Information Requests
Online Searches
- Business Search: Free online access to corporate, limited liability company and limited partnership information.
Available information includes the complete entity name, entity number, formation, registration or conversion date, status, jurisdiction, entity address,
and the name and address of the agent for service of process.
- Publicly Traded Disclosure Search: Free online access to abstracts of reported information for all publicly
traded corporations that have filed a Corporate Disclosure Statement with the California Secretary of State.
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Certificates, Copies, Status Reports and Processing Times
Certificates, copies and status reports can be obtained by submitting a request to the California Secretary of State's Sacramento office either in person (drop off) or by mail. Instructions and fees for ordering certificates, copies and status reports (as described below) are available on the Business Entities Records Order Form (pdf ~132KB).
- Certificates - Customers can order certificates relating to business entities filed with the California Secretary of
State such as a Certificate of Status certifying to the current status of an entity (e.g., active/good standing, suspended, dissolved, cancelled, etc.)
or a Certificate of Filing certifying to the filing of a particular document by an entity (e.g., articles of incorporation, certificate of dissolution,
certificate of cancellation, statement of information, etc.). In addition, customers can request a Certificate of No Record certifying there is no record
of a particular business entity.
- Copies - Customers can order copies of business entity documents filed with the California Secretary of State such as
formation/registration documents, amendment documents, termination documents and statements of information.
Note: If a certified copy of a filed business entity document is requested, the certified copy provided by the Business
Programs Division will contain a manually placed certification stamp. The stamp will appear on the back of the final page of the document in the lower
right-hand corner. The stamp will contain the date the document was certified, the signature of the California Secretary of State, and the California
State Seal. Within the area of the stamp will be the handwritten number of pages being certified and the initials of the deputy certifying the document.
- Status Reports - Customers can order status reports containing the complete business entity name, file number, status,
jurisdiction and address(es).
If applicable, the status report will also include the type of business and the name and address of the principal
member/manager/officer and agent for service of process.
- Processing Times - Get the current processing times for Information Requests and determine which method of submission
meets your needs.
Note: If no copies or other certificates are requested, a request for a Certificate of Status made in person at the
Sacramento office is typically processed within 24 hours.
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Frequently Requested Information
- Bankruptcy information: With the exception of publicly traded corporations, information concerning bankruptcies of
business entities of record, other businesses or individuals, is not disclosed to the California Secretary of State. California and qualified foreign
(out-of-state or out-of-country) publicly traded corporations must annually disclose to the California Secretary of State whether or not an order for relief
has been entered in a bankruptcy case during the 10 years preceding the date of the disclosure with respect to the corporation, its directors and its five
most highly compensated executive officers. The disclosed information can be viewed on the Secretary of State's
Publicly Traded Disclosure Search or by ordering a copy of the filed Corporate Disclosure Statement.
- Business licenses or permits are not issued by the California Secretary of State. Please refer to the
CalGOLD (California Government: On-Line to Desktops) website for information regarding business license/permit
requirements.
- Business entity information such as telephone numbers, email addresses, and subsidiaries or associated businesses of
an entity is not made of record with the California Secretary of State. Requests for information should be directed to the business entity itself.
- Bylaws or Operating Agreements (or any amendments thereto) are maintained by the business entity and are not filed with
the California Secretary of State. Requests for copies or information about these documents should be directed to the business entity itself.
- Employer identification numbers are not issued by or disclosed to the California Secretary of State. Please refer to the
Internal Revenue Service for information relating to the issuance of Federal Employer Identification Numbers or the
Employment Development Department for information relating to the issuance of State Employer Identification Numbers.
- Fictitious business name statements are filed with the
County in which the principal place of business is located.
- Owner, shareholder and employee information for a business entity is not made of record with the California Secretary
of State. Requests for information should be directed to the business entity itself.
- Personal information such as telephone numbers, email addresses and social security numbers of business entity members
(e.g., officers, directors, managers, members, partners, agents and employees) is not made of record with the California Secretary of State.
- Security offerings or sales (such as the sale of shares of stock) are regulated by the
Department of Corporations. Requests for information should be directed to that agency.
- Sole proprietorships are not registered with the California Secretary of State but may register with the
city, county or other local government entity in which the principal place of
business is located.
- Subchapter S is a tax classification provided for under the Internal Revenue Code and the California Revenue and
Taxation Code, and is not reported to the California Secretary of State. Please refer to the Internal Revenue Service
or the Franchise Tax Board for information regarding this tax classification.
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