Foreign Registration in Wisconsin

If your company is registered outside of Wisconsin it is required to obtain a certificate of authority before transacting business in the state.

This process is called “Foreign Qualification”, and it involves filing Certificate of Authority with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

To approve foreign qualification application Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions does not require any documents from home state for LLCs, but does require certificate of good standing or its equivalent from the home state for corporations. The certificate must be current within 60 days. Keep in mind, foreign entity is required to appoint and maintain a registered agent in Wisconsin on file at all times in order to be in good standing.

The filing process with Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions could take about 5 business days, plus additional time for mailing. Expedited option of 1 business day, plus mailing time, is available for extra fee. Corporate applicants should also allow additional time for obtaining the certificate of good standing from their home state.