Move LLC to Different State

$199.00

SKU: FS-MOV-LLC Category: Tag:

Description

Move Your LLC to a Different State

L4SB will move your LLC from its original state to a new (target) state.

This is a new, experimental service offering. Please be prepared for some trial-and-error — and even the states themselves can get confused about this. Rules are changing quickly, and our ability to do this depends on you, the status of your company, and whether the original and target states cooperate.

What’s Included:

  • Lawyer Defined®. Only the very best will do for our clients.
  • Coordinated Paperwork. We’ll coordinate between your original and target states all the paperwork necessary.
  • The Lawyer Defined® Operating Agreement (TM). The best Operating Agreement available (short of hiring an attorney), or we can make simple edits to your existing Operating Agreement if you prefer, to make it compatible with the Target State.
  • Work With Professionals. L4SB employs certified paralegals and trained legal assistants, with immediate escalation to attorneys as necessary.
  • Same Day Service
  • Attorney-Client Confidentiality. Only a law firm like L4SB is governed by the Attorney Professional Rules of Conduct that requires client confidentiality to be treated very seriously.
  • Automatic Privacy. We only convey the absolutely minimum necessary to the state, in an attempt to maximize your privacy.
  • Articles of Organization, Domestication or Merger. As appropriate.
  • Stamped Articles / Certificate of Organization, Domestication or Merger. Necessary to open a bank account, and depends on your target state.
  • Registered Agent Service. Legally required for legal notices and service of process.
  • Potential Attorney-Client Privilege. Read more about this below (including important limitations). Your interactions with our attorneys are privileged, and can provide an extra layer of confidentiality, privacy and protection in some instances.
  • Name Availability Verification
  • Template Corporate/Member Resolutions
  • Tailored Instructions: How to Vote. We give you personalized, tailored instructions on how to properly conduct a vote, given the methods and options you’ve selected in your Couture Operating Agreement.
  • Tailored Instructions: Taxation. We also give you personalized, tailored instructions on the tax status of your organization.
  • Tailored Instructions: Next Steps. Once your organization is formed, we give you a checklist on next steps. If appropriate (i.e. for Asset Purchase and Foreign LLC), we’ll give you an e-Book to help you with your transition.
  • Spousal Consent. Very important when moving into or out of community property states, and is included in the Couture Operating Agreement.
  • Compliance Assistance. Our systems will notify you of important dates and upcoming compliance tasks in your target state.
  • Personalized Dashboard. We are investing heavily in technology, and constantly adding new features to make it easy to keep informed, seek guidance, obtain assistance, and more.
  • Bank Account Anywhere. You can obtain a bank account anywhere in the US, including your target state.
  • From Cradle to Grave. Moving a company may be your first interaction with us — we’ll be here to help you at every step, to provide legal assistance, advice, documents and much, much more (additional fees may apply).

What’s NOT Included:

  • This service does not include dealing with any tax issues, whether federal, state or local.
  • This service does not include local business licensure, permitting, professional licensure or other license issues.
  • This service does not include unforeseen expenses, including but not limited to bringing your LLC into compliance in the original state, paying back taxes or fees owed to any state, resolving naming problems or conflicts, or new fees or changes in fee structures at any state.
Domestication

Domestication is where your LLC literally moves from one state to another. This is only available when both states permit this (meaning, if only one state permits this, even the Target State, you cannot use Domestication). The LLC remains the same, it’s just “domesticated” in a new state. It keeps its same FEIN. It keeps its credit, bank accounts, merchant accounts and everything. The process involves:

  • We verify your LLC is properly setup and in good-standing for the domestication, and we work with you and advise you as appropriate, if your LLC needs work before the domestication.
  • We submit a domestication request to your Original State (i.e. where your LLC is currently domesticated).
  • We submit the Plan of Domestication or Statement of Domestication, as appropriate, to the Target State.
  • We form a new LLC, if required, in those states where it is required.
  • We update and revise your Operating Agreement, to make it compatible with your Target State. If you don’t have an Operating Agreement, we’ll give you a new Couture Operating Agreement — generated by our expert system.
Merger

Merger is where your LLC literally moves from one state to another, by merging into a new surviving LLC and the old LLC is dissolved. This has the same benefits as a domestication, but takes longer and is more expensive. You have a “new” LLC, but it inherits all the attributes and traits of your old LLC. It keeps its same FEIN. It keeps its credit, bank accounts, merchant accounts and everything. The process involves:

  • We verify your LLC is properly setup and in good-standing for the merger, and we work with you and advise you as appropriate, if your LLC needs work before the merger.
  • We form a new LLC in the Target State.
  • We update and revise your Operating Agreement, to make it compatible with your Target State. If you don’t have an Operating Agreement, we’ll give you a new Couture Operating Agreement — generated by our expert system.
  • We submit the Plan of Merger to the Target State.
  • We dissolve the old LLC in the Original State.
Asset Purchase

Asset Purchase is where you literally sell all the assets of your old LLC to a new LLC located in a new state. You have a “new” LLC, with the old assets, but it’s almost like starting over. You will need a new FEIN. You start over from a credit standpoint. Banks will require you to open a new account. Your merchant accounts and other vendor relationships will need to start over and you will need new accounts. The advantage to this, is the expense — it is much cheaper. The process involves:

  • We form a new LLC in the Target State.
  • We update and revise your Operating Agreement, to make it compatible with your Target State. If you don’t have an Operating Agreement, we’ll give you one.
  • We give you an “Asset Purchase Agreement” template, that you use to officially transfer the assets (note that you will need to revise and update this document, as appropriate for your unique circumstances and you will need to transfer the assets yourself to the new LLC).
  • We will give you a “Tips and Tricks for Transferring Assets in an Asset Purchase” e-Book to help guide you.
  • We dissolve the old LLC in the Original State.
Foreign LLC

Foreign LLC is when you keep your existing LLC where it is, but you also register it in the Target State. The advantage is low-cost and speed, but the disadvantage is that you may have to submit taxes in two states. The process involves:

  • We file a foreign LLC in your Target State.

That’s it. Your existing company stays as it is. You are then officially “conducting and transacting business” in both your Original and Target states.

Lawyer Defined®

A L4SB exclusive. This means guaranteed high-quality processes and documents, to maximize your security, privacy, liability and asset protection, and much more. We won’t let you do something that can jeopardize your long-term safety, like our competition. For example, when our competition says you can use their address and provide “free mail service,” doing this violates USPS rules and therefore could be used against you and your company by a plaintiff’s attorney, if you ever found yourself in a lawsuit. We will also advise you, and help you setup your organization structure properly to maximize tax benefits, minimize liability, and ensure legal compliance in all jurisdictions you may operate.

Registered Agent Services

A registered Agent is a person or company with a mailing address (not PO box) in the state your company is registered who can receive service of process and governmental notices on behalf of your company. This is not a physical address for your company. The Law 4 Small Business difference: You’re not alone — We review legal notices sent to your company, and will give you feedback / guide you, if requested.

The Couture Operating Agreement (TM) for LLC’s

Did you know a good Operating Agreement is absolutely critical to minimize costly problems down the road? A good Operating Agreement is one that is written for your specific state laws, tax status, management style, voting requirements and much, much more? This means a “template Operating Agreement” is not going to cut it.

This is why L4SB wrote an expert system that generates a high-quality, highly customized Operating Agreement for you. You will only find this at L4SB. Chose from over 100+ options, and it’s smart — it guides you and makes recommendations based on what it learns from you. It’s the best Operating Agreement you can find, short of spending thousands hiring an attorney.

Potential Attorney-Client Privilege

Attorney-client privilege is a very complicated topic and is never absolute in all circumstances. It typically applies to communications between lawyers and their clients, and if it applies, it’s easy to lose if you’re not careful. To maximize the potential for attorney-client privilege with us, you are encouraged to include an attorney consult and to refrain from sharing your communications with us with any other party, except attorneys who are representing you. Please note that the assertion of attorney-client privilege is your responsibility, not ours. For example, if we are subpoenaed by a court of competent jurisdiction, any assertion of attorney-client privilege in such a circumstance will need to be made by your local counsel or by us if you hire us to represent you in such matter. We will not assert our privilege in any matter, unless we are being paid to represent you and have entered into an Engagement Agreement to do so.

This is a Filing Service, not a Legal Service

Legal services are governed by each state’s Professional Rules of Conduct, which convey numerous duties and obligations on attorneys that you may not normally expect. For example, when performing legal services, it’s critical an attorney does not create a conflict of interest with the client, as well as inform the client of any conflicts of interest. In this instance (for our Move LLC filing service), we do not view nor treat this service as a legal service and therefore do not perform conflicts checking.

Client understands and acknowledges that purchasing the services herein are subject to the following:

General Terms and Conditions

  • This service includes significant research, follow-up and our preparation, processing and handling (collectively valued at a minimum of $300) for the move of your LLC, and the submission of the various applications (remainder of fees). Our services are completed once your entity is moved as ordered, although various aspects of our services complete as we finalize our activities. For example, filing a domestication request with your origination state would represent completion of that service, although we haven’t fully completed all steps for the move.
  • We cannot guarantee that your company name is available in the target state, nor that it can be filed exactly as you’ve requested. For example, even though you’ve had your company for many years in your origination state, another company with the same name could exist in your target state. In such circumstances, we will work with you to figure out options and solutions, but those options and solutions could entire additional costs that we will need to bill you for.
  • You will be billed $129/year after the first year, for Registered Agent services. If your Registered Agent services is terminated, it is your responsibility to change it with the state where your company is filed. If you do not, L4SB may resign and that may cause your company to be put into “not good standing” status with the State. Or, if you don’t change the Registered Agent yourself, we may still receive legal notices on behalf of your company – but these notices will not be forwarded to you because you no longer have the service with us. This could expose you to default judgements.
  • When the “expedited” option is chosen, the timing show is approximated. Law 4 Small Business will usually start processing your order in 2 to 3 business days, but we are dependent on a few factors which include, your response rate as well as the response rate of relevant state agencies and when necessary, the US Postal Service. Also, we often times need to go back and forth between states, which can greatly extend the timeline.  *Note that our expedited fee does NOT include any that are charged by the respective state(s) to expedite filings on their end.  If a state does allow expedited processing (not all do) we will notify you and invoice you for the fees if you wish.

Refund and Cancellation Policy

  • You may request a refund, and provided that we have not completed any services on your behalf, may receive a full refund. There is NO REFUND for completed services. Please note that our services do INCLUDE the preparation, processing and handling (valued at $300) of the order that was placed.  This is true even if the documentation is NOT submitted to the state (for whatever reason). If we have spent time on your behalf in the preparation, processing or handling of your order, we reserve the right to deduct $300 from any refund you request. *Preparation, processing and handling includes trying to contact you (email or phone) to verify and approve our work and drafting of documents, even if you fail to respond to us.
  • Some of the additional options (RUSH fees, FEIN Acquistion, digital certificates, etc.) are NOT refundable
  • We will cancel your order, at our discretion, if you are unresponsive or otherwise fail to answer our questions to our satisfaction. If your order is cancelled, you may request a refund.  If a refund is deemed appropriate, it will be less $300 for our services related to the preparation, processing and handling of your order, and less any other services we have provided (i.e. if you ordered a document, and we sent you that document, we will deduct the cost for that document from your refund). Typically, we will not cancel your order, unless we have been unable to move your order forward for six (6) months or more.
  • If a refund is deemed appropriate and necessary following the details above, we will issue you a refund using the same payment method you used to pay for your order. If that fails (i.e. because we’re beyond the deadline to do this — typically six (6) months for credit cards), we will issue and mail a check to the name and address used on the payment (billing) method (i.e. if Joe ordered from us, but used Jane’s credit card, we will issue the refund to Jane).

Important Disclaimers

  • Local authorities, other state entities (i.e. taxation department) and the federal government (i.e. the IRS) may require disclosure of ownership information, although you should check to verify such disclosure is confidential.
  • L4SB makes no representation as to whether you are “transacting business” in your home state, or any other state. If you decide you’re transacting business in state other than the state where your LLC is formed, talk to L4SB to learn about options to preserve your anonymity.
  • If we are subpoenaed by a court of competent jurisdiction, any assertion of attorney-client privilege in such a circumstance will need to be made by your local counsel or by us if you hire us to represent you in such matter. We will not assert our privilege in any matter, unless we are being paid to represent you and have entered into an Engagement Agreement to do so.

New Mexico is an underappreciated option that offers several genuine advantages: no LLC publication requirement (unlike New York, which can cost $1,000–$2,000), LLC members are not required to be listed in public state records (strong privacy), low filing fees ($50), and no annual reporting requirements (saving $100 or more a year).

For business owners seeking privacy or lower ongoing compliance costs, New Mexico is worth serious consideration — and L4SB, headquartered in Albuquerque, has deeper knowledge of New Mexico LLC law than any national filing service. If you are considering a move to New Mexico or are already based here, L4SB can handle the migration with local expertise.

With that said, New Mexico presents the same problems that Florida, Nevada and Wyoming do:  if you’re transacting business in your home state, you may be required to foreign file your New Mexico LLC in your home state, destroying many of the advantages you were hoping to obtain by filing in New Mexico.  Consult with a business attorney before doing this.

Florida and Nevada are popular migration destinations for similar reasons — neither has a personal state income tax, and both offer relatively business-friendly regulatory environments.

Florida is a particularly common destination for business owners relocating from high-tax northeastern states. It allows for domestication, has a large and growing small business ecosystem, and L4SB can handle Florida migrations directly.

Nevada has no corporate income tax and strong LLC privacy protections, making it frequently marketed alongside Wyoming.

The same caution applies for Wyoming: if your business primarily operates in another state, both Florida and Nevada will require you to register as a foreign LLC there as well, which can offset the tax savings. Attorney analysis of your actual operating footprint is essential before committing to either state.

Furthermore, tax savings depends entirely on the tax status of your LLC.  If your LLC is taxed as a pass-through entity (i.e. taxed as a disregarded entity, S-Corp or partnership), the profits and losses will flow through to the owners, and you will carry the respective tax burdens personally in the states where the owners reside.

 

L4SB charges flat-rate fees for LLC migration — you know the cost upfront, with no hourly billing and no surprise invoices. This is a meaningful difference from traditional law firms that bill by the hour for every email and phone call.

The total out-of-pocket cost has three components: L4SB’s flat attorney fee, state filing fees in both the origin and destination states (these vary by state and are paid directly to the state), and registered agent fees in the new state if applicable.

For current flat-rate pricing, visit:  https://www.l4sb.com/services/move-your-llc-to-a-different-state/.

The timeline depends on the states involved and the method used. Domestication typically takes 4–8 weeks from filing to completion, depending on each state’s processing times.  Merger can take 1-3 months, depending on the states involved. Asset purchase can be completed in within a few weeks, but requires additional steps to transfer assets and relationships.

Some states offer expedited processing for an additional fee. L4SB handles the filings and coordinates the process so nothing falls through the cracks.

Under domestication or merger, the EIN typically stays the same — the LLC is the same entity with a new home state. Same with a foreign LLC.  Under asset purchase (or “dissolve-and-reform”), a new EIN is required because a new legal entity has been created.

IRS treatment of LLC domestication can be nuanced and is subject to change. An attorney working alongside your CPA can ensure the migration is handled in a way that avoids unintended tax consequences.

Under domestication or merger, contracts and bank accounts generally carry over automatically — your LLC is the same legal entity, just registered in a new state. You will typically need to notify your bank and update your registered agent, but no formal reassignment of contracts is required.

Under asset purchase, a new legal entity is created. Contracts do not automatically transfer — you will need to assign them to the new entity, and counterparties may need to consent depending on the contract language. Bank accounts must be opened fresh under the new entity.

This distinction is one of the most important reasons to choose the right method before filing anything.

Not automatically, but it often should. If you are primarily running your business from your new state, that state may require you to register there — as a foreign LLC. Failing to do so can result in penalties, loss of good standing in your original state, and potential personal liability exposure.

The right answer depends on where your business actually operates, not just where you live. A brief attorney consultation can clarify your obligations and the best path forward.

Possibly — but it requires careful legal analysis before acting. If your business still has employees, customers, or operations in California after the migration, California may still consider you to be “doing business” in the state and assess the franchise tax regardless of where your LLC is registered.  Review the California Franchise Tax Board’s helpful one-page primer on the thresholds and other factors that determines whether your LLC is “doing business” in California.

This is one of the most commonly mishandled LLC migration situations. Business owners migrate, assume they’ve eliminated the California obligation, and discover later they still owe it. An attorney should analyze your specific business activities before you make this move.

Wyoming is a legitimate option for some businesses — it has no state income tax, strong LLC privacy protections, and low annual fees. But the benefits are often overstated in online marketing.

If your business primarily operates in another state, Wyoming will require you to register as a foreign LLC in that state anyway — potentially eliminating the tax advantage while adding a second set of filings and fees. The right answer depends on where your customers are, where your employees work, and where your business actually operates. An attorney can assess whether migration to Wyoming produces the outcome you’re expecting.

Consider a 30-minute business attorney consult with Law 4 Small Business (L4SB) attorneys before doing this.

You are not legally required to use an attorney, but the consequences of getting this wrong are significant. The method you choose — domestication, merger, asset purchase, or foreign LLC — has permanent effects on your contracts, taxes, liability protection, and operating agreement.

A filing service can process paperwork. It cannot advise which method is legally appropriate for your state combination, analyze how migration affects your existing obligations, or update your operating agreement to reflect the new state’s law. That analysis is legal advice, and only a licensed attorney can provide it.

LLC domestication is the legal process of moving your LLC’s home state while preserving its legal identity. Unlike dissolving and reforming, domestication maintains continuity — your existing contracts remain valid, your EIN stays the same, and your business’s legal history carries forward.

The process requires filing Articles of Domestication in the destination state and withdrawal documents in the original state. Because not all states permit domestication, and because both the origin and destination state laws must be analyzed, this process requires attorney guidance to complete correctly.

There are three main methods, and the right one depends on your specific situation:

Domestication transfers your LLC’s legal home to the new state while keeping everything intact — your contracts, EIN, bank accounts, and operating history all carry over. Not every state allows it, so an attorney must confirm it’s available for your state combination before you proceed.

Merger creates a new LLC in a new state, and then mergers your old LLC into it, with the new LLC being the surviving entity.  All states support this, although it can be quite expensive and take more time than a Domestication.  Like a Domestication, your contracts, EIN, bank accounts and operating history all carry over to the surviving entity.

Asset Purchase means closing the existing LLC and opening a new one in the new state.  It can be faster and less expensive than Domestication or Merger, although requires a new FEIN because it creates a new legal entity — meaning contracts, licenses, and banking relationships need to be actively transferred.  Some of our competitors call this “Dissolve and Reform“.  You are starting a new company in a new state, which acquires the assets of the old company in your old state.

Foreign LLC registers your existing LLC to do business in the new state without actually moving it. It’s frequently confused with migration, but it leaves your LLC legally “home” in the original state — with fees, reports, and taxes still owed there. It’s the right choice for expanding into a new state, not for relocating.

An attorney should determine which method is appropriate before any filings are made.

We do, and have a lot of ability to help you. First, if you’re wondering whether your company would be considered a “reporting company” for FinCEN reporting purposes, or you want to know who are your company’s Beneficial Owners, try out our FREE, anonymous expert system to help answer these questions. It’s available here.

We have BOIR (which stands for Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting, or BOIR) as an option. We can do it, for a nominal fee, or you can do it.

Finally, we offer outstanding, best-in-class, BOI compliance tools to help you understand when you need to submit updated reports. We’ll keep track of important deadlines, and be ready to answer your questions.

We receive this question a lot, despite our attempt to be price competitive with “the rest”. It seems every time we lower our price, the competition lowers theirs even further.

At the end of the day, we’re an actual law firm. Your questions are answered by licensed and trained professionals. We are able to extend attorney-client privilege and confidentiality to our clients. Our business/activities is/are governed by the professional rules of conduct for each state we’re licensed in, and we carry professional liability insurance. We have licensed professionals dealing with the registered agent’s office.

Regularly, we fend off private investigators, police investigators and more. Our people have the training to maximize the legal protections available to our clients.

So, we’re not the cheapest game in town. The “other guys” are trying to sell registrations, we’re trying to sell relationships. There are many things we won’t do that the “other guys” will do, because we’re worried about our clients’ long-term success and we’re concerned with minimizing our clients’ long-term liability.

We can provide a range of services for our clients, where moving your LLC is just the first step. This includes contracts, switching ownership of real property, resolving disputes, trademarks, and much, much more. You can do things things with this firm, relying on our training, experience, professionalism and confidentiality.

If you’re considering a cheaper option, ask yourself the following questions first:

  • How critical is privacy, and do I want the maximum protection available?
  • Do I want the ability to obtain sound legal advice?
  • Do I care about whether things are setup properly?
  • Is liability protection important, and do I want to minimize the ability for someone to “pierce the corporate veil” of my LLC?
  • Do I care whether the folks I hire are trained professionals?
  • Do I care whether I can hold the company accountable for misguiding, or otherwise committing errors with my LLC?
  • Will I receive a high-quality Operating Agreement, to help maximize asset protection, and minimize potential liability and long-term disputes?
  • Do the “other guys” not disclose who they actually are, making it difficult to know whether their claims are actually true or they actually have the experience they claim to have?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you may want to think twice before hiring the “other guys”.

It depends on how you “move” your LLC.

If you move your LLC by merger, domestication (if available), or foreign filing, then yes, you will preserve your FEIN.

If you move your LLC by asset purchase, then no, you will need to obtain a new FEIN.