§ 16959. — (Amended (as amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 617, Sec. 114) by Stats. 2024, Ch. 361, Sec. 15.)

(a)
(1)
Before transacting intrastate business in this state, a foreign limited liability partnership shall comply with all statutory and administrative registration or filing requirements of the state board, commission, or agency that prescribes the rules and regulations governing a particular profession in which the partnership proposes to be engaged, pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Business and Professions Code relating to the profession or applicable rules adopted by the governing board. A foreign limited liability partnership that transacts intrastate business in this state shall within 30 days after the effective date of the act enacting this section or the date on which the foreign limited liability
partnership first transacts intrastate business in this state, whichever is later, register with the Secretary of State by submitting to the Secretary of State an application for registration as a foreign limited liability partnership, signed by a person with authority to do so under the laws of the jurisdiction of formation of the foreign limited liability partnership, stating the name of the partnership, the street address of its principal office, the mailing address of the principal office if different from the street address, the name and street address of its agent for service of process in this state in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 16309, a brief statement of the business in which the partnership engages, and any other matters that the partnership determines to include.
(2)
Annexed to the application for registration shall be a certificate
from an authorized public official of the foreign limited liability partnership’s jurisdiction of organization to the effect that the foreign limited liability partnership is in good standing in that jurisdiction, if the laws of that jurisdiction permit the issuance of those certificates, or, in the alternative, a statement by the foreign limited liability partnership that the laws of its jurisdiction of organization do not permit the issuance of those certificates.
(b)
The registration shall be accompanied by a fee as set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 12189 of the Government Code.
(c)
If the Secretary of State finds that an application for registration conforms to law and all requisite fees have been paid, the Secretary of State shall issue a certificate of registration to transact
intrastate business in this state.
(d)
The Secretary of State may cancel the filing of the registration if a check or other remittance accepted in payment of the filing fee is not paid upon presentation. Within 90 days of receiving written notification that the item presented for payment has not been honored for payment, the Secretary of State shall give a first written notice of the applicability of this section to the agent for service of process or to the person submitting the instrument. Thereafter, if the amount has not been paid by cashier’s check or equivalent, the Secretary of State shall give a second written notice of cancellation and the cancellation shall thereupon be effective. The second notice shall be given 20 days or more after the first notice.
(e)
A
partnership becomes registered as a foreign limited liability partnership at the time of the filing of the initial registration with the Secretary of State or at any later date or time specified in the registration and the payment of the fee required by subdivision (b). A partnership continues to be registered as a foreign limited liability partnership until a notice that it is no longer so registered as a foreign limited liability partnership has been filed pursuant to Section 16960 or, if applicable, once it has been dissolved and finally wound up. The status of a partnership registered as a foreign limited liability partnership and the liability of a partner of that foreign limited liability partnership shall not be adversely affected by errors or subsequent changes in the information stated in an application for registration under subdivision (a) or an amended registration or notice under Section 16960.
(f)
The fact that a registration or amended registration pursuant to Section 16960 is on file with the Secretary of State is notice that the partnership is a foreign limited liability partnership and of those other facts contained therein that are required to be set forth in the registration or amended registration.
(g)
The Secretary of State shall provide a form for a registration under subdivision (a), which shall include the form for confirming compliance with the optional security requirement pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 16956. The Secretary of State shall include with instructional materials, provided in conjunction with the form for registration under subdivision (a), a notice that filing the registration will obligate the limited liability partnership to pay an
annual tax for that taxable year to the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 17948 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. That notice shall be updated annually to specify the dollar amount of this tax.
(h)
A foreign limited liability partnership transacting intrastate business in this state shall not maintain any action, suit, or proceeding in any court of this state until it has registered in this state pursuant to this section.
(i)
Any foreign limited liability partnership that transacts intrastate business in this state without registration is subject to a penalty of twenty dollars ($20) for each day that unauthorized intrastate business is transacted, up to a maximum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(j)
A
partner of a foreign limited liability partnership is not liable for the debts or obligations of the foreign limited liability partnership solely by reason of its having transacted business in this state without registration.
(k)
A foreign limited liability partnership, transacting business in this state without registration, appoints the Secretary of State as its agent for service of process with respect to causes of action arising out of the transaction of business in this state.
(
l
)
“Transact intrastate business” as used in this section means to repeatedly and successively provide professional limited liability partnership services in this state, other than in interstate or foreign commerce.
(m)
Without excluding other
activities that may not be considered to be transacting intrastate business, a foreign limited liability partnership shall not be considered to be transacting intrastate business merely because its subsidiary or affiliate transacts intrastate business, or merely because of its status as any one or more of the following:
(1)
A shareholder of a domestic corporation.
(2)
A shareholder of a foreign corporation transacting intrastate business.
(3)
A limited partner of a foreign limited partnership transacting intrastate business.
(4)
A limited partner of a domestic limited partnership.
(5)
A member
or manager of a foreign limited liability company transacting intrastate business.
(6)
A member or manager of a domestic limited liability company.
(n)
Without excluding other activities that may not be considered to be transacting intrastate business, a foreign limited liability partnership shall not be considered to be transacting intrastate business within the meaning of this subdivision solely by reason of carrying on in this state any one or more of the following activities:
(1)
Maintaining or defending any action or suit or any administrative or arbitration proceeding, or effecting the settlement thereof or the settlement of claims or disputes.
(2)
Holding meetings of its partners or carrying on any other activities concerning its internal affairs.
(3)
Maintaining bank accounts.
(4)
Maintaining offices or agencies for the transfer, exchange, and registration of the foreign limited liability partnership’s securities or maintaining trustees or depositories with respect to those securities.
(5)
Effecting sales through independent contractors.
(6)
Soliciting or procuring orders, whether by mail or through employees or agents or otherwise, where those orders require acceptance without this state before becoming binding contracts.
(7)
Creating
or acquiring evidences of debt or mortgages, liens, or security interest in real or personal property.
(8)
Securing or collecting debts or enforcing mortgages and security interests in property securing the debts.
(9)
Conducting an isolated transaction that is completed within 180 days and not in the course of a number of repeated transactions of a like nature.
(o)
A person shall not be deemed to be transacting intrastate business in this state merely because of its status as a partner of a registered limited liability partnership or a foreign limited liability company whether or not registered to transact intrastate business in this state.
(p)
The Attorney
General may bring an action to restrain a foreign limited liability partnership from transacting intrastate business in this state in violation of this chapter.
(q)
Nothing in this section is intended to, or shall, augment, diminish, or otherwise alter existing provisions of law, statutes, or court rules relating to services by a California public accountant or California attorney in another jurisdiction, or services by an out-of-state public accountant or out-of-state attorney in California.
(r)
An agent designated for service of process may deliver to the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State for filing, a signed and acknowledged written statement of resignation as an agent for service of process containing the name of the foreign limited liability
partnership and Secretary of State’s file number of the foreign limited liability partnership, the name of the resigning agent for service of process, and a statement that
the agent is resigning. On filing of the statement of resignation, the authority of the agent to act in that capacity shall cease and the Secretary of State shall mail or otherwise provide written notice of the filing of the statement of resignation to the foreign limited liability partnership at its principal office.
(s)
The resignation of an agent may be effective if, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State containing the name and Secretary of State’s file number for the foreign limited liability partnership and the name of the agent for service of process, the agent disclaims having been properly appointed as the agent.
(t)
If an individual who has been designated agent for service of process dies or resigns or no longer resides in the state, or if the corporate
agent for that purpose resigns, dissolves, withdraws from the state, forfeits its right to transact intrastate business, has its corporate rights, powers, and privileges suspended, or ceases to exist, the foreign limited liability partnership shall promptly file an amended application for registration as a foreign limited liability partnership designating a new agent.
(u)
The Secretary of State may destroy or otherwise dispose of any resignation filed pursuant to this section after a new application for registration as a foreign limited liability partnership is filed pursuant to this section replacing the agent for service of process that has resigned.
(v)
This section shall become operative on January 1, 2034.

Legislative History

Amended (as amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 617, Sec. 114) by Stats. 2024, Ch. 361, Sec. 15. (AB 1862) Effective January 1, 2025. Section operative January 1, 2034, by its own provisions.