# Registered Agents in California > Who can be a California registered agent, whether to be your own, what happens if the agent can't be found, and how to change agents for an LLC or corporation. Source: https://ridleylawoffices.com/registered-agent-california/ **Short answer:** Every California LLC and corporation must name an agent for service of process, the person or company that accepts lawsuits and legal papers for the business. California calls it an “agent for service of process,” not a registered agent. The agent must be a California resident or a corporation with a § 1505 certificate on file, and the business can’t be its own agent. - An LLC must continuously maintain an agent and an office in California ([Corp. Code § 17701.13(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). - Qualified agents: a California resident individual, or a corporation that filed a certificate under [Corp. Code § 1505](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1505) ([§ 17701.13(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). - You change the agent by filing a new Statement of Information ([§ 17701.14](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.14)). - If the agent can’t be found, a court can order service through the Secretary of State, complete on the 10th day ([§ 17701.16(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.16)). The agent for service of process is the part of an LLC’s setup most owners don’t think about until the day it matters. That day is usually a lawsuit. If the papers go to a person who moved, quit, or never knew they’d been named, the case can go forward without you. It’s part of the good-standing checklist on my [California LLC annual requirements](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-llc-annual-requirements/) page. ## What is a registered agent in California? It’s the person or company named on the state’s records to receive “service of process” for the business. Service of process means formal delivery of a summons and complaint, the papers that start a lawsuit. California’s LLC and corporation statutes use a different phrase. The LLC statute says “agent for service of process” ([§ 17701.13(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)), and so does the corporate statute ([§ 1502(b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1502)). The Secretary of State’s forms use the same term. Companies that sell the service use “registered agent” because that’s what most other states call it. They mean the same job. ## Does every California business need one? Every entity registered with the Secretary of State does. An LLC must designate and continuously maintain both an office in California and an agent for service of process ([§ 17701.13(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). The office doesn’t have to be where the business operates ([§ 17701.13(a)(1)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). A corporation designates its agent on each Statement of Information ([§ 1502(b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1502)). An out-of-state LLC registered to do business here must keep a California agent too ([§ 17701.13(b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). A sole proprietor operating under a DBA has no agent requirement, because there’s no entity on file with the Secretary of State. The DBA itself is filed with the county, which I explain in [DBAs and fictitious business names in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/dba-fictitious-business-name-california/). ## Who can be a registered agent in California? Two kinds of agents qualify. The agent must be an individual who resides in California, or a corporation that has complied with § 1505 and whose capacity to act as an agent hasn’t ended ([§ 17701.13(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). | Agent type | Requirement | What the state’s record shows | | --- | --- | --- | | Individual | Resides in California | Name and street address ([§ 17702.09(a)(2)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17702.09)) | | Corporate agent | Has a § 1505 certificate on file and is in good standing ([§ 1505(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1505)) | Name only, with no address ([§ 17701.13(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)) | ### What is a § 1505 corporate agent? It’s a corporation that has filed a certificate with the Secretary of State listing its California office addresses and the employees authorized to accept process, and consenting that delivery to them counts as delivery to the agent ([§ 1505(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1505)). A corporation can’t file that certificate unless it’s authorized to do business here and in good standing ([§ 1505(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1505)). The Secretary of State adds that you need the corporate agent’s approval before you name it. Commercial registered agent companies operate this way. When you name one, the state’s records show only its name, and anyone who needs its address looks it up on the Secretary of State’s Business Search, according to the Secretary of State. ### Can my LLC be its own registered agent? No. The Secretary of State says a business entity can’t act as its own agent for service of process. You, as a member or manager, can serve as the agent if you live in California. The Secretary of State notes that small corporations often name an officer or director. ### Can an out-of-state owner be the agent? Not as an individual. The individual agent has to reside in California ([§ 17701.13(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). An owner who moves out of state needs to name a new agent and file the change, which is one of the steps I cover when a client relocates. ## Should I be my own registered agent? You can, and for a small LLC run from a California office it often works. The trade-offs are privacy and reliability. **Privacy.** The Secretary of State warns that an individual agent’s name and physical street address are public, open to anyone. If you run the business from home, naming yourself puts your home address on a public database. A commercial agent keeps it off, because the record shows only the agent’s name. **Reliability.** A process server has to be able to find the agent at the address on file. If you travel, move, or don’t answer the door, service can fail at your address and shift to the Secretary of State, which I explain below. Owners who work in the field all day or split time out of state usually do better with a commercial agent. **Everything else.** A commercial agent forwards what it receives. It doesn’t respond to the lawsuit, calendar the deadline, or call your insurer. Whoever the agent is, someone in the business has to open that mail the day it arrives. ### A checklist for choosing an agent - Is the person a California resident, or is the company a corporate agent with a current certificate on file? - Will they be at the listed street address during the day, every business day? - Do you want that address on the public record? - How and how fast will they tell you when papers arrive: scan, email, phone? - Who at your business watches for those notices, and who backs that person up? - If the agent is a friend or employee, what happens when they move or leave? ## What happens if my registered agent can’t be found? The lawsuit can still be served, only not on you directly. If the agent has resigned without a replacement, or can’t be found with reasonable diligence at the address on file, the plaintiff can ask the court for an order allowing service by hand delivery to the Secretary of State ([§ 17701.16(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.16)). Service that way is complete on the 10th day after delivery. The Secretary of State then mails the papers to the LLC’s principal office by registered mail ([§ 17701.16(d)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.16)). A court can order the same kind of service on a corporation ([§ 1702(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1702)). The Secretary of State’s service page says substituted service requires the court order, the papers, and a $50 fee, hand delivered to its Sacramento office. Here’s the danger. If your principal office address on file is also out of date, that registered letter goes nowhere, but service is still complete. Your response deadline runs, and the plaintiff can ask for a default. Keeping both the agent and the principal office current on your [Statement of Information](https://ridleylawoffices.com/statement-of-information-california/) is what prevents this. ### A worked example A Ventura contractor forms an LLC in 2021 and names his office manager as agent. She leaves in 2024 and moves to Arizona. Nobody updates the filing. In 2026 a supplier sues the LLC. The process server tries her old address three times, files a declaration of diligence, and gets an order to serve through the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State mails the papers to the principal office listed in 2021, which the LLC left in 2023. The contractor first hears about the case when the supplier’s lawyer asks the court for a default. A $0 updated filing in 2024 would have avoided all of it. If you’re in that position now, you need litigation counsel quickly. I don’t litigate, but I can refer you and fix the filings. ## How do I change my registered agent in California? File a new Statement of Information naming the new agent. An LLC changes its agent, the agent’s address, or its office by filing a statement of information, and the change is effective when filed ([§ 17701.14](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.14)). A corporation changes its agent the same way ([§ 1502(e)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1502)). 1. Get the new agent’s consent first. A corporate agent must agree before you name it, per the Secretary of State. 2. Log in to bizfile Online. Since August 1, 2026, filing a Statement of Information online requires web User Access to your entity’s record, according to the Secretary of State. 3. File a complete statement with the new agent’s name (and street address, for an individual agent). 4. If you’re changing commercial agents, cancel the old service only after the new filing shows on the record. 5. Save the filed statement with the company’s records. An LLC that files an updated statement outside its regular filing period to change its agent pays no fee, under the Secretary of State’s LLC-12 instructions. Until the new statement is filed, a change of agent isn’t effective for service of process on the LLC ([§ 17701.16(b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.16)). ### What if my agent resigns? An agent can resign by filing a statement with the Secretary of State, and for a corporation the Secretary of State then notifies the corporation at its principal office ([§ 1503(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1503)). The Secretary of State says every business must file a new Statement of Information when its agent resigns or is no longer valid. Treat a resignation notice as a same-week task. ## What does the agent receive besides lawsuits? Mostly legal process. The statutes cover delivery of process to the agent ([§ 17701.16(b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.16)). For an out-of-state LLC, the consent the agent gives also extends to properly served search warrants for the company’s records ([§ 17708.02(a)(4)(B)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17708.02)). Routine state notices, such as Statement of Information reminders, go to the company’s mailing address or email on file, not to the agent ([§ 17702.09(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17702.09)). That’s one more reason to keep the mailing address current along with the agent. ## What about an out-of-state LLC doing business in California? It needs a California agent when it registers. The registration application names the initial California agent and appoints the Secretary of State as agent if that agent resigns without replacement or can’t be found ([§ 17708.02(a)(4), (a)(5)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17708.02)). The Secretary of State must also tell a registering LLC that registration obligates it to pay the annual tax ([§ 17708.02(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17708.02)), which my [$800 tax page](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-llc-800-tax/) covers. A Wyoming or Nevada LLC run from California rarely saves anything, and it adds a second agent and a second set of state filings. I explain why in [why out-of-state LLCs won’t save you in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/the-asset-protection-industrial-complex-why-out-of-state-llcs-wont-save-you-in-california/). ## Does the agent affect good standing? Indirectly. Keeping the agent current is part of the Statement of Information, and missing that filing leads to a penalty and eventually suspension. My page on [suspended LLCs and corporations](https://ridleylawoffices.com/suspended-llc-corporation-california/) covers what suspension does and how to reverse it. A suspended corporation also can’t act as a § 1505 agent for others, because the certificate requires good standing ([§ 1505(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=1505)). ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I be my own registered agent in California? Yes, if you’re an individual who lives in California ([§ 17701.13(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.13)). Your name and street address become public record, according to the Secretary of State. You also have to be findable at that address during the day. ### Can I use a P.O. box for my registered agent? No. The Statement of Information requires the street address of an individual agent ([§ 17702.09(a)(2)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17702.09)). The point is a place where papers can be handed to a person. A mailing address can be separate. ### Can my LLC be its own agent? No. The Secretary of State says a business entity can’t act as its own agent for service of process. A member, manager, or officer who lives in California can. ### How much does it cost to change my registered agent? For an LLC, nothing when you file the update outside the regular filing period, under the Secretary of State’s LLC-12 instructions. If you make the change as part of your regular biennial statement, you pay the normal $20 fee. A commercial agent charges its own annual fee. ### What happens if I don’t have a registered agent? A plaintiff can get a court order to serve your company through the Secretary of State, and service is complete 10 days after delivery ([§ 17701.16(c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CORP§ionNum=17701.16)). You may not learn about the lawsuit until your deadline to respond has passed. ### Is a registered agent the same as an agent for service of process? Yes. California’s Corporations Code uses “agent for service of process,” and “registered agent” is the common name used by most other states and by commercial providers. A California “1505 corporate agent” is what most people mean by a professional registered agent. More in this series - [California LLC annual requirements: a compliance calendar](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-llc-annual-requirements/) - [The California Statement of Information](https://ridleylawoffices.com/statement-of-information-california/) - [Suspended LLC or corporation in California: how to revive it](https://ridleylawoffices.com/suspended-llc-corporation-california/) - [Opening an LLC bank account in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/llc-bank-account-california/) - [Piercing the corporate veil in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/piercing-corporate-veil-california/) - [The California LLC $800 annual tax](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-llc-800-tax/) - [All business owner guides](https://ridleylawoffices.com/business-guides/) My [entity formation](https://ridleylawoffices.com/entity-formation/) service is a flat fee, $2,500 for a single-owner LLC, and it names the agent at the start. Fixing an existing company’s filings is billed at $500 an hour, as my [fees](https://ridleylawoffices.com/fees/) page shows. [Talk to Eric](https://ridley.click/eric-60) Book a consultation at [ridley.click/eric-60](https://ridley.click/eric-60) or call 805-244-5291. I work with business owners in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties by Zoom or phone. **Please read:** This page is general information about California law as of September 2026. It isn’t legal, tax, or financial advice, and reading it doesn’t make you my client. An attorney-client relationship starts only with a signed engagement agreement.