Iowa Foreign Qualification

Why You Need To Do It – It’s important to foreign qualify in order to stay compliant when starting operations in another state. Otherwise your company can face fines and penalties.

When Should You Do It? – As soon as a business finalizes its decision to branch out into Iowa it should start the process of filing for Iowa foreign qualification in order to avoid any potential delays. Generally, you will need to foreign qualify if your company falls under any of the following criteria:

• Has a physical presence in Iowa
• Buying a property there
• Have remote employees
• Accepts orders in Iowa
• Owns a bank account in Iowa

There are several steps that you’ll have to take in order to obtain Iowa foreign qualification. These steps include the following.

1. Obtain Certificates – To register for foreign qualification, you must file a Limited Liability Company Application for a Certificate of Authority or a Corporation Application for a Certificate of Authority. The forms are available on the Secretary of State website. The state also requires you to present a Certificate of Existence, which you can obtain from your company’s home state.

2. Collect And Submit Information – The application requests several pieces of information. Collect this info and include it on the form.

LLC

• LLC name
• An assumed or fictitious name, if you cannot use the original name
• Name of the home state
• The original date of formation
• Duration of the LLC
• The principal office street and mailing addresses
• The street address of the registered office in Iowa
• The management structure
• A member’s or manager’s name and mailing address
• Signature of an authorized person

Corporation

• Corporation name
• An assumed or fictitious name, if necessary
• Name of the home state
• The date of original incorporation
• Duration of the corporation in the home state
• The principal office street address
• The street address of the registered office in Iowa
• A list of all names and business addresses of the directors and officers
• Signature of an authorized person

3. Appoint Registered Agent – You’ll have to appoint a registered agent as well. This is the person responsible for handling the basics of the business’ registration for foreign qualification. Usually, businesses turn to third party organizations like DoMyLLC to serve as registered agent for them.

4. File The Application – Once the form is completed, submit it to the Secretary of State along with a $100 filing fee.

5. Ongoing Maintenance – Iowa requires that businesses file biennial reports every two years. Corporations must file the report on even-numbered years between January 1and April 1 while LLCs file on odd-numbered years between January 1 and April 1. The fee is $30 if filed online or $45 if filed by mail.

We understand that operating a business can be a major challenge with many different variables involved. We handle the process of foreign qualification so that business leaders can focus on other aspects of running their company. We offer:

•     Dedicated account managers
•     Ongoing and unlimited customer support
•     Name availability checks
•     Full filing and registration for your business

Instead of trying to manage the process of Iowa foreign qualification on your own, let our team handle it for you so you can focus on other aspects of running your company. It simplifies your life and ensures full compliance with no stress on your shoulders.

Iowa Office of Secretary of State
Phone Number:
(515) 281-5204

Address:
Office of the Secretary of State
First Floor, Lucas Building 321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319