How to Register a Business in Pennsylvania: Foreign Registration Guide (2026)
If your company was formed in another state and now has employees, an office or regular business in Pennsylvania, you register with the Pennsylvania Department of State by filing a Foreign Registration Statement (Form DSCB:15-412) with a docketing statement. Here is what it costs, what you need, and what comes after.
Pennsylvania at a glance
Item | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
Filing | Foreign Registration Statement plus docketing statement |
Where | Pennsylvania Department of State, online through the PA Business Hub or by mail |
State fee | $250 for corporations and LLCs |
Typical processing | 2–3 weeks; same-day ($100) and faster expedite available |
You'll need | No certificate of good standing |
Registered office | Required: a Pennsylvania address, or a commercial registered office provider |
Ongoing filing | Annual report every year ($7): corporations by June 30, LLCs by September 30 |
Do you need to register in Pennsylvania?
You generally need to register if your company is "doing business" in Pennsylvania, for example if you:
Have an office, store or warehouse in Pennsylvania
Employ people who live and work in Pennsylvania
Regularly sell to, or provide services for, Pennsylvania customers
Activities that usually don't count on their own include holding a bank account in Pennsylvania, holding internal meetings there, and isolated one-off transactions. If you're unsure, check with your attorney or book a call with us.
Hiring a remote employee in Pennsylvania always means opening Pennsylvania payroll tax accounts, even when Secretary of State registration isn't required. See the payroll section below.
How to register, step by step
Choose a Pennsylvania registered office. See the rules below.
File the Foreign Registration Statement and docketing statement. File online through the PA Business Hub or by mail. The fee is $250. If you're in a hurry, same-day service costs an extra $100.
Save your approval and Pennsylvania entity number. You'll need them for payroll and tax registrations.
Registered agent rules in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania doesn't use the term registered agent. Instead, every registered business keeps a registered office: either its own Pennsylvania address or a commercial registered office provider. Legal papers are delivered there, so it has to be staffed during business hours.
Using an employee's home as your registered office is allowed, but it means legal papers go to one person's house, and they're lost if that person leaves. A commercial registered office provider avoids that. Every AbstractOps plan includes this service.
Annual reports: new since 2025
Since 2025, Pennsylvania requires most businesses, including out-of-state companies, to file an annual report. Corporations file between January 1 and June 30; LLCs between January 1 and September 30. The fee is $7, and your first report is due the year after you register.
Starting with 2027 reports, out-of-state companies that don't file have their registration terminated six months after the deadline. They can't reinstate it; they have to register again from scratch.
Pennsylvania payroll accounts
If you have employees in Pennsylvania, you'll also need:
A withholding account with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
An unemployment compensation account with the Department of Labor & Industry.
Local taxes. Most Pennsylvania municipalities levy an earned income tax and a local services tax, collected through local tax collectors, and Philadelphia has its own wage tax.
Our Pennsylvania payroll tax registration guide walks through the details.
Pennsylvania registration FAQ
How much does it cost to register a foreign LLC or corporation in Pennsylvania?
$250 in state fees for either.
How long does Pennsylvania take?
Typically 2–3 weeks. Same-day service costs an extra $100.
Does Pennsylvania require a certificate of good standing?
No. You file the Foreign Registration Statement and a docketing statement.
When is the Pennsylvania annual report due?
June 30 for corporations and September 30 for LLCs, every year after the year you register. The fee is $7.
Let us handle Pennsylvania for you
AbstractOps files your Pennsylvania registration, acts as your registered agent, opens your payroll accounts and tracks your annual filings, from $250 per state per year. Start a 7-day free trial or book a 15-minute call.
This guide is for general information and isn't tax or legal advice. Fees and rules change; confirm current requirements with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations.