California · Fixing a dissolved LLC

How to Reinstate an LLC in California

A suspended (Secretary of State) California LLC can be reinstated through the California Secretary of State. For a Secretary of State suspension, file a current Statement of Information ($20). For a Franchise Tax Board suspension, there is no stated application fee, but every delinquent return must be filed and all taxes ($800 per year), LLC fees, penalties and interest paid, including any $250 Statement of Information penalty. Time limit: No fixed deadline to revive, but the Franchise Tax Board can administratively cancel an LLC that has been suspended for 60 or more consecutive months after an intent notice with a 60-day objection period.

Reinstatement fee

Varies

Time limit

60 day

Status names

suspended (Secretary of State), suspended (Franchise Tax Board), forfeited, administratively cancelled

How reinstatement works in California

A California LLC can be suspended by two different agencies, and reviving it means clearing whichever ones apply. A Secretary of State suspension, caused by an unfiled Statement of Information, is cured by filing a current statement online in bizfileOnline, subject to the name still being available. A Franchise Tax Board suspension, caused by unfiled Form 568 returns or unpaid $800 taxes and fees, requires filing every delinquent return, paying the balance with penalties and interest, and submitting Form FTB 3557 LLC, the Application for Certificate of Revivor. The LLC must also be in good standing with the Secretary of State. Contracts signed while FTB-suspended remain voidable by the other party unless the LLC buys relief on Form FTB 2518 at $100 per day. An LLC left suspended for 60 consecutive months can be administratively cancelled after a 60-day objection window.

Steps to reinstate a California LLC

File a current Statement of Information with the Secretary of State
File all past-due Form 568 returns with the Franchise Tax Board
Pay all past-due taxes, LLC fees, penalties and interest
Submit Form FTB 3557 LLC, Application for Certificate of Revivor
Have an available name, or change the name, release a reservation, or get the conflicting entity to change its name
Form to use: FTB 3557 LLC, Application for Certificate of Revivor (Franchise Tax Board); Form LLC-12 Statement of Information (Secretary of State).
Statement of Information online through bizfileOnline; Certificate of Revivor through the Franchise Tax Board's online revivor application at webapp.ftb.ca.gov/ssa/revivor or by mailing Form FTB 3557 LLC. Same-day walk-through revivors are offered at FTB offices only for qualifying situations such as litigation, escrow or a pending loan.

What happens to the LLC and its name

Effect: Revivor does not cure contracts signed while suspended; they remain voidable by the other party unless the LLC buys relief from contract voidability on Form FTB 2518 at $100 per day, capped at the tax due for that period. Contract voidability does not apply to an entity suspended only by the Secretary of State.
Your LLC name: A suspended LLC loses the right to use its name, and revival is subject to name availability; if another entity has taken it, the LLC must change its name or obtain a release.

The most common cause is a missed Statement of Information. See the California Statement of Information guide for deadlines so it does not happen again.

Reinstatement in California and nearby states

State	Reinstatement fee	Time limit
California	Varies	60 day
Oregon	$100	5 years
Nevada	$300	Reinstatement is available only if the.
Arizona	$100	6 years

Mistakes that slow down a California reinstatement

Filing only the Statement of Information when the LLC is also suspended by the Franchise Tax Board, which requires returns, payment and Form FTB 3557 LLC.
Assuming revivor validates contracts signed during an FTB suspension, when they stay voidable unless relief is purchased on Form FTB 2518.
Ignoring an administrative cancellation intent notice, which allows only 60 days to object before the LLC is cancelled.

California LLC reinstatement: questions

How do I know whether my California LLC is suspended by the Secretary of State or the FTB?

The business search on bizfileOnline shows the entity's status, and the suspension notice states which agency acted. A Secretary of State suspension stems from an unfiled Statement of Information, while a Franchise Tax Board suspension stems from unfiled returns or unpaid tax. An LLC can be suspended by both, and each must be cleared.

What does it cost to revive an FTB-suspended California LLC?

There is no separate revivor application fee, but the LLC must file every delinquent Form 568 and pay all past-due amounts, which usually means $800 for each missed year plus any LLC fee, penalties and interest. If a Statement of Information is also missing, the $20 filing and any $250 penalty apply.

Are contracts signed while my California LLC was suspended valid?

Contracts entered into during a Franchise Tax Board suspension are voidable at the request of the other party, and revivor alone does not fix that. The LLC can apply for relief from contract voidability on Form FTB 2518, which costs $100 per day of the chosen period, capped at the tax due for that period.

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Last reviewed October 30, 2026 against the sources listed above. Figures marked † could not be confirmed on an official page. General information, not legal or tax advice.