What is the exact late fee for California LLC annual reports in 2026?

California charges a $250 late penalty on top of the standard $20 annual Statement of Information fee, totaling $270 when you file late in 2026. The first Statement of Information is due within 90 days of registration, which is the deadline owners most often miss. After that it is biennial, with a filing period running from the calendar month the Articles of Organization were filed back through the five preceding calendar months. The Franchise Tax Board assesses the penalty on the Secretary of State's behalf when the statement is not filed inside that period. You'll submit Form LLC-12 (Statement of Information) to the Secretary of State's office, and the penalty applies automatically when the statement is processed after its filing period. The penalty is more than twelve times the $20 filing fee. The practical implication is significant: missing the filing period not only triggers the penalty but also risks suspension or forfeiture of the LLC's powers, rights and privileges. To avoid this, mark your specific deadline on your calendar now and file Form LLC-12 with both fees before your filing period ends on the last day of your anniversary month.

Can I reinstate my California LLC after administrative dissolution?

Yes, California allows LLC reinstatement after administrative dissolution. You must bring the Statement of Information filings current with the California Secretary of State's Business Programs Division. Each outstanding Statement of Information costs $20, and the Franchise Tax Board assesses a $250 penalty on behalf of the Secretary of State for each one filed late. If your LLC was dissolved for failure to file annual reports, you must also submit all overdue reports before reinstatement processes. Revivor reinstates the LLC without prejudice to any action, defense or right that accrued because of the suspension. Contracts made while suspended stay voidable unless the LLC separately obtains relief from contract voidability from the Franchise Tax Board. File your Form LLC-12 immediately through the Secretary of State's online filing system (sos.ca.gov) with payment.

Does filing my California LLC annual report late affect my liability protection?

Not by the lateness itself. What matters is what happens if the report stays unfiled and the LLC loses its standing with the state. Revivor reinstates the LLC without prejudice to any action, defense or right that accrued because of the suspension. Contracts made while suspended stay voidable unless the LLC separately obtains relief from contract voidability from the Franchise Tax Board. This page does not have a confirmed California rule on whether owners are personally liable for what the business does while it is out of standing, so do not treat the protection as either lost or safe for that period. The Statement of Information is biennial, filed during the calendar month the Articles of Organization were filed plus the five preceding calendar months. Failure to file may result in penalties assessed by the Franchise Tax Board and in suspension or forfeiture of the LLC's powers, rights and privileges. File the overdue Statement of Information with the California Secretary of State.

How can I check my California LLC's current good standing status?

You can check your California LLC's current good standing status through the California Secretary of State's online Business Search tool at https://www.sos.ca.gov/cgibin/browse-records. This search is free and provides real-time filing status information. For official documentation, you can request a Certificate of Good Standing directly from the Secretary of State's office for $5. This certificate proves your LLC maintains active status and is essential if you're applying for business loans, opening bank accounts, or qualifying for government contracts. A good standing status confirms your Statement of Information is current and all required fees are paid. If your search reveals a suspended or forfeited status, you likely owe the $250 penalty on a Statement of Information filed after its filing period, alongside the $20 filing fee. Visit the Secretary of State's filing portal to immediately submit your overdue annual report and pay any accumulated penalties to restore your good standing status.

Can I negotiate or waive the $250 late fee with California?

Not by the Franchise Tax Board, which assesses the $250 penalty on the Secretary of State's behalf. Only the Secretary of State can waive it, so a waiver request goes to that office rather than to FTB. Relief is discretionary and rare, so treat filing on time as the only reliable way to avoid the charge. You must pay the full $250 penalty along with the $20 Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) filing fee to restore your LLC's good standing with the state. This means your total cost to file late is $270 ($20 Statement of Information fee plus $250 penalty) rather than the standard $20. To resolve this immediately, submit your Form LLC-12 with payment to the California Secretary of State's office, either online through their portal or by mail. We do not have a confirmed processing time for this filing, and the filing office can tell you how long it currently takes.

California LLC Annual Report Late Fee Guide: Don't Let Non-Compliance Cost You

Understand California's LLC annual report requirements, late penalties, and step-by-step process to restore your LLC's good standing before it's too late.

By Edmond Hui · Last updated: October 2026

California LLC biennial reports are due in the anniversary month plus the five preceding months. California's late fee is $250. See details below.

Ready to file?

Go directly to the California Secretary of State website.

File with the California Secretary of State →

Late Fee Facts at a Glance

Annual report due

Biennial, in the anniversary month plus the five preceding months

Base fee

$20

Late penalty

$250, billed by the Franchise Tax Board on the Secretary of State's behalf. Only the SOS can waive it. Continued failure risks suspension or forfeiture of the LLC's powers

Grace period

None. The $250 penalty follows a Statement of Information not filed within its filing period

Dissolution timeline

Failure to file may result in penalties assessed by the Franchise Tax Board and in suspension or forfeiture of the LLC's powers, rights and privileges

Step diagram for fixing a late LLC annual report in California, $250 late fee. — How to cure a late California annual report, and what the state charges for missing it. Source: California Secretary of State.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

Stage 1

Statement of Information not filed in its filing period

The Franchise Tax Board assesses a $250 penalty on the Secretary of State's behalf. It is charged once per statement not filed on time, not monthly.

Fix:Yes. File the Statement of Information with the $20 fee and settle the $250 penalty.

Stage 2

Continued failure to file

Failure to file may result in penalties assessed by the Franchise Tax Board and in suspension or forfeiture of the LLC's powers, rights and privileges.

Fix:Yes. Bring every outstanding Statement of Information current at $20 each and settle the $250 penalty attached to each one filed late.

How to Fix It: Step-by-Step

File Your Overdue Statement of Information

Submit Form LLC-12 through the California Secretary of State website (the $250 penalty is billed separately by the Franchise Tax Board, not paid to the Secretary of State with this filing) at https://www.sos.ca.gov or by mail with the required $20 base fee plus $250 late penalty.

Pay All Outstanding Penalties

Include payment for the $250 penalty along with the $20 Statement of Information fee, for each period still outstanding.

Request Reinstatement if Dissolved

If your LLC has been administratively dissolved, file a petition for reinstatement with the California Secretary of State, including all back fees and required documentation.

Obtain Good Standing Certificate

After successful filing and payment, request a Certificate of Good Standing from the California Secretary of State to verify your LLC's restored status with banks and business partners.

Reinstatement After Dissolution

Reinstatement Possible?: Yes
How Long Allowed: An LLC that has been suspended by the Franchise Tax Board for at least 60 continuous months may be administratively canceled after the Secretary of State posts a 60-day notice. A written objection to the Franchise Tax Board within those 60 days gives the LLC 90 more days (extendable once by 90) to file, pay and apply for revivor.
Reinstatement Fee: Each outstanding Statement of Information costs $20, plus the $250 Franchise Tax Board penalty attached to each one filed late
What You Lose During Dissolution: Good standing, and with it the certificate of good standing that banks, lenders and licensing bodies ask for. The LLC continues to exist for winding up, so this does not by itself void the liability shield, but the company cannot carry on ordinary business and its name protection is at risk until it is reinstated.

Do You Need a Paid Service to Fix This?

No. You can file the overdue report yourself by following the How to Fix It steps above, and pay only what the state itself charges (the report fee, any late fee, and any reinstatement fee), with no service fee on top.

Hiring a registered agent service is a separate choice, and it is optional too. Every LLC must keep a registered agent, but in most states the LLC's owner, or another individual who qualifies, may serve as its registered agent themselves, generally subject to that state's rules on keeping a street address in the state and being available there during normal business hours. The California registered agent requirements set out what California itself asks.

Registered agent services for California LLCs

Affiliate disclosure: Northwest Registered Agent, Bizee, ZenBusiness and LegalZoom pay us a commission if you sign up through our link, at no extra cost to you. We list only the registered agent services we have an affiliate relationship with, so this is not a survey of the whole market.

This list is not scored. The four are listed cheapest annual renewal first, and every claim below is about the services listed here rather than the whole market.

Northwest Registered Agent$125/yr renewal
Best for: Privacy-focused owners and anyone who just needs an agent, not a formation bundle
Bizee$149/yr renewal
Best for: A free first year (some visitors are being shown shorter free periods, so confirm at checkout), renewing at $149/yr, if you're comfortable with the BBB caveat
ZenBusiness$199/yr renewal
Best for: First-time founders forming a new LLC who want phone, email and chat support
LegalZoom$249/yr renewal
Best for: Complex structures that want attorney consultations, which come with LegalZoom's $299 formation plan (and, in one version of its plans, the $249 plan) rather than this renewal price

Note: Bizee holds a C rating from the BBB and is not accredited. BBB's profile carries a live alert describing a pattern of complaints about unexpected charges, difficulty canceling and filing delays, and Bizee has posted a response to it. We flag this so you can make an informed choice.

Annual renewal is each provider's own standard published rate. Check the current terms at each provider before you buy. The scored ranking, and the formula behind it, is in our full formation services review →

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state publishes about filing deadlines, fees, and the consequences of missing them, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own company owes: the date turns on when and where you formed, states change these rules between our reviews, and in several states an entity-level tax falls due in a year when no report does. Confirm your own dates with the filing office named on this page before you rely on one here, because missing a deadline can cost the company its good standing or, in many states, its existence.

Read this guide for another state:

Frequently Asked Questions

: California charges a $250 late penalty on top of the standard $20 annual Statement of Information fee, totaling $270 when you file late in 2026. The first Statement of Information is due within 90 days of registration, which is the deadline owners most often miss. After that it is biennial, with a filing period running from the calendar month the Articles of Organization were filed back through the five preceding calendar months. The Franchise Tax Board assesses the penalty on the Secretary of State's behalf when the statement is not filed inside that period. You'll submit Form LLC-12 (Statement of Information) to the Secretary of State's office, and the penalty applies automatically when the statement is processed after its filing period. The penalty is more than twelve times the $20 filing fee. The practical implication is significant: missing the filing period not only triggers the penalty but also risks suspension or forfeiture of the LLC's powers, rights and privileges. To avoid this, mark your specific deadline on your calendar now and file Form LLC-12 with both fees before your filing period ends on the last day of your anniversary month.
: Yes, California allows LLC reinstatement after administrative dissolution. You must bring the Statement of Information filings current with the California Secretary of State's Business Programs Division. Each outstanding Statement of Information costs $20, and the Franchise Tax Board assesses a $250 penalty on behalf of the Secretary of State for each one filed late. If your LLC was dissolved for failure to file annual reports, you must also submit all overdue reports before reinstatement processes. Revivor reinstates the LLC without prejudice to any action, defense or right that accrued because of the suspension. Contracts made while suspended stay voidable unless the LLC separately obtains relief from contract voidability from the Franchise Tax Board. File your Form LLC-12 immediately through the Secretary of State's online filing system (sos.ca.gov) with payment.
: Not by the lateness itself. What matters is what happens if the report stays unfiled and the LLC loses its standing with the state. Revivor reinstates the LLC without prejudice to any action, defense or right that accrued because of the suspension. Contracts made while suspended stay voidable unless the LLC separately obtains relief from contract voidability from the Franchise Tax Board. This page does not have a confirmed California rule on whether owners are personally liable for what the business does while it is out of standing, so do not treat the protection as either lost or safe for that period. The Statement of Information is biennial, filed during the calendar month the Articles of Organization were filed plus the five preceding calendar months. Failure to file may result in penalties assessed by the Franchise Tax Board and in suspension or forfeiture of the LLC's powers, rights and privileges. File the overdue Statement of Information with the California Secretary of State.
: You can check your California LLC's current good standing status through the California Secretary of State's online Business Search tool at https://www.sos.ca.gov/cgibin/browse-records. This search is free and provides real-time filing status information. For official documentation, you can request a Certificate of Good Standing directly from the Secretary of State's office for $5. This certificate proves your LLC maintains active status and is essential if you're applying for business loans, opening bank accounts, or qualifying for government contracts. A good standing status confirms your Statement of Information is current and all required fees are paid. If your search reveals a suspended or forfeited status, you likely owe the $250 penalty on a Statement of Information filed after its filing period, alongside the $20 filing fee. Visit the Secretary of State's filing portal to immediately submit your overdue annual report and pay any accumulated penalties to restore your good standing status.
: Not by the Franchise Tax Board, which assesses the $250 penalty on the Secretary of State's behalf. Only the Secretary of State can waive it, so a waiver request goes to that office rather than to FTB. Relief is discretionary and rare, so treat filing on time as the only reliable way to avoid the charge. You must pay the full $250 penalty along with the $20 Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) filing fee to restore your LLC's good standing with the state. This means your total cost to file late is $270 ($20 Statement of Information fee plus $250 penalty) rather than the standard $20. To resolve this immediately, submit your Form LLC-12 with payment to the California Secretary of State's office, either online through their portal or by mail. We do not have a confirmed processing time for this filing, and the filing office can tell you how long it currently takes.

Sources

7 documents

Each entry below is a document recorded in our verified California sources, and each entry says what the document is. Some statutory text is read from an accurate mirror rather than from the state's own host, and those say so.

leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP&sectionNum=17713.10.1Cal. Corp. Code 17713.10.1, Administrative cancellation
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC&sectionNum=23305aCal. Rev. & Tax. Code 23305a, Name endorsement; effect of revivor
sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entitiesCalifornia Secretary of State: business entity filings
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP&sectionNum=17702.09California statute: Statement of Information
sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/statementsCalifornia Secretary of State: file the Statement of Information
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=RTC&sectionNum=17941California statute: First-year Annual LLC Tax
ftb.ca.gov/file/business/types/limited-liability-company/index.htmlCalifornia Franchise Tax Board: file the First-year Annual LLC Tax

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Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC

Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.

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