Registered Agent Services for California

Registered Agent Services for California

As a Corporation or LLC in California, your company must be represented by a Registered Agent to receive service of process. A California Registered Agent is required by the state and is designated to receive official state and legal paperwork for your company. Failure to have an appropriate Registered Agent in California will result in legal issues for your company, in addition to possible fines.

Understanding California Registered Agents

A Registered Agent in California has to meet state requirements and follow all statutory requirements. If this is not done, the state can revoke your LLC or Corporate standing and may also apply additional financial penalties.

CA Registered Agent Requirements

A California Registered Agent must be an individual who resides in California or another corporation designated to accept service of process if the corporation is sued. The individual or corporation used must meet the following requirements:

• A corporation or LLC cannot act as its own agent.
• The agent must agree to accept service of process from California on behalf of your company.
• For individuals designated as agents, the state requires their full name and physical address (P.O. Boxes are not acceptable).
• If the agent is a corporation, only the corporation name is required.
• In order to designate a corporation as your company's Registered Agent, the corporation must have previously filed a certificate with the state of California pursuant to Section 1505.
• No domestic or foreign corporation can file the certificate pursuant to Section 1505 unless they are authorized to engage in business in California and are currently in good standing in the records of the California Secretary of State.

Many companies aren't concerned about assigning an appropriate Registered Agent because they don't expect to be involved in lawsuits or have any reason to be served papers. However, it's important to know that the service of process in California includes a variety of documentation, including:

• Wage garnishments
• Subpoenas for records
• Official state correspondence and other business requests

Selecting a California Registered Agent

Searching for and determining a Registered Agent for California is especially important because your company cannot serve as its own Registered Agent. You will need to either choose an individual (such as a director, office, or other designated person), or choose an outside corporation to represent you.

Choosing an individual raises several concerns. The first is privacy. As noted above, the state expects to have the physical address of the individual you select as a Registered Agent, and will serve papers directly to their doorstep. Because Registered Agents are a matter of public record, your executive or other individual agent will have their physical address available to the public. This is not an ideal situation for many companies.

The second concern is physical presence. Your executives and officers are likely at the office during the day. As a result, they will not be able to be served papers during regular business hours. Even if you use your office address as their physical location with the state, if they are out ill or on vacation, there will be no one available to receive the service of process from California. This can lead to legal and financial repercussions.

As a result of these concerns, many companies choose a Registered Agent in California that is an outside corporation, such as incorporate.com. Working with us means that the physical presence and privacy of your officers and executives is no longer a concern. Your LLC or Corporation can rely on us to receive and forward official communications discreetly, promptly, and affordably.

Additionally, companies who use our Registered Agent Service in California receive a free enrollment in our $50,000 Corporate Veil Guarantee and access to our Compliance Watch® online compliance management tool. When you team up with incorporate.com, you can rest assured that your Registered Agent needs will be met and your privacy secured.