---
title: "Anonymous LLC in California: Is It Possible? Privacy Guide 2026 | LLC Attorney"
description: "California is not a privacy state. The Statement of Information publishes member or manager names, so anonymity means a Wyoming holding LLC owns the entity."
canonical: https://llcattorney.com/states/ca/anonymous-llc-california
image: https://llcattorney.com/images/share-cover.png
source_path: /states/ca/anonymous-llc-california
---

Key Takeaways

-   California requires manager or member names on the public Statement of Information in public LLC formation filings
-   Your registered agent's address — not yours — appears on the California Secretary of State business search
-   $70 Articles of Organization filing fee; an $800 minimum annual franchise tax (FTB Form 3522; the AB 85 first-year waiver expired Dec 31, 2023, so LLCs formed after Jan 1, 2024 pay it in year one), plus a tiered $900 to $11,790 LLC fee above $250,000 in gross receipts, plus a public $20 Statement of Information
-   California provides charging order protection under Corporations Code Section 17705.03 — the charging order is the exclusive remedy for a judgment creditor reaching a member's transferable interest, but Section 17705.03(b)(3) lets a court foreclose on and order the sale of that interest if it finds distributions will not satisfy the judgment within a reasonable time, so the protection is real but weaker than Wyoming's
-   Federal obligation: the Corporate Transparency Act requires all beneficial owners to report to FinCEN regardless of state-level anonymity — state privacy does not eliminate this federal requirement
-   Same-day filing available through LLC Attorney at no markup on state fees

There is no such thing as a private California LLC formed under California law. California requires every LLC to file a Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) within 90 days of formation and every two years after, and that filing names the managers — or all the members, if the LLC is member-managed — and is open to public search. So the honest framing for California is not how to hide your name on a California filing, but how to structure ownership so the name on that public filing is not yours. The standard answer is a Wyoming holding LLC: Wyoming does not disclose member or manager names, so you form the Wyoming entity, then list it as the member or manager of your California LLC. This guide explains exactly how that structure works, what California's $70 filing fee and $800 annual franchise tax cost you, what the holding layer does and does not protect, and the federal FinCEN obligations that apply to both entities. Filing starts at $49 through LLC Attorney.

Not privateStatement of Information publishes manager/member names

Wyoming parentAnonymity comes from an out-of-state holding LLC

$800/yrMinimum franchise tax from year two

$49LLC Attorney formation starting price

## What Is an Anonymous LLC?

An anonymous LLC is a limited liability company structured so that the owner's name does not appear in publicly searchable state records. It is not a separate legal entity type — it is a standard LLC formed in a state whose filing requirements do not mandate member or manager disclosure.

In most states, the Articles of Organization requires you to list the names and addresses of members or managers. Those filings become part of the state's public business database, searchable by anyone. In California, California does not keep ownership private: the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), filed within 90 days of formation and every two years after, lists the names and addresses of the LLC's managers, or of all members if the LLC is member-managed, and that document is open to public inspection.

The result: someone searching the California Secretary of State business search for your LLC finds the entity name, the registered agent's address, and the formation date. Your name does not appear.

This structure is used by real estate investors who do not want tenants researching their ownership portfolio, business owners who prefer to separate their public persona from their holdings, high-net-worth individuals protecting assets from litigation research, and online entrepreneurs who operate under a business identity separate from their personal name.

## Why California? How It Compares to Other Privacy States

California is one of four states that does not require member or manager names in public LLC filings. The others most commonly used for anonymous formation are Wyoming, New Mexico, and Delaware.

What makes California stand out:

California is the opposite of a privacy state, and it is honest to say so. Unlike Wyoming or New Mexico, where member and manager names never reach the public record, California compels every LLC to file a biennial Statement of Information that names whoever manages the company — and that filing is searchable by anyone. The practical answer is not a California anonymous LLC, because no such thing exists under California law; it is a structure. You form a Wyoming holding LLC, which is itself anonymous, and then name that Wyoming LLC as the manager or member of your California LLC. California still sees a name on the Statement of Information, but the name it sees is the Wyoming entity, not you. Your identity sits one layer up, behind a state that does not disclose it. That is the only way to combine California operations with real owner privacy, and it is a structure that genuinely warrants legal review before you build it.

If you are a non-California resident forming here purely for privacy, the service handles California anonymous LLC formation from anywhere in the country. You do not need to travel to California or have any prior connection to the state.

## California's Registered Agent Privacy Mechanism

The core technical reason California enables anonymity is the registered agent requirement. Every California LLC must designate a registered agent with a physical California street address. That address appears on the California Secretary of State business search. Your address does not.

When you use a professional registered agent service, the registered agent's address — not your home or business address — is the only address on the public record. Your LLC exists in the state's database as an entity with a registered agent. Your name and address are nowhere in the filing.

LLC Attorney's California registered agent service is $125/year. Your registered agent's address appears on the California Secretary of State business search. LLC documents and legal notices are delivered to LLC Attorney's California office and forwarded to you through your secure client portal.

The privacy limit to understand here: if you list yourself as the organizer on the Articles of Organization, your name may appear as organizer on the filing. In California, the organizer who signs the Articles of Organization is named on that filing, so having LLC Attorney organize the entity keeps your name off the formation document — but in California the formation document is not where ownership is exposed; the Statement of Information is. If you use LLC Attorney to file, LLC Attorney serves as the organizer, and your name does not appear anywhere on the formation document.

## What State Anonymity Does NOT Cover — Federal FinCEN Reporting

This section is mandatory reading. State-level anonymity does not eliminate your federal disclosure obligation.

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), effective January 1, 2024, requires virtually every LLC formed in the United States to report its beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. This is a federal law that applies to every state, including California.

What you must report to FinCEN:

-   Full legal name of each beneficial owner
-   Date of birth
-   Current residential street address
-   Identifying document number (driver's license or passport) and an image of that document

A "beneficial owner" is anyone who owns 25% or more of the company, or anyone who exercises substantial control over the company.

**Is the FinCEN report public?** No. Beneficial ownership reports go to FinCEN's secure database. They are not searchable by the public, tenants, business partners, or civil litigants. Law enforcement and certain financial institutions can access them under specific conditions.

**The practical picture:** your name does not appear in California's public records. It does appear in FinCEN's non-public federal database. California-level anonymity protects you from public search — not from federal law enforcement.

**Penalties for non-compliance:** willful failure to file a BOI report carries civil penalties of up to $500 per day and criminal penalties of up to $10,000 plus two years imprisonment.

The service's formation packages include guidance on FinCEN BOI filing. If your LLC qualifies for an exemption (most larger companies and regulated entities do), your attorney can confirm exemption status during the formation process.

## California Anonymous LLC — Costs and Annual Obligations

California is an expensive state to maintain an LLC, and the cost is unrelated to whether you turn a profit. The $800 minimum annual franchise tax is owed every year, paid to the Franchise Tax Board on Form 3522 by April 15 for calendar-year filers; the AB 85 first-year waiver expired December 31, 2023, so LLCs formed after January 1, 2024 owe the $800 in their first taxable year. Once California gross receipts pass $250,000, a separate LLC fee of $900 to $11,790 stacks on top (Form 3536, due June 15). On the compliance side, the $20 Statement of Information is due within 90 days of formation and every two years after that, and a missed filing draws a $250 penalty. For a privacy-minded owner the franchise tax is the cost of doing business in California, and the Statement of Information is the document that has to be handled carefully, because it is the public filing that would otherwise carry your name.

## How to Form an Anonymous LLC in California

### If You Do It Yourself

**Step 1 — Choose a business name that does not reveal your identity.**

Your LLC name must comply with California's naming requirements — it must include "Limited Liability Company," "LLC," or "L.L.C." and be distinguishable from existing California entities. Beyond the legal requirements, choose a name that does not connect back to your personal identity. Many anonymous LLC owners use a business-descriptive name (property address, investment theme, or project name) rather than a personal name-based name like "Johnson Holdings LLC."

Search the California Secretary of State business search at businesssearch.sos.ca.gov to confirm availability. Your search is not a reservation — someone can register your name while you prepare paperwork.

Your California LLC name is searchable at businesssearch.sos.ca.gov and must include "LLC," "L.L.C.," or "Limited Liability Company"; California does not accept "Ltd." If you are running a Wyoming-over-California structure, keep the two entity names distinct enough that the relationship is not obvious from the names alone.

**Step 2 — Reserve your name if you need time to prepare (optional).**

File a name reservation with the California Secretary of State, $10 fee. This holds the name for 60 days. Without a reservation, the name can be taken between your search and your Articles of Organization submission.

**Step 3 — Select a professional registered agent — do not use your own address.**

This step is non-negotiable for anonymity. The registered agent's address is the only address on the public filing. If you list your home or office address, your address becomes publicly searchable. You need a professional registered agent with a physical California street address.

Research registered agent providers carefully. The registered agent's address will be the permanent public record for this LLC. Switching registered agents later requires a filed amendment ($30 fee) and creates a public paper trail of the change.

**Step 4 — Decide whether to list yourself as organizer.**

The organizer is the person or entity submitting the Articles of Organization. In California, the organizer's name appears on the filed Articles of Organization and is part of the public record. If you do not want your name on the filing at all, you have two options: use an attorney or formation service as the organizer, or confirm whether Californiaallows organizers to be omitted after filing.

**Step 5 — Complete and file the Articles of Organization.**

Go to sos.ca.gov and complete the current version of the Articles of Organization (LLC-1). Always use the current form directly from the California Secretary of State — older versions are rejected at filing. Complete it with your LLC name exactly as chosen, your registered agent's full legal name and California street address, your management structure (member-managed or manager-managed), and the organizer's name and signature.

**Privacy note on management structure:** in California, the Articles of Organization ask you to indicate whether the LLC is managed by one manager, more than one manager, or all members. If you choose manager-managed, California does not stop with the Articles — within 90 days you must file a Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) that names every manager of a manager-managed LLC or every member of a member-managed LLC, and that filing is public, which is why true anonymity in California comes from putting a Wyoming holding LLC in the member or manager slot rather than your own name.

**Step 6 — File the Articles of Organization and pay the $70 fee.**

Submit online at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov or by mail to the California Secretary of State office in Sacramento. Online filing processes in the same business day for online filings during normal volume. Mail-in takes significantly longer and has no tracking.

**Step 7 — Wait for your approved Articles of Organization.**

Your LLC does not legally exist until the California Secretary of State approves the filing. Standard processing is the same business day for online filings during normal volume. Your approved Articles of Organization is your LLC's founding document — keep it. Every bank will require a copy.

**Step 8 — Draft your operating agreement — keep it private.**

Your operating agreement is an internal document. It is not filed with the California Secretary of State and does not appear in any public database. This is where you document member ownership, management authority, and profit distribution. Unlike the Articles of Organization, the operating agreement can include your personal name without creating any public record.

California requires every LLC to have an operating agreement under Corporations Code Section 17701.10, but that agreement is an internal record kept with your company books — it is never filed with the state and never becomes a public document. Keep the original with your company records. Give a copy to every member. A critical privacy caution: do not reference your operating agreement in any publicly filed document, and do not attach it to bank account applications where it could become a public or semi-public record without your knowledge.

**Step 9 — Apply for a federal EIN.**

Your LLC needs an EIN from the IRS. For single-member LLCs, the IRS defaults to using your Social Security Number as the responsible party identifier. This does not create a public record — EINs and their responsible party information are not publicly searchable — but it does create a federal connection between your SSN and your LLC. Apply at irs.gov/ein. Free, no government filing fee. Available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. The 15-minute inactivity timeout is real — do not start the application unless you have all information ready.

**Step 10 — Open a business bank account.**

Most banks require your approved Articles of Organization, your EIN confirmation (IRS CP-575 letter), your operating agreement, and the personal ID of authorized signers. Your bank will know who owns the LLC — federal anti-money-laundering rules require banks to collect beneficial owner information internally. That information stays within the bank and is not published in any database. Some banks have more streamlined processes for anonymous LLCs; others are skeptical of privacy structures. Call ahead and ask what they require for an LLC with a professional registered agent address.

**Step 11 — File your FinCEN Beneficial Ownership Information report.**

This is a mandatory federal step. Within 90 days of formation (for LLCs formed in 2024 or later), you must file a BOI report at fincen.gov/boi. The report is free. It is not public. It goes to FinCEN's secure law enforcement database. Failure to file carries civil penalties up to $500/day and criminal penalties up to $10,000 plus imprisonment.

**Step 12 — Pay your annual California obligations.**

California layers two recurring obligations. First, the $800 minimum franchise tax to the Franchise Tax Board (Form 3522), due April 15 for calendar-year LLCs, with a tiered LLC fee of $900 to $11,790 added once gross receipts exceed $250,000 (Form 3536, due June 15). Second, the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12, $20), due within 90 days of formation and every two years thereafter in your formation-month filing window; missing it adds a $250 penalty and eventually leads to suspension. The Statement of Information is the filing that matters most for privacy, because it is public and it asks for manager or member names — list your Wyoming holding LLC there, never yourself.

If you would rather not manage the formation process, the FinCEN BOI filing, and the ongoing annual compliance yourself, the service handles California anonymous LLC formation starting at $49.

Ready to Launch Your Business in California?Follow our fast, easy process to get started right now.[Start My Business](https://app.llcattorney.com/formation?intake_type=formation)

### If LLC Attorney Does It for You

1.  Submit your information at llcattorney.com. Name preference, management structure, registered agent designation (LLC Attorney serves as your California registered agent), and your FinCEN BOI responsible party information. No forms to find, no state portal to navigate, no organizer name disclosure.
2.  LLC Attorney files your Articles of Organization with the California Secretary of State, serves as your registered agent and organizer (so your name does not appear on the public filing), drafts your operating agreement, and files your FinCEN BOI report. Same-day filing available if needed.
3.  Receive your approved Articles of Organization, EIN confirmation, operating agreement, and FinCEN BOI confirmation through your LLC Attorney client portal. Annual compliance reminders included so you never miss an obligation.

## Maintaining Your California LLC's Anonymous Status

Forming anonymously is the first step. Maintaining anonymity requires ongoing discipline.

What breaks anonymity:

-   Signing contracts in your personal name on behalf of the LLC. Always sign as "Your Name, Member/Manager, \[LLC Name\]" — but consider whether you need to sign at all, or whether an authorized manager or attorney can sign instead.
-   Using your home address anywhere in connection with the LLC — bank correspondence, business licenses, tax registrations.
-   Publishing your name as the owner in marketing materials, press releases, or social media profiles linked to the LLC.
-   Filing a DBA (doing business as) registration in states that require public disclosure of the LLC owner's identity.
-   Using your personal email address in formation documents, registered agent correspondence, or banking applications where it could be discovered.

What does not break anonymity:

-   Your operating agreement listing your name. This is a private document not filed with any state agency.
-   Your FinCEN BOI report listing your name. This goes to a non-public federal database, not a public record.
-   Your bank account records. Banks collect beneficial owner information under federal anti-money-laundering law but do not publish it.

## Forming a California Anonymous LLC as a Non-Resident

You do not need to live in California or have any connection to the state to form a CaliforniaLLC. California allows non-residents to form LLCs and serves as one of the more commonly used states for out-of-state privacy formations.

What you need as a non-California resident:

-   A California registered agent with a physical California street address (required regardless of residency)
-   A California mailing address for state correspondence (your registered agent's address satisfies this)
-   Payment of the $70 filing fee and ongoing the $800 minimum franchise tax and the biennial Statement of Information

**The foreign registration question:** if your anonymous LLC operates in a state other than California — meaning it has employees there, owns property there, or generates substantial revenue from customers there — that state may require you to register the LLC as a foreign entity. Foreign registration typically requires disclosing the LLC's principal address and registered agent in that state, and it may or may not require member/manager disclosure depending on the operating state's rules.

California-level anonymity protects your name in California's public records. If you do business in another state and register as a foreign LLC there, that state's public records will show your California LLC's registration. Whether your name appears depends on that state's disclosure rules for foreign LLCs — not California's. If you operate across multiple states and anonymity matters in each, an attorney consultation can map which states require foreign registration and what each discloses.

## When Should You Consult an Attorney for Your California Anonymous LLC?

On-demand attorney consultations for a flat rate per 30-minute session — no retainer required. Anonymous LLC formation benefits from attorney guidance on several scenarios:

-   **Privacy structure design:** whether a single California LLC is sufficient or a Wyoming holding company over your California LLC better fits your privacy and asset-protection goals.
-   **Operating agreement drafting:** a template operating agreement may not include the language needed to preserve anonymity in banking, litigation, and business dealings.
-   **Multi-state operations:** if you will do business in multiple states, some will require foreign registration. An attorney can map what each state requires and what it discloses.
-   **FinCEN BOI exemptions:** most LLCs must file a BOI report, but certain regulated entities qualify for exemptions. An attorney can confirm your exemption status.
-   **Asset transfer mechanics:** if you are moving existing assets into an anonymous LLC, the transfer documents must be drafted correctly to avoid tax events and creditor notification requirements.
-   **California-specific nuances:** Because California's Statement of Information (Corporations Code Section 17702.09) publishes manager or member names, the holding-company layer has to be set up before that first filing is due — an attorney can confirm the Wyoming parent is named correctly so your name never lands on the public record.

### Is California a State Where Legal or Tax Advice Matters More for Anonymous LLCs?

California does not offer LLC anonymity on its own, so privacy here depends on getting an out-of-state holding structure right, and that is squarely attorney territory. The plan is to form a Wyoming holding LLC and name it as the member or manager of your California LLC, so that California's public Statement of Information shows the Wyoming entity instead of your name. Done correctly it works; done loosely it fails in expensive ways. The Wyoming parent must actually be the member or manager of record before the first Statement of Information is due, the two entities create two FinCEN beneficial ownership reports and two compliance calendars, and California's $800 franchise tax and doing-business rules can reach the structure if the California LLC is the operating entity. There are also tax consequences to layering entities that a self-service filing tool cannot evaluate. Before you build a two-state privacy structure around California operations, the design decisions — which entity holds what, who is named where, and how the FinCEN reports are filed — should be reviewed by an attorney.

## When DIY Anonymity Breaks Down in California, and Where It Can't Protect You

A California anonymous LLC hides your name from the public business registry. It does not make you untraceable, and there are specific, predictable points where DIY anonymity falls apart:

-   **The IRS responsible-party field.** Getting an EIN typically requires naming a responsible party with an SSN or ITIN. Listing yourself here is the most common self-inflicted privacy leak, and it happens after the LLC is already filed, when people assume the hard part is done.
-   **Litigation and subpoenas.** State anonymity is not a liability shield. In a lawsuit, a court can compel disclosure of the beneficial owner. Anonymity protects you from casual searches, not from legal process.
-   **Banking, KYC, and real-estate closings.** Banks and title companies are required to identify the beneficial owner. Your name will appear in those private files even when it never touches the public record.
-   **When you actually need structuring, not just a filing.** Multi-state operations, a nominee arrangement, or a double-LLC privacy structure are easy to get wrong in ways that defeat the privacy you paid for. These are attorney decisions, not form-filling.

In California specifically, anonymity breaks the moment you list yourself on the Statement of Information instead of your Wyoming holding LLC — that single Form LLC-12 field is the entire ballgame here, because it is public, it is mandatory within 90 days, and it has to be refiled every two years, so naming the wrong party once puts your identity into California's permanent searchable record.

You do not have to map these risks on your own. LLC Attorney's attorney-trained Business Success Advisors are free and can tell you which of these situations needs a licensed attorney, and flat-fee consultations (no retainer) are available when one does.

## What You Actually Get When You Form Your California Anonymous LLC with LLC Attorney

A California anonymous LLC is only as good as the holding structure behind it, and that structure has more moving parts than a single filing. You are coordinating two entities across two states — a Wyoming parent and a California operating LLC — and the privacy depends on the Wyoming entity being named correctly on California's public Statement of Information before that filing is ever due. A bare filing service that spins up a California LLC and walks away leaves the hardest and most consequential step, the ownership layer, entirely to you.

Included with LLC Attorney anonymous LLC formation, starting at $70:

-   A California filing structured to keep your name off the the California Secretary of State business search, using the state's privacy mechanism correctly rather than by accident.
-   Registered agent service at $125/year, so a third-party address — not yours — sits on the public record.
-   An EIN obtained without exposing you as the responsible party where the structure allows, the single most common way owners accidentally de-anonymize themselves.
-   An operating agreement that keeps members and managers off the public record while still documenting ownership privately.
-   Ongoing privacy maintenance across annual filings, so a routine renewal does not quietly put your name back on the record.
-   Access to attorney-trained Business Success Advisors at no charge, plus optional flat-fee attorney consultations (no retainer) when your situation needs a licensed attorney.

Because California publishes manager and member names, the privacy lives entirely in the holding layer and in who gets named on the Statement of Information — so the value is in setting up the Wyoming parent and naming it correctly from the first filing, not in the California paperwork itself.

## Starting Your California Anonymous LLC with LLC Attorney

California's privacy structure is structural, not statutory — but it only works if the Wyoming holding LLC is named on the public Statement of Information instead of you, and that has to be in place before the first filing is due 90 days after formation. Getting the organizer, registered agent, operating agreement, and FinCEN filing right at formation establishes your privacy foundation. Shortcuts at any of these steps create exposure that is hard to reverse.

The service handles California anonymous LLC formation starting at $49. It serves as your registered agent and organizer — your name does not appear on the public filing. Same-day filing is available at no markup on state fees. FinCEN BOI filing guidance is included. On-demand attorney consultations in 30-minute increments cover operating agreement drafting, privacy structure design, and multi-state operating questions. See our [full pricing](/pricing) for all service tiers.

Ready to Launch Your Business in California?Follow our fast, easy process to get started right now.[Start My Business](https://app.llcattorney.com/formation?intake_type=formation)

## Frequently Asked Questions

Does forming an anonymous LLC in California really keep my name private?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

Not directly. California is not a privacy state — the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) you must file within 90 days of formation, and every two years after, lists the names of your managers or members and is a public record. You cannot keep your name off it by filing differently. The way owners achieve anonymity with a California LLC is structural: form a Wyoming holding LLC (which does not disclose names), then list that Wyoming LLC as the member or manager of your California LLC. California's public records then show the Wyoming entity instead of you. Your name still appears in two non-public places regardless — your operating agreement and your FinCEN beneficial ownership report — but it stays out of California's public database.

What is the difference between a California anonymous LLC and a regular LLC?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

The structure is identical — the difference is in California's filing requirements. California does not require member or manager names in the Articles of Organization. A standard LLC formed in a state like California would list member names publicly. A California LLC lists only the registered agent's address. Otherwise, both structures provide the same liability protection, management flexibility, and pass-through taxation.

Do I still have to disclose my name somewhere if I form an anonymous LLC?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

Yes — in two places. First, your operating agreement is a private internal document that typically names all members. Second, the Corporate Transparency Act requires a Beneficial Ownership Information report to FinCEN identifying all beneficial owners. Neither disclosure is public. FinCEN's database is accessible to law enforcement and certain financial institutions under specific conditions — not to the general public.

Can I open a bank account with an anonymous LLC?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

Yes. Banks require your Articles of Organization, EIN, operating agreement, and the personal ID of authorized signers. Federal anti-money-laundering rules also require banks to collect beneficial owner information internally. Your bank will know who owns the LLC — but that information stays within the bank and is not published in any database.

Is an anonymous LLC legal?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

Yes. Forming an LLC in a state that does not require member disclosure is fully legal. The structure is used by legitimate businesses, real estate investors, and privacy-conscious entrepreneurs nationwide. The only legal constraint is the federal FinCEN BOI reporting requirement, which applies to virtually every LLC regardless of where it is formed.

What happens to my anonymity if I get sued?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

If you have used a Wyoming holding LLC, a lawsuit against your California LLC names the entity, and a public record search shows your Wyoming holding company in the manager or member field rather than you. A determined litigant can still pierce the layer through discovery: a court can order you to disclose ownership, and California's charging order statute (Corporations Code Section 17705.03) even allows foreclosure on a member's interest in some circumstances. The holding structure protects you from casual lookups and routine searches, not from a court with authority to compel disclosure.

Can I convert my existing LLC into an anonymous LLC?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

You cannot convert an existing LLC formed in a disclosure state into an anonymous one — the public record already exists. The most common approach is to form a new California LLC and transfer assets or business operations to it. An attorney consultation can walk through the transfer mechanics and tax implications.

What is the annual cost to maintain a California anonymous LLC?

![icon](/_next/image?url=%2Fimages%2Ficons%2FfaqPlus.png&w=128&q=75)

California is one of the more expensive states to keep an LLC. Formation costs $70. The recurring obligations are the $800 minimum annual franchise tax (the AB 85 first-year waiver expired December 31, 2023, so LLCs formed after January 1, 2024 pay it in year one), the $20 biennial Statement of Information, and a tiered LLC fee of $900 to $11,790 once California gross receipts exceed $250,000. All franchise and LLC fees go to the Franchise Tax Board. Professional registered agent service adds roughly $100 to $300 per year. None of these costs buy privacy on their own — that comes from the holding-company structure.

## Learn More About California

-   [California LLC Formation](/states/ca/llc-formation-california)
-   [California Registered Agent](/states/ca/registered-agent-california)
-   [Wyoming Anonymous LLC](/states/wy/anonymous-llc-wyoming)
-   [California EIN Number](/states/ca/ein-number-california)