To file a statement of information, go to your Secretary of State’s website, pull up your entity’s record, confirm or update the name, principal address, registered agent, and officers or managers on file, and submit the form with the required fee by your state’s deadline. California is the only state that uses the exact phrase “statement of information,” so if you’re filing elsewhere, you’re looking for the same document under a different label.1Most states now offer online filing through their Secretary of State’s website.
Find the Right Form for Your State
The document goes by different names in different states. About half of states call it an “annual report.” Others use “biennial report,” “periodic report,” “public information report,” “annual registration,” “business entity report,” or “annual renewal.” A few states fold the requirement into a franchise tax filing instead of treating it as a stand-alone document. If a search for “statement of information” on your state’s website returns nothing, try those alternates.
The obligation covers domestic and foreign corporations, LLCs, nonprofits, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships. Sole proprietorships and general partnerships that never registered with the state are generally exempt, because the state has no formal entity to track. If your LLC is formed in one state and registered to do business in another, you likely owe a filing in both.
Gather Your Information Before You Start
The form itself is short. Have the following ready:
- The exact legal name of the entity as it appears on state records.
- The principal office address where the business operates.
- The name and in-state physical address of your registered agent.
- The names and addresses of officers or managers. For corporations, that usually means the CEO, secretary, and CFO or their equivalents. For LLCs, it’s the managers or managing members.
- A brief description of the company’s business activity.
Double-check the registered agent line before you submit. If your agent has resigned or moved, most states give you around 30 days to name a replacement before flagging your entity. A company that’s current on everything else can still lose good standing simply because there’s no valid agent to accept legal notices.
File Online or by Mail
Online filing is available in most states and is the fastest option. Log in or search for your entity by name or filing number, review the information the state currently has on record, correct anything that’s outdated, and submit payment by credit card or electronic check. Online submissions are usually processed immediately, and the system generates a confirmation you should save.
Paper filing is still an option in most states. Download the form from the Secretary of State’s website, fill it out, and mail it with a check or money order to the address printed on the form. Processing by mail can take several weeks.
Know Your Deadline
Filing frequency depends on your state and entity type. Most states require an annual filing; some use a biennial cycle. Deadlines follow one of two patterns:
- Anniversary-based deadlines, tied to the date you formed or registered the entity. Wyoming, Indiana, and Pennsylvania use this approach.
- Fixed calendar deadlines that apply to every entity in the state. Florida’s deadline is May 1. Delaware ties its filing to March 1 franchise tax payments.
Your first filing usually isn’t due right after formation. In many states, the initial report comes due in the calendar year after you register, which gives new businesses a short grace period. Missing that first deadline is one of the most common early compliance mistakes, so confirm the date on your Secretary of State’s site rather than assuming.
What It Costs
Fees vary widely. Arizona, Ohio, and Missouri charge nothing for the periodic report itself. California, once you factor in the franchise tax that accompanies the filing, can run over $800. Most states fall somewhere between $25 and $300. A few charge a separate disclosure fee on top of the base filing fee. Some states also bundle the annual report with a franchise tax, so the annual cost of keeping your entity in good standing may be higher than the report fee alone.
File an Amended Report When Things Change
If your principal address, officers, or registered agent change between scheduled filings, don’t wait for the next cycle. Most states expect you to submit an updated or amended statement promptly so the public record stays accurate.
If You Miss the Deadline
Consequences escalate step by step. States commonly charge a late fee somewhere in the $50 to $400 range, sometimes with per-day penalties or interest on top. After the deadline passes, the state typically marks the entity “not in good standing” or “past due.” If the filing still doesn’t come in, the state can suspend the entity’s right to do business, usually after a grace period of one to three years, and eventually administratively dissolve it. Some states dissolve after two consecutive missed filings; others wait for three.
Losing good standing has practical fallout. Lenders check standing before closing loans, and SBA lenders are required to obtain a certificate of good standing before funding. In many states, an entity that isn’t in good standing cannot file a lawsuit until the deficiency is cured, though it can still be sued. Officers who knowingly conduct business on behalf of a revoked entity can face personal liability in some states.
Reinstating a Suspended or Dissolved Entity
If your entity is already suspended or administratively dissolved, reinstatement is usually possible, though it gets harder the longer you wait. The general process:
- File every missed annual or biennial report, not just the most recent one.
- Pay back penalties and any reinstatement fee. Reinstatement fees typically range from about $5 to several hundred dollars.
- Obtain tax clearance if your state requires it, meaning file any missing tax returns and pay outstanding state taxes.
- Submit the reinstatement or revivor application to the Secretary of State.
Most states allow reinstatement for a reasonable window after dissolution, sometimes several years. Anything the entity did while suspended may still face legal challenges, and contracts signed during that period could be voidable. If the business has been dissolved for a long stretch and has outstanding liabilities, talk to a business attorney before filing, because reinstatement can reactivate obligations you weren’t planning on.
The Statement of Information Is Not the Federal BOI Report
Owners sometimes confuse their state’s annual filing with the federal Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report under the Corporate Transparency Act. As of March 2025, all entities created in the United States are exempt from BOI reporting. The federal obligation now applies only to entities formed under foreign law that have registered to do business in a U.S. state, and those foreign entities must file within 30 days of their registration becoming effective. The state-level statement of information is a separate, ongoing obligation regardless of BOI status.