Hawaii

Foreign registration · Form S&DC-S/N

Hawaii Corporation Foreign Registration in California

To do business in California, a corporation formed in Hawaii registers there on Form S&DC-S/N, with $100 in state fees. California may ask for Hawaii's Good Standing Certificate ($5). We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Hawaii records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

What Hawaii and California each ask for

	Hawaii formed here	California registering here
Document	Hawaii Good Standing Certificate	Form S&DC-S/N, Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation
State fee	$5	$100 at order
How it is handled	Hawaii: online	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Business Registration Division	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	cca.hawaii.gov	sos.ca.gov
Yearly filing	Annual Report, $15, every year	Statement of Information (Form SI-550), $25, every year
Due	Last day of the quarter in which the corporation was incorporated	Last day of the corporation's registration-anniversary month, annually
Late yearly filing	$100 late fee	$250 late fee
Agent	Your Hawaii registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

How Hawaii companies register with California

We prepare and file Form S&DC-S/N
It lists us as your California agent for service of process, next to your Hawaii name and formation date. If California wants the Hawaii certificate, it is ordered first. After approval, your Hawaii corporation is registered with California.

Will your Hawaii name work for California?

If California's records show it taken, you can use an alternate name for the Hawaii company. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Hawaii

California calls it an agent for service of process; Hawaii says registered agent. California papers come to us; Hawaii's agent is unchanged.

Staying in good standing in Hawaii and California

Each year your corporation files Hawaii's Annual Report ($15) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). With our $149 agent for service of process renewal, Hawaii plus California comes to $189 a year. Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Hawaii to California

An LLC formed in Hawaii files Form LLC-5 with California ($70 in state fees, plus the Good Standing Certificate ($5)). After that come Hawaii's Domestic Limited Liability Company Annual Report (Form C5) ($12.50) and California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20). See the LLC filing.

Questions Hawaii owners ask about California

Does my Hawaii company need to register in California?

Yes, once a Hawaii business operates there; California registers it as a foreign corporation.

Is this a certificate of authority?

California calls it registration for Hawaii corporations; other states say certificate of authority.

How much does the California registration cost?

$299 at checkout; California may also want Hawaii's Good Standing Certificate, at extra cost.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less, plus time for Hawaii's certificate if California asks for it. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Hawaii and California?

$189 a year: our $149 agent for service of process renewal, $15 to Hawaii and $25 to California for the yearly reports.

What if I don't register with California?

California can charge a Hawaii company a penalty of $20 a day.

Does California require a registered agent?

Yes: the Hawaii registered agent stays, and ours covers California for year one.

Will California accept my Hawaii name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Hawaii name at home.

Can I form a new California corporation instead?

Yes, but Hawaii keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25), and the original keeps Hawaii's Annual Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

Hawaii companies leave by filing Form CORP-SURC, Certificate of Surrender; until then, California's report stays due alongside Hawaii's filings.

Official sources

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