Application for Authority

 

 

If you already have a company established in another state (or country), each state you operate in requires you to have a registration in that state. In Oregon, this is called an application for authority, and the state will charge you $275 to register it here. You also have to have a registered agent with a physical address in Oregon. Stevens & Legal can help with both.

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First, the foreign registration is a bit more complicated than forming your Oregon LLC, so many should seek professional help. For example, some entity types require paper forms to be used, and we have those. Many company types from other countries do not easily translate to what Oregon has, so again, paper forms are often required.

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Then, you may also need a certificate of good standing, or the equivalent of that, to complete the Oregon registration. The Secretary of State can often ensure your company is active in another state, but some states keep that information behind a paywall, requiring you to obtain the required paperwork. For example, Oregon can confirm status without any certificates for Washington, Idaho, California, and most states in the west. Certificates are needed from states such as Delaware, Wyoming, Texas, New Jersey, and Georgia. You also need them for Australia, The Netherlands, and the UK, and we know this because we have obtained the application for authority for companies from all of those jurisdictions.

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Lastly, once your registration is back from the state, it is still called an application for authority, even though it is the final document. However, if you will have employees in Oregon, you will also need to obtain a free business identification number (BIN) from the Oregon Department of Revenue. This is because Oregon has income tax. Though we do not have a sales tax, so no franchise tax and no reseller’s permit, though you can sort of get one of the later if needed.​

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