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 Florida.  The California Corporation is a "Domestic" Corporation in California and will be a "Foreign" Corporation in Florida.

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

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

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

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

Once you have made the decision to form a Foreign Corporation in Florida, a Florida 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 Florida Foreign Corporation.

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

In Florida a DBA Name is called a Fictitious Name.

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

1. Prove that you are registered in a state other than Florida as a Domestic Corporation
   In order to register as a Foreign Corporation in the state of Florida, you must first prove that you are registered in another state as a Domestic Corporation.  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 Corporation.  Cost of a Good Standing Certificate for your Domestic Corporation varies from state to state.
   
   
   If you already have a Good Standing Certificate from your home state, note that it must be dated no older than 90 days from the date of your application for Florida Corporation Foreign Qualification.
   
   
   If the date on your Good Standing Certificate is older than 90 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 Florida Foreign Corporation.
   We can get your Good Standing Certificate from any state - in most states within 2-3 hours.
2. Choose a name for your Florida Foreign Corporation
   You can use the same name in Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida Foreign Corporation name that you choose must be distinguishable from the name of any other registered Florida Corporation or other business entity and the name must also be different from any reserved names on record with the state of Florida.  Your Florida Foreign Corporation name must not imply that it was formed for a purpose other than that stated in the Your Florida Foreign Corporation name must not be a name that is likely to mislead the public.
   
   The name of a Florida 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 Florida Foreign Corporation because if you want to change it after you qualify you will have to file amended documents with the Florida Secretary of State (and pay a fee).
   We will check to make sure that your requested Florida Foreign Corporation name is available and conforms to all state of Florida Foreign Corporation naming regulations.
3. Select an official address and a Registered Agent for your Florida Foreign Corporation
   Every Florida Foreign Corporation must have an address that is physically located in the state of Florida.  This address is "registered" with the Florida 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 Florida to receive all correspondence on behalf of the Florida Foreign Corporation is called a "Registered Agent".  You may act as your own Registered Agent, however, many Florida Foreign Corporations hire a Registered Agent because they don't have a physical address within the state of Florida or to provide a distinct level of privacy.
   As part of our Foreign Qualification services we provide Registered Agent services in Florida as well as in all other states.
4. File Registration Documents with the Florida Secretary of State
   In order to Qualify as a Foreign Corporation in Florida you must file Registration Documents with the Florida Secretary of State.  In Florida the registration documents are named "Application by Foreign Corporation for Authorization to Conduct Transact Business in Florida".
   
   The registration documents must include certain specific information about your Florida business.  If the Registration Documents do not conform exactly to state of Florida requirements they will be rejected. 
   
   If you need to change any of the information on your registration documents after your Florida Foreign Corporation has been approved, you may amend the registration documents for your Florida Foreign Corporation but you will have to pay a fee to the state of Florida in order to make the changes official.
   
   
5. Determine how you want your Florida Foreign Corporation to be taxed
   The Florida Corporate Income Tax Rate is %.  You may choose that your Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida Corporate Income Tax.
   
   In addition to any Florida Corporate Income Taxes, all Florida Corporations must pay an annual supplemental corporate fee of $88.75.  Florida Corporations located in enterprise zones may be eligible for Florida Corporate Income Tax incentives.
   If you choose to be taxed as an S Corporation, we can prepare the S Corporation election form for your Florida 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 Florida Foreign Corporation does not take the place of obtaining a local business license, tax registration certificate, or other required business permits.  A Florida 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 Florida Foreign Corporation within Florida you may need to get one or more local business licenses or permits.  The business licenses or permits that are required for your Florida Foreign Corporation vary depending on your business activities and the specific locations within the state of Florida in which you want to conduct business.
   
   If your Florida Foreign Corporation will be selling products in Florida you may be required to obtain a Reseller's Permit from the appropriate Florida state agency.  If your Florida Foreign Corporation will be selling products in Florida you will also be responsible for all applicable local and state of Florida 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 Florida Foreign Corporation
   An Annual Report must be filed with the Florida Secretary of State every year between January 1 and May 1. The first report must be filed within this period in the year following the calendar year of incorporation.
   
   The Florida Corporation Annual Report includes basic information about your Florida Foreign Corporation including information on your Officers and Directors.
   
   Failure to submit a properly completed Florida to the Florida Secretary of State on or before the due date may subject the Florida Foreign Corporation to being administratively dissolved in the state of Florida or having its authority to transact business in the state of Florida revoked by the Florida Secretary of State.
   
   Penalties may accrue if you fail to file any Florida Foreign Corporation to the Florida Secretary of State by the due date.
   
   
3. Keep proper records of your Florida Foreign Corporation on file
   Keep the following records on file and available at the principal business office of your Florida Foreign Corporation:
   • Names and addresses of all Directors and Officers of the Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida Foreign Corporation
   • Copies of all tax returns and Annual Reports for the Florida Foreign Corporation for the last 3 years
   
   
4. Pay your taxes to the state of Florida
   Foreign Corporations that either do business in the state of Florida or that derive income from sources within the state of Florida are subject to Florida and federal tax laws.  If you are engaged in intrastate business and derive income from other states besides Florida, you must allocate the amount of income derived from the state of Florida in order to determine your Florida state taxes.

In order to Incorporate in Florida you'll need the following information about your new Company:

• The name of your new Florida Foreign Corporation along with your second choice of a name in case the name that you want is not available
  
• Physical address of the Foreign Corporation office in Florida (not a PO Box)
  
• A good standing certificate for your Domestic Corporation from your home state no older that 90 days
• A description of the nature of the business you are planning to operate with the Florida Foreign Corporation
• When the Florida Foreign Corporation will start and when it will cease to exist (normally the Foreign Corporation starts on the date the application is filed and will exist perpetually)
• Names and addresses of the initial Directors of the Florida Foreign Corporation
• Names and addresses of each Officer of the Florida Foreign Corporation

Remember - ALL the information that you provide when you Form a Foreign Corporation in Florida 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 Florida.

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

If your Corporation name is in use by an existing active Florida Corporation or LLC you must specify an alternate name for your Florida Foreign Corporation on the Florida Foreign Qualification application.

Processing times for new Florida Foreign Corporation applications vary depending on the work load of the Secretary of State's staff.  We've found that normal processing of new Florida Foreign Corporation applications takes the state around 10-15 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 Florida Foreign Corporation.
The Florida 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 Florida Secretary of State.

In our experience 10-15 business days is the time it usually takes the Florida Secretary of State to process a new Florida Foreign Corporation application. We get your Florida Foreign Corporation application to the FL Secretary of State ASAP. Once it is at the state we have no control over the new Florida Foreign Corporation application process.

The state of Florida charges $87.5 to Form a Foreign Corporation in FL.  That includes the Secretary of State's filing fee and a Certified Copy of your new Florida Foreign Corporation filing.  Also add the cost of a Good Standing Certificate from your home state.   If you choose us to help you Form your Foreign Corporation in Florida our processing fees are $145.00.  This includes:

• Same day processing of your new Florida Foreign Corporation order
• Prepare Application by Foreign Corporation for Authorization to Conduct Transact Business in Florida
• File Formation Documents with the Florida Secretary of State
• Certified Copies of Formation Documents
• Florida Foreign Corporation Checklist
• Priority Mail Delivery
• Unlimited Customer Support