How Do I Register A Business Name In California?

Register a Business in California in 12 Steps

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Showtime Your California LLC or Corporation in 12 Steps

California Business Facts and Environment

California Business Facts

California is the largest and wealthiest country in the United states of america. Major industries include technology (Silicon Valley), entertainment (Hollywood), agriculture/farming as well equally millions of small businesses.

Major Companies in California

Major companies include Google, Apple, and dozens more than you lot would recognize.

California Startup Environs

California, while a hotbed for startups and elevation corporations, currently ranks #31 on Forbes All-time States for Business organization listing and is known for existence more difficult to operate in besides as taxing businesses college than most other states.

Footstep 1: Select a Business Structure

There are 3 elevation options: a DBA, a Corporation, or an LLC. Click here for help choosing your concern structure and to larn about business entity types.

DBA

"Doing Business As" or "Fictitious Business Name" or "Trade Name" – oft used equally an operating name to simplify the legal name or differentiate from other businesses with like names. DBAs are also used to manage multiple businesses under i LLC or Corporation.
Example: California Dreamin' LLC could annals a DBA like California Machine Spa for a automobile wash business organization and California Dreamin' Classic Autos for a custom machine shop, without having to course two separate LLCs or Corporations.

Corporation

"Corporation" or "Corp" – a carve up entity that provides liability protection to its owners. This business construction includes shareholders, directors, and officers. Corporations are more complex than DBAs, but it's the ideal business structure for profit-earning companies. Some professions are required to course a "Professional Corporation" or PC (doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.).

LLC

"Express Liability Visitor" – a separate entity that provides liability protection to its owners, and is as well easier to manage and taxed less than a Corporation. Considering of these features, the LLC has taken start place in popularity over both DBA and Corporation business structures.

Step 2: Choose Your Business concern Proper name

Picking a business organisation name is easier said than done – many legal and concern bug can arise from picking the incorrect name (yous can always change it afterward but the fewer times you lot have to do that, the improve). In Footstep iii we'll show y'all how to search for the name in California, but we highly recommend you do the following before searching California country databases:

Make sure you've covered the nuts: unique, piece of cake to understand/pronounce (practice saying it out loud: "Thanks for calling XYZ") and tin survive over time ("DVD World" is not timely). Here are some of our tips on business identity including logo and trademarks.
Search the web for your proposed proper noun. Search Google, Bing and DuckDuckGo as a "first sweep" for any potential conflicts, especially in your state or local jurisdiction.
NOTE: If you intend to operate nationally or even internationally it will exist fifty-fifty more important that your name be unique. This should cover many cases where a company proper name is being used only not officially trademarked (see side by side tip).
Do a trademark search with the United states Patent and Trademark Function (USPTO). This will be a very skillful indicator if you're name will have any conflicts. At that place'south an art to trademark searches (trademark specialists will accuse you handsomely to do a thorough search) only in our experience if you can use google at a fairly advanced level you can reasonably clear a proper name yourself.
TIP: search misspellings, plurals, variations of spelling, sound-alikes and other versions of your called name to be sure it's not already registered.
Make sure your company proper noun choice is bachelor by searching the California Secretarial assistant of Country'south business organization entity database.
NOTE: Brand certain to search variations of spelling, plurals and misspellings every bit the country may reject a proper name that is too similar (and then you take to start all over again, wasting valuable time).

Restrictions on California Business Name & Business organization Purpose

California business names must attach to the post-obit restrictions

Your company proper name must include the correct corporate identifier: Corporations: "Corporation", "Incorporated" or an abbreviation.
May not contain the discussion "bank," "trust," "trustee," and shall non contain the words "insurer" or "insurance company" or any other words suggesting that information technology is in the business of issuing policies of insurance and assuming insurance risks.
The following business organisation purposes require the formation of a "Professional Corporation" or "PC":

Accounting
Acupuncture
Compages
Chiropractic
Clinical social work
Dentistry
Police
Marriage, family, and child counseling
Medicine
Speech-language pathology and audiology
Nursing
Optometry
Osteopathy
Pharmacy
Physical therapy
Physician assistants
Podiatry
Psychology
Shorthand court reporters

Footstep 3: Register the Business

Each state has its ain requirements for registering a business. Now that you've chosen a business organization structure and picked your business concern name, here are the requirements to register your business in California.

How to Form an LLC in California

File Class LLC-1 (Articles of Organization) with the California Secretary of State LLC Division.
Once the manufactures are filed and canonical yous volition then demand to properly organize the LLC (yes, even "one person LLC's") past property an "Organizational Meeting" which takes contributions from the members, issues Member Certificates, adopts the company Operating Agreement and more.

How to Comprise in California

File form ARTS-GS (Articles of Incorporation) with the California Secretary of State Corporation Sectionalisation.
Concord an "Organizational Coming together" to determine the percentage of ownership for each shareholder as well as resolve to exercise tasks like open up a company bank business relationship, pay dorsum pre-incorporation expenses, elect Due south-Corporation status and more.
Corporations can elect S-Corporation status with the IRS by filing IRS Class 2553. Click here to learn more almost S-Corporations.

Note: When registering a new visitor The Secretary of Land can take several weeks to file the paperwork (California is ane of the slower states in the United states of america). Yous tin expedite the process by mitt delivering the documents directly to them or ane of their field offices and paying an additional fee.

TIP: Bank check our order form to run across how long California is currently taking to process regular and expedited orders.

How to File a DBA in California

DBAs are filed with the county. You'll want to contact your local County Recorder to discover out exactly what forms to submit and what they're submission process is. You can find the local canton recorder's part by searching "YOURCOUNTY county recorder".

Obtain and file the correct forms with the count to annals your DBA.
NOTE: some counties allow you search the name and annals online. Others require the class to exist notarized.
Publish a detect in an approved newspaper. The county can instruct y'all on approved newspapers. Publication must be in one case a week for 4 consecutive weeks. After the 4th publication, the newspaper company should transport you lot a Proof of Publication, (every bit a signed affirmation indicating dates of publication in their newspaper).
File Proof of Publication with the County Clerk's Office within 30 days afterwards the quaternary publication.
NOTE: Some paper companies may provide this service for y'all, but filing the proof is still your responsibility.

Optional Considerations when registering a California business

Rent a professional person Registered Agent. Many people list their home or concern accost on the Articles of Organization. This can cause issues because it becomes public record (yous'll get lots of junk mail). A professional Registered Amanuensis will provide their accost and frontward any of import documents to you, this is likewise convenient if you have to movement (you don't have to file forms or pay fees, simply update your address with your agent).

Learn more about fast and affordable LLC and Incorporation services
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Contact our friendly support team if y'all have whatever questions

Footstep 4: Obtain Your Federal Employer ID Number (FEIN)

Your EIN is similar your Social Security Number for your visitor. It's required for Corporations and LLCs and is optional for DBAs unless you take employees (then it'south required). If you are a DBA and don't obtain an EIN y'all will be forced to use your Social Security Number on many documents so obtaining the EIN is recommended to prevent identity theft.

To obtain an EIN yous can apply online with the IRS or via IRS Form SS-4.

TIP: We will obtain your EIN for you if nosotros form your visitor.

Step 5: Open Business Bank & Credit Accounts

You lot'll need to keep business and personal finances separate by opening a business organisation banking company and credit accounts. Learn more about how to build your business credit profile. Corporations and LLCs are required to operate these types of accounts, but they position your visitor for favorable loans and lines of credit. Call your preferred depository financial institution and ask how to open up a business organisation bank business relationship. Typically you'll demand the following documents:

Filed paperwork
EIN
Company resolution signed past the owners, members, officers, directors, etc. that authorizes your company to open an account.

Click here to view a list of our recommended banks in our Vendor Network.

TIP: Our business formation service includes a free banking solution.

Step 6: Set up an Accounting System

Set up your Accounting and Record-keeping system and learn about the taxes your new visitor is responsible for paying.

Visitor documents generally are required to be kept for 3 years, including a list of all owners and addresses, copies of all formation documents, financial statements, annual reports, amendments, or changes to the company. All Tax and Corporate Filings should be kept for at least 3 years. View our "Bookkeeping & Financial Management" section for assist with setting up an accounting organisation and purchasing accounting software.

Review our list of Accountants, Accounting Software, and Bookkeepers in our Vendor Network.

Footstep 7: Obtain Licenses & Permits

Now that you've registered your business name you need to obtain a business license for your company – this authorizes your company to do concern in your metropolis or county. Typically this also involves registering for state taxes and permits (the metropolis may require them every bit part of the business licensing process).

Click here to explore our Business License Compliance Package.

Step 8: Hire Employees (if applicative)

If yous intend to hire yourself or others as a full or part-time employee of your company, then you may have to register with the appropriate State Agencies or obtain Workers Compensation Insurance or Unemployment Insurance (or both). View our "Employees & Payroll" section for help with hiring employees and processing payroll.

Review our list of recommended Payroll Providers in our Vendor Network.

Footstep 9: Obtain Concern Insurance

There are many types of insurance for businesses but they are unremarkably packaged as "General Business Insurance" or a "Business Owner's Policy". This can cover everything from product liability to company vehicles. A decent policy tin can run every bit little as $300/year and offers a great extra level of protection.

Click here to view our listing of insurance providers in our Vendor Network.

Step 10: Organize & Systemize

Prepare the business concern as if someone needed to take it over and run it for you. This ways having a method to process orders, pay bills, pay employees, pay taxes, maintain your permits, etc. Basically, effort to make the operational aspect of the business equally automatic and efficient as possible so you tin can concentrate on growing your business. View our "Manage Your Company" department for help with systemizing and automating your business organisation.

Step xi: Branding & Marketing

Now that your company is fix up for success, you lot need to get the discussion out. Create a marketing program for your products and services that targets your platonic customer. View our "Marketing & Sales" section for help for more data.

Visit our preferred vendors for Logo/Business Identity and Marketing.

Step 12: Annual & Ongoing Requirements

DBA:Your Fictitious Business Proper noun should be valid for 5 years (unless yous change the company proper name or other information listed on the FBN) at which point you'll need to renew it with the canton.

LLC:California companies are required to file an Initial Statement of Information within 90 days of filing articles of organization. They must also file Biennial Statements of Information with the California Secretarial assistant of Country biennially past the terminate of the month of your business' anniversary, in add-on to general taxation. California also requires a minimum $800 fee to the Franchise Tax Lath each year (merely businesses are exempt their first yr in business). Depending on the nature of your business, you may also need to periodically renew operating permits.

Corporation:Your business must keep corporate records at its chief identify of business organisation. In one case every two years by the company'southward anniversary engagement, an officer of your corporation must file an annual report. LLCs and Corporations will pay a filing cost of $300.

Click here to view our MyCompanyWorks Premium™ service which can automate most of your ongoing compliance tasks.

California Secretarial assistant of Land

California State Tax Departments

California State Treasurer's Part

Department of Consumer Affairs Licensing

California Country Labor and Employment Departments

Labor and Workforce Development Agency

California Startup Resources

ane. California Small Business Administration

Small Business Assistants (SBA) California Country District Role

Usa Small Business Administration

2. SCORE Mentors

SCORE California

SCORE is made upward of active and retired business people who volunteer their time to support startup businesses. From coaching to funding resources, finding a local SCORE mentor can save precious time and money.

California Business Programs
California Small Business organisation Development Heart (SBDC) Network
California Job Link Employer Portal
Tax Information For California Businesses

3. California State Legal Statutes:

California Business Corporation Act
California State Express Liability Companies – the specific human activity that applies to California State LLCs.
California Land Businesses and Professions – includes regulations on topics such equally business concern and professions codes.

4. California State Chambers of Commerce

5. California Affections Investors

A list of California Affections Investors

half-dozen. California Business organization News

California Business organisation Journal
Los Angeles Daily Business concern News
NFIB California Business News

vii. California State Small-scale Business Development Center

California Minor Business Development Center Network

8. California Dark-green Business Network

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