California Registered Agents for Corporations

CA Agent for Service of Process Requirements

• Every corporation, domestic or foreign, must have an Agent for Service of Process with a registered office within the State of California at all times.
• The Registered Agent can be a domestic or foreign (licensed to transact business in the state) artificial legal entity (corporation, LLC, LP or LLP) or a natural person.
• If the Agent for Service of Process is a company, they must be authorized to conduct business in California.
• If the Registered Agent is a person, they must live in California.
• The Agent for Service of Process must be available in person to sign for any correspondence during regular business hours.
• The Registered Office must be located in the State of California at a street address (a P.O. Box is not acceptable).

• State and federal government correspondence and notices
• Service of process notices (e.g., if your corporation is sued or required to appear in court)
• Correspondence from the California Sec State
• Tax forms and requests to complete permits, company filings and reports

• A digital dashboard where you can access, store and retrieve any information we’ve received for your business
• An always-available Registered Agent who can receive correspondence, documents and legal proceedings on your corporation's behalf
• Email notification whenever we receive documents for your business
• Automatic forwarding of all legal correspondence, documentation and information directly to you

If you don’t assign or provide details of an Agent for Service of Process to the Secretary of State, you may be subject to certain ramifications, including but not limited to:

Getting sued or served and not knowing about it. You could lose to a default judgment in your absence if your LLC is sued and you don’t respond.

Falling out of good standing with the California Sec State.The state may revoke your right to do business if you don’t respond to certain correspondence (such as a request for your annual report).

Losing your status as a corporation in the state. A Registered Agent is evidence to the state that your business exists. Without it, you could lose your business entity protections and your corporation may be dissolved.

Someone must always be available during business hours at the California address to sign for important documents.

The Agent for Service of Process must have a physical street address in California. If you’re forming a corporation outside the state, you’ll need to use an in-state Registered Agent. The Registered Agent’s name and address are part of the public record and available through the California Sec State website. If you prefer to keep your name and address private, you should use a Registered Agent service.

If you change your business address or move out of state, you need to file additional documentation with the Secretary of State for the new address. This won't be necessary if you use a Registered Agent service, making a move or address change much simpler.