How To Start A Business In California | CA Secretary of State

Business Search

This business search provides access to available information for corporations, limited liability companies and limited partnerships of record

Incorporate your business for just $0! Plus State

Are you ready to start your business in California?

Per the California Secretary of State, you have the ability to establish; corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), and Partnerships (LP, GP, LLP, SP).  To create one of the above entities, you must submit the appropriate filing fees and forms to the California Secretary of State located at 1500 11th street 3rd floor Sacramento Ca 95814.

We are Located in Sacramento.  We provide filing services to the California Secretary of State.

1500 11th street 3rd floor Sacramento, CA 95814

How To Order Filing Services?

Follow the instructions below.

  1. Email your prepared Articles of Organization and instructions to
    serviceofprocess916@gmail.com   or fax to (916) 244-2636.  Instructions should include type of service: Business Filing Services – $250 + State Fees.  Expedited Filing Service - $450 + State Fees.
  2. I will email you an invoice for payment which will include the fees payable to the State of California Secretary of State which will include the filing fee and the expedited filing fee, and our fee for filing your documents.
  3. Pay the online invoice for filing your documents.
  4. We will write checks payable for the fees to the Secretary of State.
  5. We will submit your documents in person in Sacramento.
  6. We will pick up a certified copy of your filed documents after the Secretary of State finished processing it.  If the Secretary of State rejects your filing, our fee and the expedited fee are not refundable.
  7. We will email you a copy of the filed document and mail your the original.

How to Register Your Business In California

Step 1- Choose the correct business name.  California has a business search function that you can use for a quick reference as well as long form name-inquiry and name-reservation processes. Find out more about these state procedures at our business search and name reservation pages.

Step 2- You must now provide your filing information into the PDF application that is associated with your business type. We have provided further instructions within the tutorials linked below.

Corporation

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

  • Domestic Limited Liability Company
  • Foreign Limited Liability Company




Partnerships

  • Domestic Limited Partnership
  • Domestic General Partnership
  • Domestic Limited Liability Partnership
  • Foreign Limited Partnership
  • Foreign Limited Liability Partnership
  • Foreign General Partnership
  • Sole Proprietorship

Step 3- After completing whichever forms your entity requires for recognition, you will need to submit them to the office of the Secretary of State either by mail or in person (forms submitted in person carry with them a special handling fee which differs from form to form). Each form has its own associated fees (divulged below) and submission address. Applications sent by mail must be attached to a check made payable to the Secretary of State and sent to the address below.

Secretary of State Business Entities

P.O. Box 944260

Sacramento, CA 94244-2600

Our firm is located in Sacramento and we can file your documents in person at the California Secretary of State's Office.

We Provide Ca Secretary of State Filing Service.

Our firm is located in Sacramento California and we provide routine and expedited filing service to the California Secretary of State 1500 11th street 3rd floor Sacramento Ca 95814.  Click <GET IT FILED TODAY> for more information.

(SOS FILING FEES)

Corporation

  • Domestic General Corporation- $100
  • Domestic Professional Corporation- $100
  • Domestic Close Corporation- $100
  • Domestic Nonprofit Religious Corporation- $30
  • Domestic Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation- $30
  • Domestic Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Corporation- $30
  • Domestic Common Interest Development Association- $30
  • Foreign General Corporation- $100
  • Foreign Nonprofit Corporation- $30
  • Foreign Professional Corporation- $100
  • Foreign Insurer Corporation- $100

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

  • Domestic Limited Liability Company- $70
  • Foreign Limited Liability Company- $70

Partnerships

  • Domestic General Partnership- $70
  • Domestic Limited Partnership- $70
  • Domestic Limited Liability Partnership- $70
  • Foreign General Partnership- $25
  • Foreign Limited Partnership- $70
  • Foreign Limited Liability Partnership- $70
  • Sole Proprietorship- (fees vary)

Name Reservation

You have to reserve your business name with the California Secretary of State to secure the rights to use that chosen business name.  You can reserve the entity name through the mail or through our name reservation service.  Our firm provides corporation/LLC name availability searches and reservations.

Registered Agent Services

Every California corporation must have an agent for service of process in the state. This is an individual or corporation that agrees to accept legal papers on the corporation's behalf if it is sued. A corporation may not service as its own agent for service of process. The agent should agree to accept service of process on your corporation's behalf prior to designation.

The agent may be: (1) an individual who resides in California, or (2) a corporate agent that has filed with the Secretary of State a Certificate Pursuant to Section 1505, California Corporations Code. The agent must have a physical street address in California, not a post office box. Small corporations typically name a director or officer to serve as the initial agent. A different agent can always be named later.

The Secretary of State maintains a list of private service companies that can act as the agent for service of process; however, not all such companies are on the list.  Our firm is a 1505 registered agent and we provide Resident Agent Services.

Certificate of Status

The Certificate of Status can be obtained by downloading the Business Records Entities – Order Form (available here), completing it, and submitting it along with all due fees (by mail: $4, in person: $4 + $10 special handling fee) to the office of the Secretary of State of California in Sacramento.  We can deliver your Business Records Entities - Order Form to the Sacramento Secretary of State.

Agreements

Here are some sample agreements that I found online.  You may be able to use these to form your entity.

  • Corporate Bylaw
  • LLC Operating Agreement
  • Partnership Agreement

California Registered Agents for Service of Process

Secretary of State