Registered Agent for Your California Corporation: $49 a year

Every California corporation needs a registered agent

California law requires every corporation incorporated in the state, and every out-of-state corporation qualified to do business here, to designate and continuously maintain an agent for service of process. You name the agent in your Articles of Incorporation and keep the designation current in your Statement of Information filings. Failing to maintain an agent can create compliance problems with the state, and can mean your corporation never learns about a lawsuit until it's too late to respond.

Corpgate, Inc. is a registered 1505 corporate agent and has served California corporations since 2008, including nonprofit corporations and out-of-state corporations registered here.

What your registered agent actually does

• Service of process: receives lawsuits, summonses, subpoenas, and similar legal documents naming your corporation
• Other legal documents: receives any other legal papers delivered to it for your corporation. The Secretary of State usually mails its own notices to your corporation's mailing address on file.

It's rare; most clients never receive a service of process. But when a document does arrive for your corporation, we scan it and email it to you promptly, and the hard copy is forwarded to you.

When someone sues your corporation

If your corporation is sued, the process server will usually deliver the papers to the agent for service of process named in the Secretary of State's records, not to your office. That makes your agent the place where lawsuit papers for your corporation most often arrive. If the agent moves, cannot be found, or does not pass papers along, you may not hear about the case until the time to respond has run out.

The clock to respond starts once service is complete, so papers that sit unread cost you time. How long you have depends on the court and the kind of document, and a licensed attorney can tell you what applies. Our guide on how service of process works in California walks through it.

Who can be a corporation's registered agent?

Two options under California law: an individual California resident with a physical street address (no P.O. Boxes), or a corporation registered under Corporations Code section 1505 to act as a professional agent. The corporation cannot act as its own agent.

A professional 1505 agent keeps this role independent of any one person or office. Because our registration keeps our address on file with the state, your filings simply select Corpgate, Inc. by name.

Your corporation's Statement of Information

Every California corporation, and every out-of-state corporation qualified to do business here, files a Statement of Information with the California Secretary of State on bizfile Online. Stock and out-of-state corporations use Form SI-550. California nonprofit corporations use Form SI-100, file every two years, and pay $20.

• When it is due: within 90 days of the date the state filed your Articles of Incorporation (or your registration, for an out-of-state corporation). After that, a stock or out-of-state corporation files every year during a six-month filing period. The period is the month your corporation registered plus the five months before it.
• The fee: $25 for each required statement from a stock or out-of-state corporation. An updated statement filed between filing periods only to report a change, such as a new agent, has no state fee.
• If it is late: the Secretary of State sends a notice of delinquency. If the statement is still not filed 60 days after that notice, the Franchise Tax Board assesses a $250 penalty ($50 for a California nonprofit corporation). A corporation that has also filed no statement in the previous 24 months goes on the suspension track instead of the penalty.

The Statement of Information also names your corporation's agent for service of process, so keep it current. If Corpgate, Inc. is your agent, you select our name exactly as registered and leave the agent address fields blank.

Corporations formed in another state

A corporation formed in another state that is qualified to transact business in California needs a California agent for service of process. An agent in your home state does not cover California unless it is also a California 1505 corporate agent. Out-of-state corporations file the same yearly Statement of Information. Our guide for out-of-state companies doing business in California explains how to register.

What you get with Corpgate, Inc.

• Corpgate, Inc. listed as your corporation's registered agent with the California Secretary of State
• Documents scanned and emailed to you promptly, with the hard copy forwarded
• Flat pricing: the price on this page is the whole price, with no processing fees and no add-ons
• Owner-operated service, email support at support@corpgate.com
• 18 years serving California businesses, since 2008

Switching from another agent?

Sign up first, then update your registered agent with the Secretary of State. It's a single form, filed online, and we email you simple instructions after checkout. Full walkthrough: how to change your registered agent in California.

Incorporating now?

If you're forming a new California corporation, you'll designate your agent in the Articles of Incorporation. Sign up with us first and the confirmation email will have exactly what you need to list Corpgate, Inc. correctly. California also calls this role the agent for service of process.

Related guide: What does a registered agent cost in California?

California corporation registered agent: FAQ

This page is general information about California's registered agent requirement, not legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.