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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2020
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Secretary of State Sacramento Public Counters Closed during COVID-19 Pandemic

SACRAMENTO, CA – As the State of California fights the spread of COVID-19, the Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento will be closing public counters effective March 20, 2020. The Secretary of State’s offices in both Sacramento and Los Angeles will remain open with limited staff, and critical functions and services provided by the Secretary of State will continue. The public will still be able to drop-off documents at the Secretary of State’s offices. Members of the public are encouraged to use the Secretary of State’s online services or contact staff by email or phone for assistance.

“As California aggressively works to flatten the curve on the COVID-19 pandemic, I have ordered all public counters at the Secretary of State’s Sacramento office closed — for the safety of both our staff and the public — until further notice,” announced Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “Secretary of State staff will continue to work diligently to process business filings, facilitate voter registration and elections, maintain campaign finance filings, and ensure access to our archival records. I am proud of and grateful to our staff who are meeting this moment to keep our economy and democracy functioning. I urge anyone who needs services from the Secretary of State’s office to first check our online service offerings. If someone is in need of an urgent and critical service, our staff will remain available to provide assistance via email and phone.”

Public Counter Impacts

Business Programs Division
While the public counters at the Sacramento office will be closed, there will be document drop-off boxes in the first floor rotunda. Anyone with questions about business filings can contact the  Business Programs Division staff at (916) 657-5448. The Secretary of State’s online business filing tools are available at bizfile.sos.ca.gov.

The Secretary of State’s Los Angeles office will remain open with limited staff and services processing apostilles and domestic partnership agreements. Los Angeles will handle traffic by helping 2 customers at a time while other customers wait on the second floor until their number is called.

Archives Division
The Archives research room will be closed to the public. Anyone looking for assistance with research can submit their request to archivesweb@sos.ca.gov.

Political Reform Division
While the public counter is closed, there will be document drop-off boxes in the first floor rotunda.  Anyone with questions about campaign finance or lobbying activities can contact the Political Reform staff at (916) 653-6224. 

Elections Division
While the public counter is closed, there will be a document drop-off box in the first floor rotunda. It may take up to 2 business days to process certain requests, such as bulk orders of voter registration cards. Voters can find almost all tools they need to register to vote, check their voter registration status, and make a plan to vote by visiting vote.ca.gov.

Secretary of State Division Public Contact Information
Elections: (916) 657-2166, email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/contact/email-elections-division/

Business: (916) 657–5448, email(s): https://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/contact/

Constituent services: (916) 653-6774, email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/contact-information/email-administration/

Safe at Home: Toll-Free: (877) 322-5227, email: safeathome@sos.ca.gov

Political Reform Division: (916) 653-6224, email: https://www.sos.ca.gov/campaign-lobbying/contact-us/email-political-reform-division/

Archives: email: archivesweb@sos.ca.gov

During this challenging time, we urge all Californians to continue to take all recommended public health precautions, including:

  • Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
  • Practice social distancing and reviewing updates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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