In the United States, just because you are registered to do business in one state does not mean that you can legally do business in another state.  If you want to transact any serious business in a state other than the state in which your Corporation is registered, most likely you will have to register with the state in which you want to do business before you can legally conduct business there. 

For example, a Corporation that is registered in California wants to do business in Nevada.  The California Corporation is a "Domestic" Corporation in California and will be a "Foreign" Corporation in Nevada.

The California Foreign Corporation needs to register with the Nevada Secretary of State as a Nevada Foreign Corporation.

The use of the term Foreign in this case refers specifically to individual US states.  The US government, including the IRS, considers a Foreign Corporation to be a Corporation that is registered outside of the United States.

You want to do business in the state of Nevada but are registered as a "Domestic Corporation" in another state.  In order to legally conduct business in the state of Nevada you must register with the Nevada Secretary of State as a Foreign Corporation.  The process of registering as a Foreign Corporation in Nevada is called Nevada Corporation Foreign Qualification.

The process of Nevada Corporation Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic Corporation in Nevada.  Your original Domestic Corporation formation documents (usually called Articles of Incorporation) and By Laws apply to your Nevada Foreign Corporation.  The Officers and Directors of your Domestic Corporation have the same roles in the Nevada Foreign Corporation.  Specific requirements to qualify as a Foreign Corporation in Nevada are explained below. 

Once you have made the decision to Qualify as a Foreign Corporation in Nevada, a Nevada lawyer can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents to perform these services.

The short answer is no.  The state of Nevada does not legally require a lawyer to form a Nevada Foreign Corporation.

Our detailed Foreign Corporation Information page may help you understand some of the implications of forming a Nevada Foreign Corporation.  However, if there is anything about forming a Foreign Corporation in Nevada that you're not sure about you should seek the advice of a competent Nevada lawyer, a Nevada accountant, or both before you form a Foreign Corporation in Nevada.

Once you have made the decision to form a Foreign Corporation in Nevada, a Nevada lawyer can file your documents and act as a middle man for a few hundred dollars an hour; or you can use an online service provider like All Business Documents to perform these services and save money that you can use in your new Nevada Foreign Corporation.

You are not legally required to reserve a Company Name for a new Nevada Foreign Corporation before you submit your application to Form a Foreign Corporation in Nevada.

The Foreign Corporation name that you have registered in your home state may or may not be available in Nevada.  In that case you need a different name your Nevada Foreign Corporation.  Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new Nevada Foreign Corporation depends entirely on your business situation.  The Nevada Secretary of State uses names on a first come first served basis.  So if you think that someone may snatch the Company Name that you have in mind, you may want to reserve that Nevada Foreign Corporation Name.

If the Name you have chosen for your new Nevada Foreign Corporation is already in use by a currently active Nevada Foreign Corporation or LLC then you will have to register a DBA Name with the county recorder in each Nevada county in which you want to do business. "DBA" is an abbreviation for "Doing Business As."

We verify that the Name you have chose for your new Nevada Foreign Corporation is available before we submit your Foreign Corporation filing to the Nevada Secretary of State. 

1. Prove that you are registered in a state other than Nevada as a Domestic Corporation
   
   In order to register as a Foreign Corporation in the state of Nevada, you must first prove that you are registered in another state as a Domestic Corporation.  The state of Nevada requires a certified copy of the formation documents from the home state of the Domestic Corporation.  These documents are usually called Articles of Incorporation.  If the formation documents have been amended then the Nevada Secretary of State also requires certified copy of all amendments.

   We can get Certified Copies of your formation documents, as well as any other documents which have been filed, in any state.
2. Choose a name for your Nevada Foreign Corporation
   
   You can use the same name in Nevada that you use in your home state, however, if the name of your Domestic Corporation is not available you need to choose another name.  Your Nevada Foreign Corporation name can identify the type of products and services your business will provide; or it may be the name of the founder; or it can be a combination of the two or something else.
   
   In any case, the Nevada Foreign Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Nevada Corporation or other business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Nevada.  Your Nevada Foreign Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in the Your Nevada Foreign Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
   
   The name of a Nevada Foreign Corporation must include the word "Foreign Corporation" or "Incorporated" or an abbreviation of one of these words.
   
   It's important to choose a good name for your Nevada Foreign Corporation because if you want to change it after you qualify you will have to file amended documents with the Nevada Secretary of State (and pay a fee).
   We will check to make sure that your requested Nevada Foreign Corporation name is available and conforms to all state of Nevada Foreign Corporation naming regulations.
3. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Nevada Foreign Corporation
   
   Every Nevada Foreign Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of Nevada.  This address is "registered" with the Nevada Secretary of State.  The Registered Address cannot be a PO Box and is where official and legal correspondence can be delivered.
   
   The individual or company that is registered with the state of Nevada to receive all correspondence on behalf of the Nevada Foreign Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".  You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Nevada Foreign Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical address within the state of Nevada or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
   We provide Registered Agent services in Nevada as well as in all other states.
4. File Registration Documents with the Nevada Secretary of State
   
   In order to Qualify as a Foreign Corporation in Nevada you must file Registration Documents with the Nevada Secretary of State.  In Nevada the registration documents are named "Qualification to do Business in Nevada".
   
   The registration documents must include certain specific information about your Nevada business.  If the Registration Documents do not conform exactly to state of Nevada requirements they will be rejected. 
   
   If you need to change any of the information on your registration documents after your Nevada Foreign Corporation has been approved, you may amend the registration documents for your Nevada Foreign Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to the state of Nevada in order to make the changes official.
   
   
5. Determine how you want your Nevada Foreign Corporation to be taxed
   
     You may choose that your Nevada Foreign Corporation to be taxed as a C Corporation or S Corporation. 
   
   A C Corporation is what you may think of as a traditional Corporation like General Electric or Ford.  C Corporations pay a Corporate income tax to the state if that state taxes Foreign Corporations. 
   
   You may choose to have your Nevada Foreign Corporation taxed as a S Corporation.  S Corporations "pass through" all corporate profits to the shareholders (owners) who then pay tax at their applicable personal rate.  S Corporations do not pay any Nevada Corporate Income Tax.
   
   While Nevada has no Corporation Income Tax, most Nevada Corporations must pay an annual $200 Business License Fee to the Nevada Secretary of State.  The Nevada Business License Fee was formerly handled by the Nevada Department of Taxation.
   We can prepare the S Corporation election form for your Nevada Foreign Corporation and include it with your final Foreign Corporation documents package.

1. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
   
   Note that forming a Nevada Foreign Corporation does not take the place of obtaining a local business license, tax registration certificate, or other required business permits.  A Nevada Foreign Corporation merely creates an ownership structure that limits the owners' personal liability.  You may still need to take care of getting set up to do business with your local government.
   
   Depending on the nature of the business and the location of your Nevada Foreign Corporation within Nevada you may need to get one or more local business licenses or permits.  The business licenses or permits that are required for your Nevada Foreign Corporation vary depending on your business activities and the specific locations within the state of Nevada in which you want to conduct business.
   
   If your Nevada Foreign Corporation will be selling products in Nevada you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate Nevada state agency.  If your Nevada Foreign Corporation will be selling products in Nevada you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of Nevada sales taxes if there are any.
   We have the expertise to find out exactly which state and local permits that you need for your specific business.
2. File the required reports for your Nevada Foreign Corporation
   
   An Initial List of Officers, Directors and Resident Agent must be submitted to the Nevada Secretary of State before the last day of the month following the month in which the Nevada Corporation was formed.  In addition, an Annual List of Officers, Directors and Resident Agent must be filed with the Nevada Secretary of State each year.  The filing fee is based on the value of the Nevada Corporation's total authorized stock.
   
   The Nevada Corporation Annual Report includes basic information about your Nevada Foreign Corporation including information on your Officers and Directors.
   
   Failure to submit a properly completed Nevada to the Nevada Secretary of State on or before the due date may subject the Nevada Foreign Corporation to being administratively dissolved in the state of Nevada or having its authority to transact business in the state of Nevada revoked by the Nevada Secretary of State.
   
   Penalties may accrue if you fail to file any Nevada Foreign Corporation to the Nevada Secretary of State by the due date.
3. Keep proper records of your Nevada Foreign Corporation on file
   
   Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your Nevada Foreign Corporation:

   • Names and addresses of all Directors and Officers of the Nevada Foreign Corporation
   • Foreign Corporation formation documents and any Amendments to them
   • Corporate Bylaws and any Amendments to them
   • List of current shareholders of the Foreign Nevada Foreign Corporation.  If shareholders change, keep a record of old shareholders and how stock was transferred.
   • Minutes of all Meetings of Shareholders and Directors
   • Copies of any Corporate Resolutions which have been adopted by the Nevada Foreign Corporation
   • Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the Nevada Foreign Corporation for the last 3 years
   
   
4. Pay your taxes to the state of Nevada
   
   Foreign Corporations that either do business in the state of Nevada or that derive income from sources within the state of Nevada are subject to Nevada and federal tax laws.  If you are engaged in intrastate business and derive income from other states besides Nevada, you must allocate the amount of income derived from the state of Nevada in order to determine your Nevada state taxes.

Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Form a Foreign Corporation in Nevada becomes part of the public record.  Our data entry forms include the absolute minimum amount of information that is required in order to Form a new Foreign Corporation in Nevada.

The Nevada Secretary of State requires that you register your Nevada Foreign Corporation under the exact name that it was registered in .  Your Domestic Corporation name may be in use by an active Nevada Corporation.

If your Corporation name is in use by an existing active Nevada Corporation or LLC, you must register a Fictitious Name for your Nevada Foreign Corporation in each Nevada county in which you want to do business.

Processing times for new Nevada Foreign Corporation applications vary depending on the work load of the Secretary of State's staff.  We've found that normal processing of new Nevada Foreign Corporation applications takes the state around 5 business days.  Add 2-3 days for the time period for shipping the final documents by mail.  Choosing our Express Mail option can shave a couple of days off the total processing time for your new Nevada Foreign Corporation.
The Nevada Secretary of State reserves the right to extend expedite periods in time of extreme volume, staff shortage or equipment malfunction.  We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the Nevada Secretary of State.

In our experience 5 business days is the time it usually takes the Nevada Secretary of State to process a new Nevada Foreign Corporation application. We get your Nevada Foreign Corporation application to the NV Secretary of State ASAP. Once it is at the state we have no control over the new Nevada Foreign Corporation application process. Also, please note that the Nevada Secretary of State requires a Certified Copy of the Articles of Incorporation from the home, or domestic, state to be submitted with the application for a Nevada Foreign Corporation Qualification. Depending on the home state it could take 5 business days or more to obtain the Certified Copy of the Articles of Incorporation from the Secretary of State in the home state.