California Registered Agent
$129 per year, flat — as low as $87/yr with multi-year service.
Statutory registered agent service in California from a local office, with same-day electronic service of process, compliance calendar, and EntityWatch® monitoring included.
What is a California registered agent?
Businesses that register as legal entities are required by law in all 50 states to have a registered agent, resident agent, or statutory agent. A California registered agent is the designated recipient of service of process (SOP) when a business entity faces legal action, and receives official legal documents from the state regarding the company's operation within California. A California business must identify its registered agent in its articles of incorporation or organization.
Why are registered agents required for California businesses?
Having a registered agent is a requirement for California corporations and LLCs, and the same requirement generally extends to limited partnerships, LLPs, LLLPs, nonprofit corporations, professional entities, and other businesses formed or registered by filing with the state. The agent must be located and available at a physical street address within California during normal business hours — a mailbox service or P.O. Box cannot represent you. Failing to establish and maintain a registered agent can jeopardize your company's legal status in the state and lead to unnecessary expense.
Why choose InCorp in California?
Created in 1998, we now serve more than 300,000 clients worldwide and hold a BBB A+ rating. We will beat any competitor's price on registered agent service, and multi-year terms bring your cost down to as little as $87 per year. Transfer fees are absorbed in most cases when you switch, and our team helps with the California agent-change filing at no additional charge.
Registered Agent Service
$129 /year
Flat rate for California — and every other state.
Multi-year savings
-
1 yr
$129
-
2 yrs
$117
-
3 yrs
$105
-
4 yrs
$96
-
5 yrs
$87
per year, prepaid term
We will beat any competitor's price on registered agent service.
Appointing InCorp as your California registered agent
- California does not require original signatures.
- Online filings are available for the Statement of Information, on which the Registered Agent can be changed for no additional charge. The Statement of Information is not available for online filing for LLCs and are not required at all for Partnerships.
- California's regular processing time can increase during times of high volume, but is usually 1-2 weeks. They offer expedite filing when documents are walked in and 24 hour expedite can be added for $350.
- The California Registered Agent change filing is free of charge when included with the Statement of Information for Corporations, Non-Profits, and LLCs. Partnerships must file an amendment with a $30 fee.
- The state of California requires LLCs and corporations filed in California to have a Registered Agent. California Registered Agents are a person or company designated on public record to accept legal documents (service of process) and notifications from the California Secretary of State's office on behalf of the corporate entity. There are few restrictions regarding who can be listed as a Registered Agent, the most important being that the Registered Agent must be located and available at a physical street address, within the state of California, during normal business hours.
- Your California Registered Agent will be responsible, on your behalf, to receive all government notifications sent to Registered Agents and litigation (service of process) documents. In California, InCorp is able to offer additional services like Mail Forwarding and Known Place of Business in addition to Registered Agent service for an additional fee.
The law behind it
California's registered-agent framework, quoted directly from the state code.
Cal. Corp. Code § 1502 General Corporation Law — Corporations
“(a) Every corporation shall file, within 90 days after the filing of its original articles and annually thereafter during the applicable filing period, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, a statement containing all of the following: ... (b) The statement required by subdivision (a) shall also designate, as the agent of the corporation for the purpose of service of process, a natural person residing in this state or a corporation that has complied with Section 1505 and whose capacity to act as an agent has not terminated. If a natural person is designated, the statement shall set forth that person's complete business or residence street address. If a corporate agent is designated, no address for it shall be set forth.”
Cal. Corp. Code § 17701.13 California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (RULLCA) — LLCs
“(a) A limited liability company shall designate and continuously maintain in this state both of the following: (1) An office, which need not be a place of its activity in this state. (2) An agent for service of process. ... (c) An agent for service of process of a limited liability company or foreign limited liability company shall be an individual who is a resident of this state or a corporation that has complied with Section 1505 and whose capacity to act as an agent has not terminated.”
Quoted verbatim from the official published statutes. Statutes are amended from time to time — always confirm current law with the state or your attorney. This is information, not legal advice.
Order multiple years of California registered agent service and save
$129 /year
Multi-year savings
-
1 yr
$129
-
2 yrs
$117
-
3 yrs
$105
-
4 yrs
$96
-
5 yrs
$87
per year, prepaid term
We will beat any competitor's price on registered agent service.
"They are friendly, professional and quick. I had a past due balance and the friendly customer service person proactively found a way to reduce some late fees by consolidating it, without me having to ask. Service like that is rare enough to write about and recommend."
"InCorp helped me navigate the details and potentially confusing amount of filing and paperwork that I would have otherwise had to figure out for myself. For a small business (or even larger) this was invaluable."
Quotes from InCorp client reviews.
California registered agent FAQs
How do I order registered agent service?
Why do I need a registered agent?
Do you automatically register my entity or change my registered agent when I sign up for InCorp’s Registered Agent service?
Can InCorp serve as a registered agent for agencies other than the Secretary of State?
How do I get InCorp's signature on my documents?
Can an individual use a registered agent?
Switching your California registered agent
California charges a fee to change an existing entity's registered agent — and InCorp covers it when you switch to us. The state's fee, and what you actually pay:
| Entity Type | State Agent-Change Fee | What You Pay with InCorp |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic Limited-Liability Company | $20 | $0 |
| Domestic Limited-Liability Partnership | $30 | $0 |
| Domestic Non-Profit Corporation | $20 | $0 |
| Domestic Profit Corporation | $25 | $0 |
| Foreign Business Trust | $25 | $0 |
| Foreign Limited Partnership | $30 | $0 |
| Foreign Limited-Liability Company | $20 | $0 |
| Foreign Non-Profit Corporation | $25 | $0 |
| Foreign Profit Corporation | $25 | $0 |
State fees are set by state law and are never discounted. Amounts shown are what the state collects with a change-of-agent filing - in some states that includes an online payment-processing fee or required extras such as certified copies or county recording.
InCorp covers the state agent-change fee when you switch to us, in most cases — confirmed before you order.
InCorp will beat any competitor's price on any product or service. Call (800) 2-INCORP for a free consultation.
Official California resources
Your California registered agent, in place today.
You'll receive our address immediately and filing instructions within one business day.
or call (800) 2-INCORP for a free consultation