California does not issue its own EIN. Every business operating in the state uses the free federal Employer Identification Number assigned by the IRS. When people search for a California state EIN number, they’re usually trying to sort out that federal EIN from the separate state-level ID numbers California agencies assign, because the state uses several of them and they serve different purposes.
Here’s the short version: you get one federal EIN from the IRS, and depending on what your business does in California, you may also end up with an eight-digit payroll account number from the Employment Development Department, an entity number from the Secretary of State, and an entity ID used by the Franchise Tax Board. None of those are your federal EIN, and the federal EIN doesn’t replace any of them.
The California State ID Numbers You Might Actually Need
Three state-issued numbers come up most often, and mixing them up is where most people get stuck.
EDD State Employer Identification Number (SEIN)
The California Employment Development Department assigns an eight-digit employer payroll tax account number once you register as an employer. This number is also called a State Employer Identification Number, or SEIN. You use it for every EDD interaction: filing payroll tax returns, submitting wage reports, and making payments.1Employment Development Department. Am I Required to Register as an Employer? It is not your federal EIN. Different agency, different number.
Secretary of State Entity Number
When you form a corporation, LLC, or limited partnership with the California Secretary of State, you receive an entity number at registration. Corporations get a seven-digit number beginning with the letter “C.” LLCs and limited partnerships get a twelve-digit number with no letter prefix.2California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions This identifies your business in state records and is separate from both the federal EIN and the EDD account number.
Franchise Tax Board Entity ID
The Franchise Tax Board uses a state-issued entity ID to manage your California income and franchise tax account. The number can be 7, 10, 11, or 12 digits long. For incorporated businesses, it’s typically the same number the Secretary of State assigned when you formed the entity.3Franchise Tax Board. 199N e-Postcard – Entity ID or California Corporation Number The FTB no longer accepts a federal EIN to register for MyFTB, add a business to your account, or request a Tax Information Authorization. You have to use an ID number issued by the State of California.4Franchise Tax Board. Business Entity ID Number Help
How to Get Your Federal EIN
A federal EIN costs nothing. The IRS issues it directly, and the fastest route is the online EIN Assistant on the IRS website, which generates the number immediately when you finish the application.5Internal Revenue Service. Get an Employer Identification Number The online tool runs Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Eastern time, Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sundays from 6:00 p.m. to midnight.
If online doesn’t work for you, you can fax or mail Form SS-4. Faxed applications return an EIN in about four business days. Mailed applications take roughly four weeks.6Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number The form asks for your business’s legal name, mailing address, entity type, and reason for applying. You’ll also identify a “responsible party,” meaning the person who controls the entity and its assets, along with that person’s Social Security Number or taxpayer ID.
One warning. Make sure you’re on the real IRS site (irs.gov) when you apply. The Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters in 2025 to operators of websites charging up to $300 for what the IRS provides free, often using domain names containing “IRS” and mimicking the IRS site’s look to confuse consumers.7Federal Trade Commission. FTC Warns Operators of Websites that Charge for an Employer Identification Number If a site asks for a fee, close it and go to irs.gov directly.
How to Register for a California SEIN
If you have employees in California, the SEIN is the state number you’ll deal with most. You must register with the EDD as an employer within 15 days of paying more than $100 in wages in a calendar quarter, or $750 in cash wages as a household employer.1Employment Development Department. Am I Required to Register as an Employer? The registration form asks for your nine-digit federal EIN so that unemployment insurance tax credits apply correctly when you later file federal Form 940.8Employment Development Department. Employers: Payroll Tax Account Registration
Register online through the EDD’s e-Services for Business portal. Create a username and password, verify your email within 24 hours, then log in and select “New Employer” to complete the application.9Employment Development Department. Enroll in e-Services for Business as an Employer Once registered, the EDD assigns the eight-digit SEIN you’ll use for every future payroll tax filing.
If You Sell Goods: The CDTFA Seller’s Permit
Selling tangible goods in California means you also need a seller’s permit from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. The online registration asks for your federal EIN if you’re a partnership, corporation, LLC, or most other entity types, along with information about your projected monthly sales and the products you’ll sell.10California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Online Services — Registration The seller’s permit account number is a separate CDTFA-issued identifier, not another EIN.
When a Business Needs a New EIN
Your federal EIN stays with the business for life. You don’t need a new one just because the business name or address changed. Structural changes are different, and the IRS lists specific triggers by entity type:11Internal Revenue Service. When to Get a New EIN
- Sole proprietors need a new EIN if they incorporate, form a partnership, or declare bankruptcy.
- Corporations need a new EIN when they receive a new charter from the Secretary of State, become a subsidiary, convert to a partnership or sole proprietorship, or merge to create a new corporation.
- Partnerships need a new EIN if they incorporate, dissolve and start a new partnership, or if a partner takes over the business as a sole proprietor.
- LLCs need a new EIN if they terminate the LLC and form a new corporation or partnership, or if a single-member LLC begins filing excise or employment taxes.
- Various changes in trust type, or creating a trust from estate funds, trigger a new EIN requirement for trusts and estates.
If any of these apply, go through the full EIN application again. The old EIN stays on IRS record but can’t be used for the restructured entity.
Finding a Lost EIN
Losing track of an EIN happens often, especially years after you applied. Start with the confirmation notice the IRS sent when it assigned the number. If you applied online, that notice would have been available for immediate download. Previous federal tax returns also show the EIN near the top of the first page.
Other places worth checking: business bank account paperwork, loan applications, and state or local license filings that required the number. If none of those turn it up, call the IRS Business and Specialty Tax Line at 800-829-4933, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. your local time (Alaska and Hawaii follow Pacific time). An agent will verify your identity and provide the number over the phone if you’re authorized to receive it.6Internal Revenue Service. Employer Identification Number
For a lost California entity number or FTB entity ID, you can search the Secretary of State’s business database or call the FTB directly.3Franchise Tax Board. 199N e-Postcard – Entity ID or California Corporation Number