filing of the Application or Certificate of Authority in the state of foreign qualification.
  
  
• Obtaining a Certificate of Good Standing and/or a certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation/Formation of your company from the home state (also known as the "domestic" state). This is required by the state of foreign qualification to prove that your company exists and that it is current with all required tax and annual report filing requirements. These documents must be sent along and filed with the Application or Certificate of Authority.
  
  
• Payment of all state foreign qualification filing fees.

American Incorporators can complete the foreign qualification process in most states within 10 to 14 days. However, some states can take up to 4 to 6 weeks.

To start the foreign qualification process or to obtain complete pricing information, click here.

Foreign Qualification Process

When American Incorporators receives your qualification order, we will:

• Prepare the Application or Certificate of Authority forms and send them to you for signature. Most states require that the application forms be signed by an officer of the corporation or by a member of the limited liability company.
  
  
• Once you return the signed documents back to American Incorporators, we will order the Certificate of Good Standing and/or certified copy of the Certificate of Incorporation or Formation from the domestic state.
  
  
• We will then perform a preliminary name check (if it has not been done already) to make sure that the name you want to use is available in the foreign state.
  
  
• After we've received all supporting documentation from the state of formation, we'll send the prepared and signed Application or Certificate of Authority to the foreign state for filing.
  
  
• Once the state has approved the Application or Certificate of Authority, we will forward the the filed evidence back to you as proof of the filing.

If you would like to proceed with your Foreign Registration process, click here. Or, if you would like more information, you can call and speak with one of our specialists at:
(866) 421-8416.