Arkansas

Foreign registration · Form LLC-5

Arkansas LLC Foreign Registration in California

To do business in California, an LLC formed in Arkansas registers there on Form LLC-5, with $70 in state fees. California also wants Arkansas's Certificate of Good Standing ($25), dated within 180 days. We file it with the Secretary of State, Business Entities using your Arkansas records and act as your agent for service of process there for the first year.

Arkansas vs California: the paperwork

	Arkansas formed here	California registering here
Document	Arkansas Certificate of Good Standing	Form LLC-5
State fee	$25	$70 at order
How it is handled	Arkansas: online, ready to print right after purchase	Filed with California
Paid expedite		24-hour $350, same-day $750
Office	Arkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services	California Secretary of State, Business Entities
Official page	sos.arkansas.gov	sos.ca.gov
Age rule	Dated when issued	Accepted if dated within 180 days
Yearly filing	Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report, $150, every year	Statement of Information (Form LLC-12), $20, every two years
Due	May 1	Last day of the LLC's registration-anniversary month, biennially
Late yearly filing	$25 late fee	$250 late fee
Turnaround	Certificate issued instantly online	Online processing: 5 days or less
Agent	Your Arkansas registered agent	Our California agent for service of process

From Arkansas to California, step by step

Order the Arkansas certificate
The Certificate of Good Standing ($25) is ordered from Arkansas separately; it is not part of our California order. An instant Arkansas certificate reaches California only hours old, well inside the limit of 180 days.
We prepare and file Form LLC-5
It names us as your California agent for service of process, with your Arkansas name and formation date and the certificate attached. Arkansas issues the certificate instantly, so the California filing can go in the same day. Once California approves it, the Arkansas company can do business there.

First-year cost, Arkansas to California

Item	Amount
State fees, paid at order	$70
Certificate of Good Standing, paid to Arkansas	$25
Our service, with a year of California agent for service of process service	$199
First-year total, Arkansas certificate included	$294

California's paid expedite is optional and not in the total.

Your Arkansas name and California's rules

California accepts your Arkansas name if it includes limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC. If the Arkansas name already ends in LLC, it meets the rule. If another California company uses the Arkansas name, an alternate name is allowed. California can hold a name for 60 days for $10 before you file.

Agents: California and Arkansas

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

Yearly filings: California and Arkansas

Arkansas wants the Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report every year ($150); California wants the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) every two years ($20). Both states' filings stay current side by side.

LLC or corporation, Arkansas to California

A corporation formed in Arkansas files Form S&DC-S/N with California ($100 in state fees). After that come Arkansas's Annual Corporation Franchise Tax Report ($150) and California's Statement of Information (Form SI-550) ($25). See the corporation filing.

The other way: California into Arkansas

An LLC formed in California that registers with Arkansas files Form FL-01 with $270 in state fees, plus the Certificate of Status ($5) dated within 30 days. See that filing.

Common questions: Arkansas to California

Does my Arkansas company need to register in California?

Yes, once an Arkansas business operates there; California law lists 10 activities that do not count on their own.

How much does it cost to register an Arkansas LLC in California?

$269 at checkout plus $25 to Arkansas for the Certificate of Good Standing, $294 in all (checkout is $70 in state fees plus our $199).

Do I need Arkansas's certificate of good standing?

Yes: California wants it ($25), no more than 180 days old at filing.

How long does the California registration take?

California's online processing takes 5 days or less; Arkansas's certificate is an instant download, so there is no wait before filing. Paid expedite: 24-hour $350, same-day $750.

What are the yearly costs for Arkansas and California?

Our agent for service of process renewal ($149 a year), Arkansas's report ($150) and California's report ($20, every two years).

What if I don't register with California?

An Arkansas company cannot sue in court there until it registers.

Does California require a registered agent?

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

Will California accept my Arkansas name?

Yes, if no company there has it; if one does, it uses an alternate name there and keeps its Arkansas name at home. California names must include limited liability company, L.L.C. or LLC.

Can I form a new California LLC instead?

Yes, but Arkansas keeps the original, so you run two companies: the new one files California's Statement of Information (Form LLC-12) ($20), and the original keeps Arkansas's Annual LLC Franchise Tax Report.

How do I withdraw from California later?

Arkansas companies leave by filing Form LLC-4/7 (no state fee); until then, California's report stays due alongside Arkansas's filings.

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