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California · Form LLC-1 (rev. 11/2023)

California Form LLC-1: Articles of Organization

Form LLC-1 is the California Secretary of State's articles of organization for a limited liability company. It is a short form, one page of questions, and it is filed through bizfile Online for a $70 fee. Once the Secretary of State files it, the LLC exists.

The form is simple enough that its rejections come from the rules around it rather than the form itself: a name the state finds too close to an existing company, an agent who has not agreed to serve, or a 1505 corporate agent named without the required advance approval. The filings that follow, the Statement of Information within 90 days and the Franchise Tax Board's $800 annual tax, catch more owners out than the LLC-1 does.

Have the Form LLC-1 prepared and filed for you

We fill every field the way bizfile Online expects, check the name first and submit it. State fee: $70, itemized before you pay.

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Private filing service, not the California Secretary of State. The official form and portal are at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov, and the state's fee is the same if you file there yourself.

What Form LLC-1 Asks For

  1. 1.Item 1: LLC nameMust contain LLC, L.L.C., Limited Liability Company or an accepted abbreviation; bizfile adds the identifier if it is omitted. The name must be distinguishable from existing California entities on the Secretary of State's records.
  2. 2.Item 2: Business addressesThe initial street address of the principal office (no PO box; may be outside California) and, if different, a mailing address.
  3. 3.Item 3: Agent for service of processEither an individual who lives in California, with a California street address, or the name only of a registered corporate agent that holds a current 1505 certificate. A corporate agent must have approved the appointment in advance.
  4. 4.Item 4: ManagementOne manager, more than one manager, or all LLC members. This answer determines who is listed on the Statement of Information.
  5. 5.Item 5: Purpose statementFixed statutory wording that the LLC may engage in any lawful act or activity. The form says not to alter it.
  6. 6.Organizer signatureSigned by an organizer authorized under California law. A filing service can act as organizer; the organizer does not have to be a member.

Why California Rejects It

  • A name that conflicts with an existing California LLC, corporation or reserved name, or that includes a restricted word (bank, trust, insurer) without the required approval.
  • An agent for service of process listed with a PO box, an out-of-state address, or a corporate agent that has not pre-approved the appointment.
  • An entity named as agent that is not a registered 1505 corporate agent.
  • The purpose statement altered.

A rejection costs days, sometimes a second fee, and in a few states the name you wanted. Our name check and field review happen before the form goes to bizfile Online, which is most of what you pay us for.

After the State Files It

  • The Secretary of State returns the filed articles with the company's entity number. Current processing times are posted on the Secretary of State's site and vary; bizfile offers 24-hour ($350) and same-day ($750) expedite for an extra fee.
  • Within 90 days, the company must file its initial Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) for $20, listing managers or members, the chief executive officer if any, and the agent. It repeats every two years.
  • The Franchise Tax Board's $800 annual LLC tax is due by the 15th day of the fourth month after formation, and every year after. The first-year exemption that applied to LLCs formed in 2021 through 2023 has expired.
  • LLCs with California gross receipts above $250,000 also owe the FTB's gross-receipts fee.

More on filing in California: California LLC filing through bizfile Online.

Form LLC-1 Questions

Is Form LLC-1 filed online or on paper?+

Both are accepted, but bizfile Online is the standard route: the Secretary of State's portal takes the $70 fee by card and processes online filings ahead of mail. The state's fee is the same whether you file there yourself or we file for you.

Do I need to list the members on Form LLC-1?+

No. The articles ask only how the company is managed. Member and manager names and addresses go on the Statement of Information, due within 90 days of filing.

Can I be my own agent for service of process?+

Yes, if you live in California and give a California street address. The LLC itself cannot be its own agent. Owners outside California, or who do not want a home address on the public record, name a registered agent company.

What does it cost to have you file it?+

One flat service fee plus California filing & processing, which covers the state's $70 fee and the card and portal processing that goes with it. Each line shows on the checkout page before you pay. The $800 annual tax and the $20 Statement of Information are paid to the state later and are not part of formation.

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The Form LLC-1 prepared and submitted for you. State filing & processing itemized before you pay.

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America LLC Filing is a private filing service, not affiliated with the California filing office or any government agency.