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How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC in each state?
Registering an LLC formed in another state costs from $50 in Hawaii and Michigan to $750 in South Dakota and Texas; the median state charges $150. In 25 states the foreign registration fee is higher than the fee to form an LLC there, in 23 it is the same, and in three (Alabama, Utah and Wisconsin) it is lower.
Foreign LLC registration fee in every state
The state's fee to register an LLC formed elsewhere, including any filing the state requires with it, beside the fee to form a new LLC in that state. Each state page links to the state's own source.
| State | Register an LLC formed elsewhere | Form an LLC there |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $150 | $200 |
| Alaska | $350 | $250 |
| Arizona | $150 | $50 |
| Arkansas | $300 | $50 |
| California | $70 | $70 |
| Colorado | $100 | $50 |
| Connecticut | $120 | $120 |
| Delaware | $200 | $110 |
| District of Columbia | $220 | $99 |
| Florida | $125 | $125 |
| Georgia | $225 | $100 |
| Hawaii | $50 | $50 |
| Idaho | $100 | $100 |
| Illinois | $150 | $150 |
| Indiana | $75 | $75 |
| Iowa | $100 | $50 |
| Kansas | $115 | $90 |
| Kentucky | $90 | $40 |
| Louisiana | $185 | $125 |
| Maine | $250 | $175 |
| Maryland | $100 | $100 |
| Massachusetts | $500 | $500 |
| Michigan | $50 | $50 |
| Minnesota | $205 | $155 |
| Mississippi | $250 | $50 |
| Missouri | $105 | $50 |
| Montana | $70 | $35 |
| Nebraska | $100 | $100 |
| Nevada | $75 | $75 |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $100 |
| New Jersey | $100 | $100 |
| New Mexico | $100 | $50 |
| New York | $250 | $250 |
| North Carolina | $250 | $125 |
| North Dakota | $135 | $135 |
| Ohio | $99 | $99 |
| Oklahoma | $300 | $100 |
| Oregon | $275 | $100 |
| Pennsylvania | $250 | $125 |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $150 |
| South Carolina | $110 | $110 |
| South Dakota | $750 | $150 |
| Tennessee | $300 | $300 |
| Texas | $750 | $300 |
| Utah | $59 | $70 |
| Vermont | $155 | $155 |
| Virginia | $100 | $100 |
| Washington | $180 | $180 |
| West Virginia | $150 | $100 |
| Wisconsin | $100 | $130 |
| Wyoming | $150 | $100 |
The Rank page shows the full five-year cost for a foreign LLC in each state: set Where It's Formed to Foreign.
What the fee pays for
"Foreign" means formed in another state, not another country. The new state issues a certificate of authority (some states call it a registration or an application for authority) rather than forming a new company; the LLC stays a company of its home state. The steps, from the certificate of good standing to the application, are in registering an LLC in another state.
A few fees include a second required filing. Florida's $125 is a $100 application plus a $25 registered agent fee. Louisiana's $185 took effect October 1, 2026 under Act 921. North Dakota lists one fee, $135, for both domestic and foreign LLCs.
The largest gaps between foreign and domestic
Texas charges $750 to register a foreign LLC and $300 to form one. South Dakota charges $750 against $150, Arkansas $300 against $50, Oklahoma $300 against $100, Mississippi $250 against $50, and Oregon $275 against $100. The three states that charge less for a foreign registration than for a formation are Alabama ($150 against $200), Utah ($59 against $70) and Wisconsin ($100 against $130).
The recurring fees after registration
The new state can require its own annual or biennial report from a registered foreign LLC, on top of the home state's. Some states price that report differently for a foreign LLC: Mississippi's fee schedule lists $250 for a foreign LLC's annual report against $0 for a Mississippi LLC, and Maine charges $150 against $85. Connecticut's foreign LLC page lists the annual report as filed from January 1 to March 31. The District of Columbia charges $300 to reinstate a terminated foreign registration. New York requires a registered foreign LLC to publish notice of its application for authority for six weeks, the same requirement its own LLCs face.
Common questions
How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC?
From $50 in Hawaii and Michigan to $750 in South Dakota and Texas. The median state fee is $150.
Which states charge the most to register an out-of-state LLC?
South Dakota and Texas at $750, Massachusetts at $500, Alaska at $350, and Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee at $300.
Is the foreign registration fee higher than the formation fee?
In 25 states it is higher, in 23 it is the same, and in three (Alabama, Utah and Wisconsin) it is lower.
Does a foreign LLC pay the new state's annual report fee?
The new state can require its own annual or biennial report from a registered foreign LLC, on top of the home state's. Mississippi lists $250 for a foreign LLC's annual report against $0 for a domestic one; Maine charges $150 against $85.
What does Florida's foreign LLC fee include?
$125: a $100 application for authority plus a $25 registered agent fee.