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 LLC 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 LLC that is registered in California wants to do business in Pennsylvania.  The California LLC is a "Domestic" LLC in California and will be a "Foreign" LLC in Pennsylvania.

The California LLC needs to register with the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth as a Pennsylvania Foreign LLC.

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

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

The process of Pennsylvania LLC Foreign Qualification is similar to the process of forming a Domestic LLC in Pennsylvania.  Your original home LLC formation documents (frequently called Articles of Organization) and By Laws apply to your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC.  The Officers and Directors of your home LLC will have the same roles in the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC.  Specific requirements to qualify as a Foreign LLC in Pennsylvania are explained below. 

Once you have made the decision to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in Pennsylvania, a Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania does not legally require a lawyer to form a Pennsylvania Foreign LLC.

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

Once you have made the decision to form a Foreign LLC in Pennsylvania, a Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Foreign LLC.

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

The LLC name that you have registered in your home state may or may not be available in Pennsylvania.  In that case you need a different name your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC.  Whether or not you need to reserve a company name for your new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC depends entirely on your business situation.  The Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth uses LLC 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 Pennsylvania Foreign LLC Name.

If the Name you have chosen for your new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC is already in use by a currently active Pennsylvania Corporation or LLC then you will have to register a DBA Name with the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth.  "DBA" is an abbreviation for "Doing Business As."

We verify that the Name you have chose for your new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC is available before we submit your Foreign LLC filing to the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth.  If necessary we can register a DBA Name in Pennsylvania for you so that you can open your new Pennsylvania business as quickly as possible.

1. Choose a name for your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC
2. File Registration Documents with the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth
3. Determine how you want your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC to be taxed

1. Choose a name for your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC
   
   You can use the same name in Pennsylvania that you use in your home state, however, if the name of your Domestic LLC is not available you need to choose another name.  Your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC 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 Pennsylvania Foreign LLC name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Pennsylvania LLC or other business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Pennsylvania.  Your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in the Articles of Organization for your Domestic LLC and your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
   
   The name of a Pennsylvania Foreign LLC must include the word "Limited Liability Company" or or the abbreviation "LLC" or "L.L.C.".
   
   It's important to choose a good name for your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC because if you want to change it after you qualify you will have to file amended documents with the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth (and pay a fee).
   We will check to make sure that your requested Pennsylvania Foreign LLC name is available and conforms to all state of Pennsylvania Limited Liability Company naming regulations.
2. File Registration Documents with the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth
   
   In order to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in Pennsylvania you must file Registration Documents with the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth.  In Pennsylvania the registration documents are named "Application for Regisration".
   
   The registration documents must include certain specific information about your Pennsylvania business.  If the LLC Registration Documents do not conform exactly to state of Pennsylvania Foreign LLC requirements they will be rejected. 
   
   If you need to change any of the information on your registration documents after your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC has been approved, you may amend the registration documents for your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC but you will have to pay a fee to the state of Pennsylvania in order to make the changes official.
   
   
3. Determine how you want your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC to be taxed
   
   The Pennsylvania Corporate Income Tax Rate is 9.99%.  You may choose that your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC is 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 Corporations. 
   
   You may choose to have your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC 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 Pennsylvania Corporate Income Tax.
   
   Domestic (incorporated in Pennsylvania) and foreign Corporations (incorporated outside Pennsylvania) doing business in Pennsylvania are subject to the Pennsylvania Corporate Income Tax and the Pennsylvania Corporate Loans Tax.  In addition, Pennsylvania Corporations must pay capital stock tax, and foreign corporations must pay foreign franchise tax.
   
   If you form a Single Member Pennsylvania Foreign LLC and do not specify to the IRS how you want to be taxed your Single Member Pennsylvania Foreign LLC will be taxed as a Sole Proprietorship.  If you form a Multiple Member Pennsylvania Foreign LLC and do not specify to the IRS how you want to be taxed your Multiple Member Pennsylvania Foreign LLC will be taxed as a Partnership.
   
   Click here for more Pennsylvania Corporate Tax Information .
   If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC and include it with your final Foreign LLC documents.

1. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
2. File the required reports for your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC
3. Keep proper records of your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC on file
4. Pay your taxes to the state of Pennsylvania

1. Obtain Business Licenses from the cities and counties in which you plan to do business
   
   Note that forming a Pennsylvania Foreign LLC doesn't take the place of obtaining a local business license, tax registration certificate, or other required business permits.  A Pennsylvania Foreign LLC 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 Pennsylvania Foreign LLC within Pennsylvania you may need to get one or more local business licenses or permits.  The business licenses or permits that are required for your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC vary depending on your business activities and the specific locations within the state of Pennsylvania in which you want to conduct business.
   
   If your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC will be selling products in Pennsylvania you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate Pennsylvania state agency.  If your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC will be selling products in Pennsylvania you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Foreign LLC
   
   The Pennsylvania includes basic information about your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC including information on your business location as well as the names of the Officers and Directors.
   
   Failure to submit a properly completed Pennsylvania to the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth on or before the due date may subject the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC to being administratively dissolved in the state of Pennsylvania or having its authority to transact business in the state of Pennsylvania revoked by the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth.
   
   Penalties may accrue if you fail to file any Pennsylvania Foreign LLC to the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth by the due date.
   
   
3. Keep proper records of your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC on file
   
   Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC:
   • Names and addresses of all Members and Managers of the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC
   • Foreign LLC formation documents and any Amendments to them
   • Pennsylvania Foreign LLC Operating Agreement and any Amendments to them
   • Copies of any LLC Resolutions which have been adopted by the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC
   • Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC for the last 3 years
   
   
4. Pay your taxes to the state of Pennsylvania
   
   Foreign LLCs that either do business in the state of Pennsylvania or that derive income from sources within the state of Pennsylvania are subject to Pennsylvania and federal tax laws.  If you are engaged in intrastate business and derive income from other states besides Pennsylvania, you must allocate the amount of income derived from the state of Pennsylvania in order to determine your Pennsylvania state taxes.

In order to Form a Foreign LLC in Pennsylvania you'll need the following information about your LLC:

• The name of your new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC along with your second choice of a name in case the name that you want is not available
• Physical address of the Foreign LLC office in Pennsylvania (not a PO Box)
• A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC
• When the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC will start and when it will cease to exist (normally the Foreign LLC starts on the date the application is filed and will exist perpetually)
• The yearly tax closing month of the Pennsylvania Foreign LLC

Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Form a Foreign LLC in Pennsylvania 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 LLC in Pennsylvania.

Processing times for new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC applications vary depending on the work load of the Secretary of the Commonwealth's staff.  We've found that normal processing of new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC applications takes the state around 7-10 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 Pennsylvania Foreign LLC.

The Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth 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 Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth.

In our experience 7-10 business days is the time it usually takes the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth to process a new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC application. We get your Pennsylvania Foreign LLC application to the PA Secretary of the Commonwealth ASAP. Once it is at the state we have no control over the new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC application process.

The state of Pennsylvania charges $293.00 to Form a Foreign LLC in PA.  If you choose All Business Documents to help you Form your Foreign LLC in Pennsylvania our processing fees are $145.00.  This includes:

• Same day processing in of your new Pennsylvania Foreign LLC order
• PA Name Check and Reservation
• Prepare Application for Regisration
• File Formation Documents with the Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth
• Certified Copies of Formation Documents
• Pennsylvania Foreign LLC Checklist
• Priority Mail Delivery
• Unlimited Customer Support