California

California uses the term 'agent for service of process' (never 'registered agent'). For corporations, the agent must be a natural person residing in California or a corporation that has filed a certificate under Corp. Code § 1505 (a § 1505 corporate agent must be authorized to do business in CA and in good standingGood standingThe state's verdict that an entity exists and is current on required filings and fees.Read the full entry →). LLCs have the identical rule: an individual who is a resident of the state or a § 1505 corporation (Corp. Code § 17701.13(c)). There is no registered-office concept; a natural-person agent lists a complete business or residence street address.

Consent required: no.

If the agent has resigned and not been replaced, cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the designated address, or no agent was ever designated, a court may order that service be made by hand-delivery to the Secretary of State; service is deemed complete on the 10th day after delivery. The identical mechanism applies to LLCs (§ 17701.16(c)). The SOS then forwards the process to the entity by registered mail.

• Civil Penalty. Corporation: failure to file the Statement of Information (the filing that designates the agent for service of process) triggers a delinquency notice; if not cured within 60 days the Secretary of State certifies the corporation to the Franchise TaxFranchise taxA recurring tax on the privilege of existing as an entity in a state - not a tax on franchising a business.Read the full entry → Board, which assesses the penalty set by Rev. & Tax. Code § 19141 (amount stated outside this corpus).
• Other. Corporation: suspension of corporate powers, rights, and privileges for a corporation that fails to file the Statement of Information, has not filed one in the preceding 24 months, and was already certified for penalty - after a 60-day notice period.
• Civil Penalty. LLC: failure to file the LLC Statement of Information (which designates the agent) draws a $250 penalty if not cured within 60 days of the delinquency notice; a parallel provision (§ 17713.09) routes the Rev. & Tax. Code § 19141 penalty through the Franchise Tax Board.
• Other. LLC: suspension of the LLC's powers, rights, and privileges for repeated failure to file the Statement of Information (no filing in the preceding 24 months plus a prior penalty certification), after a 60-day notice period.

Filing officeFiling officeThe agency that keeps the business register.Read the full entry →

None at state level - CA Secretary of State does not register DBAs. FBN statements are filed with the county clerk (in some counties the clerk-recorder; in Sacramento County the Dept of Finance Business License Unit) of the county of the registrant's principal place of business (B&P 17915). Entities with NO California place of business file with Sacramento County.

State fee

n/a (county-only; each county sets its own fee under B&P 17929/GC 54985 - no statewide default)

Term

5 years from filing (B&P 17920(a)); expires early 40 days after any change in the facts stated (other than a residence-address change of an individual/GP/trustee)

Renewal

Refile with the county before expiration at the then-current county fee (same as initial fee in every footprint county). If refiled within 40 days of expiration with no change in facts, NO republication is required (B&P 17917(b)-(c)); any change in facts makes it a new filing requiring publication.

Publication

Required. B&P 17917 (verified from leginfo this session): within 45 days after filing, publish the statement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where filed (adjoining county if none; Sacramento County if no CA place of business), once a week for 4 successive weeks (GC 6064); file affidavit of publication with the county clerk within 45 days after completion of publication. NOTE: many county forms still quote the old 30-day deadlines; the statute now says 45 days. Abandonment statements must also be published.

Online filing

Available

The regime

California requires every person who regularly transacts business in the state for profit under a fictitious business nameDBA / fictitious nameA name a business operates under that is not its legal name - 'doing business as.' Also: assumed name, trade name, fictitious business name.Read the full entry → to file a fictitious business name (FBN) statement with the county clerk within 40 days of commencing business, and to refile after any change in the facts or upon expiration.

Where it is filed

FBN statements are filed with the county clerk of the county of the registrant's principal place of business in California; registrants with no place of business in the state file with the Clerk of Sacramento County. There is no statewide Secretary of State FBN registry.

Publication

Within 45 days after filing, the registrant must publish the statement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of filing (once a week for four successive weeks per the county clerk form language referencing Gov. Code § 6064), then file an affidavit of publication with the county clerk within 45 days after publication is complete. A timely refiling of an expired statement with no changed information need not be republished.

Term and renewal

Five years from the date of filing with the county clerk, unless it expires earlier: 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement, or upon filing a statement of abandonment.

Name restrictions

A fictitious business name may not include corporate indicators ('Corporation,' 'Corp.,' 'Incorporated,' 'Inc.') unless the registrant is a corporation, or LLC indicators ('Limited Liability Company,' 'LLC,' 'LC') unless the registrant is an LLC; the county clerk must reject violating statements.

Assumed names for registered entities

Registered entities take DBAs through the same county-level FBN chapter (§ 17900(b)(3)-(5)). Separately, a foreign corporationDomestic / foreignRelative to one state's records: an entity is domestic in the state that formed it and foreign everywhere else it registers to do business.Read the full entry → whose name is not available in California may qualify only by agreeing with the Secretary of State to transact intrastate business under an alternate name disclosed to and used with the Secretary of State.

Penalties

A person transacting business under an unregistered fictitious name (or its assignee) may not maintain any court action on a contract made or transaction had in the fictitious name until the statement is executed, filed, and published.
Knowingly executing, filing, or publishing a false statement under the chapter is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.

Official source

leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&division=7.&part=3.&chapter=5.↗ (opens the official source)

What it is called

Franchise tax (corps) / Annual tax + LLC fee (LLCs)

Administering agency

California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) - separate from the Secretary of State

Corporation minimum

$800

How it is computed

LLC (not taxed as corp): flat $800/yr annual tax (R&TC 17941(a) via 23153(d)), due 15th day of 4th month of the taxable year (17941(c)); PLUS the LLC fee on total CA-source income (R&TC 17942): <$250k=$0; $250k-$499,999=$900; $500k-$999,999=$2,500; $1M-$4,999,999=$6,000; >=$5M=$11,790 (estimate due 15th day of 6th month, trued up with return, 10% underpayment penalty w/ prior-year safe harbor). NEW SB 122 (Stats. 2026 ch. 23, eff. 6/29/2026): 17941(g)(2) sets FIRST-taxable-year LLC tax at $400 instead of $800 for taxable years beginning 1/1/2027-12/31/2029 (2026 first-years still $800; SMLLC applicability unverified - text keys off Sec. 18633 filers). LP $800/yr (17935), LLP $800/yr (17948). C corp: greater of 8.84% of net income (R&TC 23151(f)(2)) or $800 minimum (23153(d)); S corp: 1.5% instead of 8.84%, same $800 minimum (23802); banks/financials +2% add-on (23183). Corp first-taxable-year: minimum tax WAIVED for corps incorporated/qualified on/after 1/1/2000 (23153(f)) - measured tax still owed; waiver does NOT extend to LLC/LP/LLP. No cap. Paid via estimates (min tax with Q1 estimate, 15th day of 4th month); accrues every year entity remains registered or suspended until cancelled/surrendered.