Websites for new California businesses
Formed your LLC on bizfile Online? In its first months a new California LLC has a second filing due within 90 days and an $800 tax due in its first year. Here is that timeline in order, and what your website should show once you are open. We build the site as a working draft within 48 hours.
Where California businesses register
California LLCs file Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) with the Secretary of State through bizfile Online. The filing fee is $70 (Secretary of State — LLC forms and fees).
Your first 90 days in California
- Statement of Information (LLC-12), within 90 days. Every new LLC files it within 90 days of registering, then every two years. The fee is $20 (same Secretary of State page). Not filing can bring penalties and suspension (Statements of Information). The Secretary of State also publishes a customer alert about misleading Statement of Information solicitations (customer alert).
- EIN from the IRS — free, online (IRS).
- Seller's permit, if you sell or rent out tangible goods that are subject to sales tax: register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Registration is free online, though a security deposit may be required (CDTFA seller's permit FAQ).
- Contractor's licence, for construction work. The Contractors State License Board requires a licence for work that needs a building permit, uses employees, or is worth $1,000 or more in labor and materials (CSLB).
- Domain, website and Google Business Profile — see below and our Google profile guide.
The $800 that every California LLC owes
California LLCs pay an annual LLC tax of $800 to the Franchise Tax Board, even in a year with no business, until the LLC is cancelled. The first payment is due by the 15th day of the 4th month after you file with the Secretary of State — form in June, pay by September 15 — with form FTB 3522. The first-year exemption that some guides still mention applied only to tax years beginning in 2021, 2022 and 2023, so it does not help an LLC formed now (Franchise Tax Board — LLC). Budget for it from day one.
A California first year, in dates
- Day 0: LLC-1 filed on bizfile Online ($70). EIN from the IRS the same day, free.
- By day 90: Statement of Information, LLC-12 ($20). After that it repeats every two years, in the month you registered.
- By the 15th day of the 4th month: the first $800 LLC tax with FTB 3522. An LLC whose California income goes over $250,000 also owes a separate LLC fee on top, according to the Franchise Tax Board.
- Before you sell goods: your CDTFA seller's permit, and your CSLB licence if you take on construction jobs at or above $1,000.
What a California business website should show
- Your CSLB licence number, if you do construction work. For jobs over the $1,000 line, customers are hiring a licensed contractor — show them you are one.
- The neighborhoods and cities you serve. "Los Angeles" covers dozens of cities; name the ones you work in — Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank — and drive the right calls.
- Clear prices or "starting at" lines where your trade allows it. Californians compare a lot of options before they call.
- Spanish or another language, if that is how your customers speak.
- Fast pages on a phone, with the call and booking buttons always in reach.
Prices
Our two prices are the same in California as everywhere — and a draft costs nothing:
| Full professional website | |
|---|---|
| Price | $390 one-time, paid after you have seen your draft |
| Pages | All pages |
| Domain and email | Your own domain + one business email for the first year |
| Google Business Profile | Setup included |
| Hosting | Included for the first 3 months |
| Changes | Before you pay: the draft plus one round of changes (further rounds after payment). At launch: one round of fixes within 14 days. |
| Care | $149/year for a full site, $99/year for a one-page site — hosting, security, backups and 4 small text/photo updates a year. Extra updates $20 each. |
Full details: pricing.
FAQ
- When is my California LLC's first $800 due?
By the 15th day of the 4th month after you file with the Secretary of State. The first-year exemption only covered tax years beginning 2021–2023.
- What is the Statement of Information and when is it due?
Form LLC-12 lists your LLC's addresses and managers. It is due within 90 days of registering, then every two years, and the fee is $20.
- Do I need a CSLB licence to be listed as a contractor on my site?
The CSLB requires a licence for jobs needing a building permit, using employees, or worth $1,000 or more in labor and materials. We build the site around the work you are licensed for.
- How fast can my site be live?
A working draft within 48 hours of your idea; live as soon as you approve it — $390 one-time.
Sources
A plain-English summary, not legal or tax advice. Fees and deadlines are as published on the official pages linked below on 19 October 2026 — check them before you file.
See your draft first — pay only if you want it live
Tell us what your business does. Within 48 hours you get a working draft of your website; you pay only when you want it live — $390 one-time. We reply the same day.