California Registered Agent: What They Do, Who Can Be One and How to Choose

Every LLC and corporation in California must name a registered agent. If you live outside California, or you do not want your home address on a public record, you will probably hire one. This guide explains what a California registered agent does, who can be one, what the state requires and how to choose. If you are still deciding where to form, start with the guide to registering an LLC in the USA online.

What a California registered agent does

A registered agent is the person or company the state and the courts can reach at a street address in California. They receive legal papers, such as a lawsuit or a subpoena, and official mail from the Secretary of State and the tax authorities. They pass it to you. The agent's name and address go on the public record when you file, so it is worth choosing deliberately. For the basics, read registered agent for a US LLC: do you need one.

What California requires

• A California street address. A PO box is not accepted as the agent's address.
• Someone available. The agent must be reachable at that address during normal business hours to accept papers.
• An eligible agent. It can be an individual who lives in California, or a company that is registered with the state to act as a corporate agent. Confirm the current rules on the Secretary of State website before you file.

Can you be your own registered agent?

Only if you live in California and can be at that address during the day. Then your home address goes on the public record, and a missed lawsuit notice can lead to a default judgment against the company. Owners who live abroad, travel often or want to keep a home address private usually hire an agent instead.

How to choose one

1. Check the address is a real street address in California, not a PO box.
2. Ask how documents reach you. Same-day scanning into an online account is better than weekly mail.
3. Ask what happens when something is urgent. A lawsuit notice has a deadline that starts when it is served, not when you read it.
4. Look at the renewal price. Many providers charge a low first year and more after.
5. Check that you can change agents later. You can, with a filing to the state.

What else comes with a California LLC

The agent is one part of staying in good standing. California LLCs also file a Statement of Information with the Secretary of State on a regular schedule and pay an annual minimum franchise tax to the Franchise Tax Board. Both have deadlines, and the state notices go to your agent, so make sure they have your correct contact details. Check the current fees and dates on the official sites, as they change.

Our California registered agent

We act as registered agent in California with a California street address, and we scan the mail we receive for you into your online portal. See the details and the price on our page for a registered agent with a physical address in California. If you are forming the company with us, the first year of registered agent service is included in our LLC formation packages.

Related: physical address for an LLC in California and registered agent with a physical address in California. This is general information, not legal advice.