Last Updated: May 10, 2024 by TRUiC Team


What is a Foreign Limited Liability Company?

If you have an existing LLC and want to register to do business elsewhere, you will need to form a foreign LLC in that state.

What is a Foreign Limited Liability Company?

What is a Foreign LLC

When an LLC expands beyond state lines, it is considered “foreign” by all states except the one it was founded in. It is important to register as a “foreign LLC” in any new states you conduct business in. Failure to do so can lead to piercing your corporate veil, incurring financial penalties, and voiding of important legal contracts.

What qualifies as “conducting business” can vary between states. Typically, an LLC is considered to operate within any state where it has any of the following:

  • A business bank account
  • An office, store, warehouse, or other commercial site
  • Ownership of property
  • A distributor or manufacturer’s representative
  • Meetings or transacts business
  • Employees

We recommend consulting a lawyer about particular circumstances or specific state requirements for registering your foreign Limited Liability Company.

Domestic LLCs vs Foreign LLCs

A domestic LLC just refers to any LLC that operates within the state of its founding. Foreign LLCs are typically subject to the same fees and taxes as Domestic LLCs. For that reason, we recommend not registering your business in any more states than you need to. While there is plenty of hype about founding your business in states like Delaware or Wyoming, this will just lead you to pay an extra set of maintenance fees.

Form Your Foreign Limited Liability Company

*If you have not first filed a domestic LLC please visit our: How to Form an LLC Page.