Trying to understand how to incorporate in California? We’re here to help. Sure, you could hire a national brand with a colossal advertising budget to form your California corporation. Or you could hire the company that owns a building in California, employs local experts, and focuses solely on your California business.
What’s the difference? Simple: We give you more.
We wanted to make sure we’re the best at California business services. That’s why we bought our own building in Midtown Sacramento. That allows you to use our California business address for your formation documents, keeping your home address off the public record and sparing you decades of junk mail. Plus, we employ local specialists who know California better than anyone else.
Since we own our own building in California, you can count on us being there with you for good. We want to see our clients’ businesses succeed, and our local roots mean we can offer more. Mail forwarding, a local number, and even office space—we can do it all. No, we’re not a huge national brand, but that means when you call us, you’ll reach an actual human who can walk you through the maze of paperwork and regulations in California.
We’ll file your formation documents for free the same day we receive your order. When you hire us to form your corporation, you’ll only pay states fees and for a year of registered agent service ($49). But that doesn’t mean we’re cheap. Our Sacramento office is staffed with local experts who know the ins and outs of starting a business in California better than any of our national competitors.
Forming a corporation is just the official stuff. To get your business up and running, you’re going to need to establish your professional California business presence, especially online. That’s why we our incorporation package includes your own domain name with a corresponding email address, your own secure website with SSL service, and a phone number with your choice of California area code. No additional upfront costs, cancel anytime.
Hire us for incorporation services, and we will file your Articles of Incorporation for free. That’s right—we’ll do the heavy lifting for absolutely nothing while you focus on more important aspects of starting your business. All you’ll pay is the state fees and for a year of registered agent service ($49).
We’ll draft your California Articles of Incorporation and submit them to the California Secretary of State. Next, we’ll create your corporate bylaws and resolutions. You’ll always have access to those and other important documents in your secure client account, including the ability to add paid mail forwarding options, a virtual office, and our Trade Name Service for DBAs. We also offer several corporate book options, along with custom embossing seals, to keep your business documents in order and looking professional.
If you want to DIY your California corporation, we can help. Even if you incorporate in California on your own, you’ll need to declare a registered agent. Every business in California is required to have one. Hire us to be your California registered agent ($49/year), and you’ll get access to our full suite of helpful tools through your client account. That includes our pre-filled California Articles of Incorporation forms plus tons of tips, tricks and resources to help you finish filling them out correctly and quickly, without banging your head on your keyboard in frustration.
All you need to do is sign up for our California Registered Agent Service. Then, you’ll see the forms you need to fill out and tips on how to get it done.
To incorporate in California, you need to first designate a registered agent. Your registered agent must be available during normal business hours at a physical address in California. The purpose of a registered agent is to accept legal mail on your behalf, so it’s important to designate a reliable California registered agent. The last thing you want is to miss a subpoena or summons.
If you hire us to be your registered agent, we’ll accept any legal mail your business receives, scan it and upload it to a secure account where you can access it immediately.
Once you have your California registered agent’s information, you’re ready to fill out your Articles of Incorporation. If you decide to hire us for registered agent service only, you’ll have access to the correct forms in your client account, along with step-by-step instructions on how to fill out your paperwork correctly — the first time.
If you decide to hire us to form your corporation, we’ll fill out the California Articles of Incorporation for you.
The California Articles of Incorporation will ask for your corporation’s name and business address. The business address line is tricky, especially if you don’t work from a commercial building. If you list your home address as your business address, your home address will become part of the public record and you’ll probably get a ton of junk mail. Hire us and we’ll let you use our California business address.
You’ll also have to provide your registered agent’s information, the number of shares you’re creating, and a signature from an incorporator. (Hint: hire us, and we’ll be your incorporator.)
Once you’ve filled out your California Articles of Incorporation, you need to submit the documents to the California Secretary of State, along with the correct filing fee. You can file online, by mail, or by dropping your Articles of Incorporation off in person at the Sacramento office.
The state fees are included in our California incorporation price. If you hire us to incorporate your business, we’ll submit your Articles of Incorporation on your behalf.
Starting January 1, 2024, most companies that do business in the US are required to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within 30 days of formation.* This reports includes information about your company and its beneficial owners.
All this report really shows is who actually executes substantial control over company decisions or benefits financially from the company, including anyone who owns 25% or more of the business. You will submit information about your company, including the legal company name, any DBAs or trade names, jurisdiction of formation, and tax ID. You will also provide beneficial owner and company applicant information, including full legal name, residential address, date of birth, and photo ID (e.g., driver’s license).
Look, we know it’s a hassle. That’s why we’re proud to add BOI Report Filing ($25) to our other federal filing options. So if you’re hiring us to start your company and/or serve as your registered agent, just add BOI Report Filing and our local experts will handle everything to make sure you’re in compliance with this mandatory federal filing requirement.
California corporations are required to file annual reports. In California, an annual report is called the Statement of Information. If you forget to file or you miss your grace period, you’ll have to pay a $250 late fee — yikes. If you continue to be delinquent, your corporation could be administratively dissolved by the Secretary of State.
At California Registered Agents, we make it almost impossible to forget to file your annual report. We provide you with a secure online account where you can easily see when your Statement of Information is due and we send multiple reminders.
Not sure if a corporation is the right business structure for you? Deciding on an entity type is an important decision. Check out our California Business FAQs to learn more.
* Important Note Regarding BOI Report Deadlines: FinCEN has temporarily extended the deadline for submitting BOI reports to 90 days after formation for companies started in 2024. This temporary extension provides companies time to acquaint themselves with this new mandatory federal filing. This extension only applies to companies formed in 2024—companies formed in 2025 and after will have 30 days to file their BOI reports. If you incorporated before 2024, you have until the end of 2024 to submit a BOI report (and company applicant is not required). There is no filing fee, and this information is not made public.
Incorporating in California will cost a minimum of $125.
Broken down, the standard filing fee for incorporating in California is $100. For an extra $15, you can hand deliver your Articles of Incorporation to the California Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento. You will also have to file an Initial Statement of Information within 90 days of forming, but we recommend doing it at the beginning. The Initial Statement of Information costs $25 to file.
You can list your home address as your business address in California. However, there are a few reasons you might not want to (namely, your privacy). When you hire California Registered Agents, we provide a California business address for you to use.
Yes in most cases. Not every business works the same, but if you have clients, customers, or other stakeholders with whom you work professionally, you’ll want a professional website.
You’ll also need a domain name, business email address, and more. That’s why our incorporation service comes with everything you’ll need to establish your California business presence online in a secure and streamlined way—all handled by experienced local experts.
The California corporate tax rate is 8.84%, unless your corporation is a bank or some other kind of financial institution. Each year, you’ll have to pay whichever sum is greater: 8.84% of your net income or $800.
To get a DBA in California, you’ll need to file a fictitious business name (FBN) statement at your county clerk’s office. DBAs (also known as “trade names”) are like public-facing pseudonyms for your business, which can be useful when shifting branding or creating separation between your personal and business identity. Just add “Trade Name Service” inside your client account and we’ll take care of this filing for you for $125 plus state fees.
Yes. You don’t actually have to file corporate bylaws with the government, but you still need to have them. Corporate bylaws are vital. They define how your corporation will function. Plus, when you open a business bank account, the bank will definitely ask to see them.
If you’ve never done it, creating bylaws can seem daunting. When you hire us to form your California corporation, we’ll provide a customized template to help guide you.
Yes. Even if your corporation doesn’t make any money, you’ll have pay the yearly California Franchise Tax. You’ll owe a minimum of $800 every year until you dissolve your California corporation. There’s really no way around paying the California franchise tax, so be ready.
To amend your Articles of Incorporation, you file the Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation form with the California Secretary of State. It costs $30 to file, and you can use the form to change your corporation’s name.
If you want to change something else, like your California registered agent, principal address, or the officers and directors listed on your original Articles of Incorporation, you’ll need to file a Statement of Information.
To dissolve a California corporation, you have to file the right California corporation dissolution form with the California Secretary of State. There are three different dissolution forms, and the one(s) your corporation will need to use depend on a few different factors.
If all of your shareholders have unanimously voted to dissolve, you’ll need to file the Certificate of Dissolution (Form DISS STK). If the decision to dissolve was not unanimous, you’ll need to file the Certificate of Election to Wind Up and Dissolve (ELEC STK). If your corporation is less than a year old and meets a few other requirements, you may be eligible to file the Short Form Dissolution Certificate (DSF STK).
Whatever form you file, you’ll need to be sure your corporation is active with the California Secretary of State — corporations that are suspended, forfeited, or administratively dissolved cannot be voluntarily dissolved.
To register your out-of-state corporation in California, you’ll have to appoint a California registered agent, obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from your home state, and file Statement and Designation by Foreign Corporation form. We can do that for you.
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