Glossary
Foreign qualification
Registering a business in a state other than the one where it was formed.
Also called: Foreign registration, Certificate of authority, Foreign entity.
"Foreign" here means out of state, not out of the country. A company formed in Delaware that opens an office in Texas is a domestic entity in Delaware and a foreign entity in Texas.
A company that does business in another state generally has to register there, name a registered agent there and file that state’s reports. What counts as "doing business" is defined by each state.
The name has to be available in the new state too. If it is taken, the company registers under an alternate name for use in that state.
Where you'll see it in a business search
In the entity type or jurisdiction field, shown as "foreign" with the home state named.