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 Indiana.  The California LLC is a "Domestic" LLC in California and will be a "Foreign" LLC in Indiana.

The California LLC needs to register with the Indiana Secretary of State as an Indiana 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 Indiana but are registered as a LLC in another state.  In order to legally conduct business in the state of Indiana you must register with the Indiana Secretary of State as a Foreign LLC.  The process of registering as a Foreign LLC in Indiana is called Indiana LLC Foreign Qualification.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Indiana a DBA Name is called a Assumed Business Name.

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

1. Prove that you are registered in a state other than Indiana as a Domestic LLC
2. Choose a name for your Indiana Foreign LLC
3. File Registration Documents with the Indiana Secretary of State
4. Determine how you want your Indiana Foreign LLC to be taxed

1. Prove that you are registered in a state other than Indiana as a Domestic LLC
   
   In order to register as a Foreign LLC in the state of Indiana, you must first prove that you are registered in another state as a Domestic LLC.  You prove this with a Certificate of Good Standing, sometimes referred to as a Certificate of Existence or a Certificate of Fact, from the state in which you are registered as a Domestic LLC.  Cost of a Good Standing Certificate for your Domestic LLC varies from state to state.
   
   
   If you already have a Good Standing Certificate from your home state, please note that it must be dated no older than 60 days from the date of your application for Indiana LLC Foreign Qualification.
   
   
   If the date on your Good Standing Certificate is older than 60 days then you need to get an updated certificate.   If you get your own Good Standing Certificate you must scan and email or send a copy to us before we submit your application for a Indiana Foreign LLC.
   We can get your LLC Good Standing Certificate from any state - in most states within 2-3 hours.
2. Choose a name for your Indiana Foreign LLC
   
   You can use the same name in Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana Foreign LLC name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Indiana LLC or other business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Indiana.  Your Indiana 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 Indiana Foreign LLC name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
   
   The name of an Indiana 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 Indiana Foreign LLC because if you want to change it after you qualify you will have to file amended documents with the Indiana Secretary of State (and pay a fee).
   We will check to make sure that your requested Indiana Foreign LLC name is available and conforms to all state of Indiana Limited Liability Company naming regulations.
3. File Registration Documents with the Indiana Secretary of State
   
   In order to Qualify as a Foreign LLC in Indiana you must file Registration Documents with the Indiana Secretary of State.  In Indiana the registration documents are named "Application for Certificate of Authority of a Foreign Limited Liability Company".
   
   The registration documents must include certain specific information about your Indiana business.  If the LLC Registration Documents do not conform exactly to state of Indiana Foreign LLC requirements they will be rejected. 
   
   If you need to change any of the information on your registration documents after your Indiana Foreign LLC has been approved, you may amend the registration documents for your Indiana Foreign LLC but you will have to pay a fee to the state of Indiana in order to make the changes official.
   
   
4. Determine how you want your Indiana Foreign LLC to be taxed
   
   The Indiana Corporate Income Tax Rate is 8.5%.  You may choose that your Indiana 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 Indiana 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 Indiana Corporate Income Tax.
   
   If you form a Single Member Indiana Foreign LLC and do not specify to the IRS how you want to be taxed your Single Member Indiana Foreign LLC will be taxed as a Sole Proprietorship.  If you form a Multiple Member Indiana Foreign LLC and do not specify to the IRS how you want to be taxed your Multiple Member Indiana Foreign LLC will be taxed as a Partnership.
   
   Click here for more Indiana Corporate Tax Information .
   If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your Indiana 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 Indiana Foreign LLC
3. Keep proper records of your Indiana Foreign LLC on file
4. Pay your taxes to the state of Indiana

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

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

• The name of your new Indiana 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 Indiana (not a PO Box)
• A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the Indiana Foreign LLC
• A good standing certificate from your home state no older that 60 days
• Whether the Indiana Foreign LLC will be managed by LLC Members or Managers
• When the Indiana 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)

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

Processing times for new Indiana Foreign LLC applications vary depending on the work load of the Secretary of State's staff.  We've found that normal processing of new Indiana Foreign LLC applications takes the state around 1-2 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 Indiana Foreign LLC.

The Indiana 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 Indiana Secretary of State.

In our experience 1-2 business days is the time it usually takes the Indiana Secretary of State to process a new Indiana Foreign LLC application. We get your Indiana Foreign LLC application to the IN Secretary of State ASAP. Once it is at the state we have no control over the new Indiana Foreign LLC application process.

The state of Indiana charges $120.00 to Form a Foreign LLC in IN.  Also add the cost of a good standing certificate from your home state.   If you choose All Business Documents to help you Form your Foreign LLC in Indiana our processing fees are $145.00.  This includes:

• Same day processing in of your new Indiana Foreign LLC order
• IN Name Check and Reservation
• Prepare Application for Certificate of Authority of a Foreign Limited Liability Company
• File Formation Documents with the Indiana Secretary of State
• Certified Copies of Formation Documents
• Indiana Foreign LLC Checklist
• Priority Mail Delivery
• Unlimited Customer Support