California LLC status check
What keeps a California LLC or corporation in good standing, what happens if a filing is missed, and how to check your status yourself. Taken from the official rules published by California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division (entity records); Franchise Tax Board handles franchise/LLC taxes.
Check your California status
On the state’s own site: open the official business search (California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division (entity records); Franchise Tax Board handles franchise/LLC taxes). Search your exact registered name and read the status field.
The way a lender sees it: a lender’s system doesn’t just read your status — it matches your exact legal name, your filing, your domain and your email against each other. Run the same checks below.
Free check: what a lender’s system sees
Standing in California, exact legal-name match, time in business, domain age, website and business email. No account, no card, under a minute.
What California requires to stay in good standing
| LLC | Corporation | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing | Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) | Statement of Information (Form SI-550, stock corporations) |
| How often | Biennial | Annual |
| When it’s due | Due within 90 days of initial registration, then every two years during a six-month filing window ending on the last day of the LLC's formation/registration month. | Due within 90 days of initial registration, then every year during a six-month filing window ending on the last day of the corporation's incorporation/registration month. |
| State fee | $20 | $25 |
| Annual tax tied to standing | $800 annual LLC tax via Franchise Tax Board, due 15th day of 4th month of the tax year; plus an LLC fee ($900-$11,790) if California income exceeds $250,000. | $800 minimum franchise tax via Franchise Tax Board; corporations newly formed/qualified on or after Jan 1, 2020 are exempt from the minimum tax in their first taxable year. |
Missed it? What happens, and how to fix it
If a filing is missed
Failure to file the Statement of Information can lead to a $250 penalty (collected by FTB) and Secretary of State suspension/forfeiture. Separately, FTB suspends entities that fail to file tax returns or pay taxes, penalties, or interest.
Getting back in good standing
Revivor. File all past-due returns and pay balances, submit FTB 3557 BC (corps) or FTB 3557 LLC, and be in good standing with the SOS (file any missing Statement of Information). Name must still be available.
Why lenders check this before anyone reads your application
An automated know-your-business check compares what you put on an application against the state’s record. A status that isn’t active and in good standing, or a legal name that differs from your filing by a comma or a suffix, is a common silent reason for a decline.
Fixing your status costs nothing beyond the state’s own fees; you don’t need to pay anyone to do it for you.
Common questions
When is the California LLC Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) due?
Due within 90 days of initial registration, then every two years during a six-month filing window ending on the last day of the LLC's formation/registration month. The state fee is $20.
How do I reinstate a California LLC?
California calls it Revivor. File all past-due returns and pay balances, submit FTB 3557 BC (corps) or FTB 3557 LLC, and be in good standing with the SOS (file any missing Statement of Information). Name must still be available.
What happens if I miss the California filing deadline?
Failure to file the Statement of Information can lead to a $250 penalty (collected by FTB) and Secretary of State suspension/forfeiture. Separately, FTB suspends entities that fail to file tax returns or pay taxes, penalties, or interest.
How do I check if my California LLC is in good standing?
Search your exact registered name on California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division (entity records); Franchise Tax Board handles franchise/LLC taxes's business entity search (https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business) and read the status field. To see what a lender's verification system sees - status, exact legal-name match, domain and business email - run Peak Discounters' free fundability check.
Sources
Fees and deadlines change. Always confirm on California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division (entity records); Franchise Tax Board handles franchise/LLC taxes’s own site before you file. Last reviewed October 16, 2026.
- https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/statements
- https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/forms/limited-liability-companies-statement-information
- https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/forms/corporations-statement-information
- https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/business/types/limited-liability-company/index.html
- https://www.ftb.ca.gov/file/business/types/corporations/index.html
- https://www.ftb.ca.gov/help/business/my-business-is-suspended.html
See something wrong or out of date? Email info@peakdiscounters.com and we’ll correct it and re-date the page.
Other states
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