How to File a California LLC Statement of Information

Every California LLC must file a Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) with the Secretary of State within 90 days of registration and every two years after that. The filing costs $20, takes a few minutes online through bizfileOnline, and skipping it triggers a $250 penalty that can escalate into suspension of your LLC.

When the Filing Is Due

Your first Statement of Information is due within 90 days of the date the Secretary of State registered your LLC. After the initial filing, it repeats every two years during a six-month window tied to your registration month.¹

That window includes your registration month and the five calendar months before it. An LLC registered in August, for instance, can file any time from March 1 through August 31 of its filing year. LLCs registered in even-numbered years file in even years; those registered in odd-numbered years file in odd years. Filing on the first day of the window counts the same as filing on the last.

What Form LLC-12 Asks For

Have these details ready before you start:

Your exact legal LLC name and 12-digit Secretary of State file number, both shown on your Articles of Organization.
A street address for the principal office. P.O. Boxes are not accepted for this field, though you can list a separate mailing address if it differs.
The full name and street address of each manager. If the LLC is member-managed, list every member instead.
The name and California street address of your agent for service of process. If you designate a registered corporate agent, only the corporation’s name is needed on the form.
A brief description of what the business does.

Everything on the form becomes a public record, and the Secretary of State will not remove information that statute requires.²

How to File

Online

The fastest route is bizfileOnline at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov.³ Standard online submissions are typically processed within a few business days, and you can pay the $20 fee by credit card at checkout.

By Mail

Print Form LLC-12, complete it, and mail it with a $20 check or money order payable to the Secretary of State to: Secretary of State, Statement of Information Unit, P.O. Box 944230, Sacramento, CA 94244-2300. Mail submissions can take several weeks, longer during peak periods.

In Person

Documents can be dropped off at the Secretary of State’s office at 1500 11th Street in Sacramento, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays. In-person drop-offs receive priority processing over mail.⁴

Expedited Options

If a deadline is closing in, three paid expedited tiers sit on top of the $20 base fee:

24-hour service: $350, available online or by Sacramento drop-off. Response guaranteed within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.
Same-day service: $750, online or Sacramento drop-off. The filing must reach the Secretary of State by 9:30 a.m. for a response by 4:00 p.m. that day.
4-hour service: $500, Sacramento drop-off only. The document must be precleared and approved in advance.⁴

Changing Information Between Filings

You don’t have to wait for the next biennial cycle to report a change. If the LLC moves, switches agents, or changes managers, the Secretary of State recommends filing an updated Form LLC-12 right away.⁵ Updates filed online carry no fee.¹

Keeping the agent address current matters more than the others. If someone serves your LLC with a lawsuit at an outdated address, you may not learn about it until a default judgment has already been entered.

Confirming the Filing

You can verify processing by searching for your LLC on the Secretary of State’s business search at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov.⁶ The results show current status and recent filings, including PDF copies of Statements of Information on record.

If You Miss the Deadline

Late or missed filings carry a flat $250 penalty. The Secretary of State certifies the failure to file, and the Franchise Tax Board assesses and collects it. No interest accrues, but the penalty is due immediately once assessed.⁷

Continued non-compliance lets the Secretary of State suspend or forfeit the LLC. A suspended LLC cannot conduct business, enter contracts, or defend itself in court.⁸ That last piece is the one people underestimate: if the suspended LLC gets sued, it cannot even respond until the suspension is cured.

Reinstating a Suspended LLC

Getting an LLC back into good standing usually means clearing matters with both the Secretary of State and the Franchise Tax Board:

File all past-due Statements of Information with the Secretary of State.
File all past-due tax returns with the Franchise Tax Board.
Pay outstanding taxes, penalties, and fees, including the $250 late-filing penalty and any unpaid annual franchise tax of $800 per year the LLC was on the books, regardless of revenue.⁹
Submit an Application for Certificate of Revivor (FTB 3557 LLC) to Franchise Tax Board, PO Box 942857, Sacramento, CA 94257-4040.⁸

Costs pile up the longer an LLC sits suspended, because taxes and penalties keep accruing every year. If you registered an LLC and never actually used it, formally canceling it stops the $800 annual tax from continuing to build up.⁹

1
California Secretary of State. Instructions for Completing the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12)
2
California Secretary of State. FAQs – Personal Information in Public Filings
3
California Secretary of State. bizfile
4
California Secretary of State. Service Options
5
California Secretary of State. Statements of Information Filing Tips
6
California Secretary of State. Search – bizfile Online
7
California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 19141
8
Franchise Tax Board. My Business Is Suspended
9
Franchise Tax Board. Limited Liability Company