Starting a business in California requires a registered agent (also known as an “agent for service of process”). A registered agent is a person or company who maintains a street address in California and is available during regular business hours to accept service of process and state notices.
So why hire us to be your registered agent?
Starting a business in California is an exciting process that shouldn’t be complicated, but most California entrepreneurs don’t have the time to sift through a bureaucratic labyrinth of documents, deadlines, and dreaded fees.
If you are one of those entrepreneurs trying to wrap your head around it all, check out our Starting a Business in California page to learn everything about California business formation. To get into the nitty gritty, check out our pages on starting an LLC in California and incorporating in California.
Our building in the heart of Sacramento, California.
Hate junk mail? Value privacy? We offer a suite of professional business compliance services:
But that’s not all.
California Registered Agent Service is what we do. But we don’t stop there. As local registered agents, we provide:
Our mission is to help California business owners every step of the way. To that end, we provide everything you need to succeed and offer everything you need to support your business as it grows.
We get it—there are a lot of companies out there offering California registered agent and business formation services.
Why should you hire us?
When you’re first starting a business, you need to keep costs down. We wanted to provide the most affordable price in California without taking any shortcuts. We don’t work out of someone’s basement and we don’t make up the money by selling your personal information to marketers. Our price isn’t a trick. We’re not going to raise it next year or the year after. We’re not going to try and get you to purchase a bunch of “add-ons.” If we did, we’d lose customers. Instead, we work hard to provide top-notch California registered agent service at a great price. That’s how we earn the trust of loyal customers who keep our business going.
We’ll get your order processed the day it comes in. The California Secretary of State processing times can be long. Why add to that wait by hiring a sluggish registered agent service? We’re only a few blocks away from the Secretary of State’s office, and we’ve got a team of filers—and their ebikes—ready to go. Just say the word.
We never, ever sell your information to marketers. Ever. We just don’t think that’s right. Beyond keeping the information you give us private, we also want to help you keep your personal information off the public record. We know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of an aggressive junk mail campaign or — worse yet — have an unexpected visitor show up on the front porch. California’s formation documents require you to list a business address. When you hire us, we’ll let you use our California business address. It’s a nice commercial building in Sacramento. Using our address instead of yours allows you to keep your personal address safe and secure from prying eyes.
Starting a business in California can be confusing. Pick up the phone and call us. Our team is made up of California business experts, and we think your questions — big or small — deserve a thoughtful and accurate answer. We’re here to walk you through the mystifying process of starting and maintaining a business in California.
Hire us before you form your company. In California, you have to list your California registered agent information on your Articles of Incorporation or Organization. If you don’t, the California Secretary of State will reject your filing.
When you hire us, we’ll provide you with our information to use on your formation documents. You also have the option to hire us to file your Articles of Incorporation or Organization on your behalf for $100 plus state fees. Either way, we’ll let you use our California business address so that you can keep your address private.
What’s it like to be a registered agent in California? Not many people know, but we do. When you start a California LLC or incorporate in California, you’ll either need to hire a California registered agent or become one. Obviously, we think it’s smart to hire us for just $49 a year. But either way, we want you to know what you’re getting into. Below, we’ve outlined everything we think is important to know about California registered agents.
In California, registered agents go by a long list of different names:
It’s confusing, but all of these titles refer to the same thing: a registered agent. A California registered agent is someone you’ve designated to accept legal mail on behalf of your business. A registered agent must have a physical street address in the state of California and be present at that address during normal business hours. If someone needs to send your business service of process (say, a subpoena or a summons), they will look up your registered agent information on the California Secretary of State’s database. Then they will deliver the legal mail to your registered agent, who must be there to accept it and forward it to you.
Yes. California’s state statutes require every business registered in the state of California to appoint a California registered agent. If you don’t include your registered agent information on your formation documents, your Articles of Incorporation or Organization will be rejected by the California Secretary of State.
The requirement is intended to make sure all businesses can be easily contacted for official purposes by the general public and the Secretary of State.
When you hire us to be your California registered agent, we’ll scan your legal mail as soon as it arrives in our office. Then we’ll upload it to your secure account so you can respond to your mail quickly.
Yes. When you file your articles of organization or formation, you’ll need to provide a business address on your filing. This requirement can be tricky for business owners who don’t work out of a commercial space and want to keep their home address private. Any address you list on your filings will become part of the public record.
When you hire us, we’ll provide a California business address for you to use on your formation documents. Using our California business address will keep your home address private. That’s a big reason why we own our Midtown Sacramento building and maintain that local presence: it’s part of our commitment to be there for you for the long haul.
To change your corporate agent you must file an Amended Statement of Information with the California Secretary of State.
You can file the amendment online but only if you are inside your normal filing period. California requires corporations to file a Statement of Information every year; if you filed your formation documents in June, your normal filing period would be June and the five months prior to June (January to May).
LLCs must mail or hand-deliver the Amended Statement of Information to the Secretary of State’s office. LLCs file a Statement of Information biennially.
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