Statement Of Information In California: Detailed Filing Instructions (Oct. 2026)

If you’re searching for an operating market with innovative industries and strong infrastructure, look no further than California. To get things going, you’ll need to file your Articles of Organization with the California Secretary of State.

With everything in place, your next focus should be on filing a Statement of Information every two years. This details your key business info, ensuring that the SOS can maintain current records on every entity operating in the state under the California Corporations Code §17702.09(a).

The Statement of Information ensures that your LLC remains in good standing with the California Secretary of State. In this article, I’ve described how to file your Statement of Information in California correctly. You’ll learn how to file it online and how long it takes to be processed and approved.

An Overview Of The California Statement Of Information

As I’ve stated above, your first Statement of Information must be filed within 90 days of forming your LLC. Following this, it must be filed every two years.

Furthermore, you need to re-file your Statement of Information if you make any changes to your business information or structure. This requirement is stated under California Corporations Code §17702.09(d).

Your Statement of Information, which costs $20 to file, includes your legal name, business address, management structure, and Registered Agent details.

1. California Statement Of Information Filing Deadline

These are the two key filing deadlines to be aware of when forming and running your California LLC.

2. State Reminders For The Statement Of Information

You will be sent a postcard reminder via regular mail 1-2 months by the California Secretary of State before your due date.

3. Statement Of Information Late Filing Penalties

You’re given a 60-day grace period from the date you were notified of failure to file your Statement of Information.

Under California Corporations Code §17713.07(b), you must pay a $250 penalty if you do not file within this period.

Bad news if this happens. The California SOS will suspend all of your operating rights, powers, and privileges if this happens, as you’re ignoring their filing requirement.

Unfortunately, specific suspension rules for those who break the rules aren’t clearly shown. Even so, I expect something similar to the stuff detailed in the California Corporations Code §2205. This authorizes the suspension of corporate powers.

How To File A Statement Of Information In California Online

As I’ve stated above, you can only file your Statement of Information online using the BizFile portal.

First, log in to your BizFile account on the California Secretary of State’s website.

Click “Search” on the left panel.

Enter your LLC name or file number to locate your LLC. This can be found on your Approved Articles of Organization or by using the California Business Search tool mentioned above.

After clicking your LLC name, a pop-up window should appear on the right side of the screen.

Click “File Statement of Information” to proceed to the next step.

Following this, you should be redirected to the filing screen. Review the privacy message, agree to the terms, then click “Continue.” This takes you to the start of your Statement of Information.

These are the required sections that you must fill out:

1. Submitter Information

In the first section, enter the name and contact information (Email address, phone number, extension) of the person submitting the Statement of Information.

This information will be used by the California Secretary of State to contact you if you have any concerns or questions regarding your filing.

Note: This first section is optional and can be skipped if preferred.

2. Entity Details

This section pre-fills your existing LLC information as recorded with the California Secretary of State. Therefore, you have nothing to do in this section.

Check that everything is correct and press “Next step” to proceed.

3. Business Address

Once you’ve filled out your entity details, you’ll be asked to review your business addresses.

You’ll be shown three sub-sections, with all fields auto-populated based on your information on record.

• Street address of the principal office of the LLC.
• Mailing address of the LLC.
• Street address of the California office of the LLC.

a. Street Address Of Principal Office Of LLC

Check your principal office street address and make changes if necessary. The fields should be auto-populated with your recorded information.

• Domestic LLC: Review the address listed in your Articles of Organization and update if needed. This applies to LLCs formed in California.
• Foreign LLC: Enter your principal office address if your LLC was formed in a different state and is registered to do business in California. This is usually the address in the state where the LLC was originally formed.

Follow these rules when reviewing and updating your LLC’s principal office address:

• It cannot be a P.O. box.
• It must be a physical street address.
• It can be a home address or an office address.
• It can be a friend or family member’s address.

b. Mailing Address Of LLC

Underneath the principal office street address section, you should find your LLC mailing address. This is used for official state correspondence and business paperwork.

Your LLC’s mailing address can be the same as your principal office address. However, it doesn’t have to be.

Follow these rules regarding your LLC’s mailing address:

• You can use any address (As long as you can receive mail).
• It can be located anywhere (Inside or outside of the United States).
• You can use a P.O. box address.

c. Street Address Of California Office Of LLC

Update your California LLC office address (If applicable). This must be a physical street address, not a P.O. box.

This part of the application only applies if your LLC’s principal office is located outside of California.

You can skip this section if it doesn’t apply to your LLC.

7. Manager(s) Or Member(s)

This next section must be filled out according to your LLC management structure.

• Enter the manager(s) information if your LLC is manager-managed.
• Enter the member(s) information if your LLC is member-managed.

Review the existing information if it’s already auto-populated and make any changes if necessary.

Click the “Add” button if you need to add additional managers or members. You’ll be able to enter the additional information in a pop-up window.

Click “Next step” once all information is complete and accurate to continue.

8. Agent For Service Of Process

Agent for Service of Process and Registered Agent mean the same thing. You can use both terms interchangeably.

Review your LLC’s Registered Agent information in the auto-populated fields. Make any changes if necessary.

Your Registered Agent is an individual or company responsible for receiving and processing official state notices and legal filings on behalf of your LLC. They must have a physical California street address to act as your Registered Agent.

Your Registered Agent/Agent for Service of Process can be:

• You (An LLC member or manager).
• A friend or family member.
• A California Registered Corporate Agent (1505), also known as a Commercial Registered Agent Service.

Select “Individual” if you’ve appointed yourself or another individual as your California Registered Agent. Fill out the required fields, including their name and California street address.

Select “California Registered Corporate Agent (1505)” if you’ve hired a Commercial Registered Agent Service.

You must obtain the consent of your Registered Agent first before they can act as your Agent for Service of Process in California.

Once you’ve confirmed their consent using the appropriate form, check the verification box indicating you have permission from the company.

After this, use the BizFile search box to search for your hired Registered Agent’s name. Select the correct name from the drop-down menu.

Click “Next step” to continue to the next section once all information has been entered correctly.

9. Type Of Business And Email Notifications

This next section requires you to complete two parts:

1. Type of business.
2. Email notifications.

a. Type Of Business

In this part, you must add a brief description of your LLC’s primary business activity:

• Enter a few words or short sentences to describe your main activity.
• Only enter the main activity if you have multiple.
• You do NOT need to list every service or product that your business provides.

b. Email Notifications

In the part below, you’ll be asked if you want to request Email Notifications from the California Secretary of State.

These include reminders regarding important updates, such as upcoming filing deadlines.

10. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Note: This is an optional section. You can fill it in or leave it blank.

After clicking the “Next step” button, you’ll be allowed to fill in your Chief Executive Officer (CEO) information.

A CEO is defined by the state as either:

• A person appointed to run the company (Other than the LLC’s members or managers).
• The highest-level position in the LLC’s organization.

You can enter your CEO’s information in this section if you wish. However, most filers prefer not to list a CEO. This keeps their information off the public record.

11. Labor Judgment

After deciding whether to fill in the information of your CEO, you’ll be asked if any LLC manager or member has a judgment against them for a violation of the California Labor Code.

• This can come from a court or the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).
• This may include disputes or issues related to wages, safety violations, and employment-related matters.

Answer “Yes” or “No” accordingly.

12. Review And Signature

After the Labor Judgment section, you’ve filled in all the required information for your Statement of Information. In this penultimate section, you must review all information before signing at the bottom.

1. Check for any incorrect details, grammatical errors, typos, and spelling mistakes. Make any corrections by navigating back to previous sections.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the page, read the terms, and agree to them by checking the box.
3. Click “Add.”
4. Enter the name of the person signing your Statement of Information.
5. Click “Save” once you’ve entered the signer’s name.
6. Click “Next step” to proceed to the payment and submission page.

13. Filing Fee And Submission

In the final section, you’ll be shown the total amount due ($20).

Review the total and click “Next step.”

Select “File online” to submit your filing to the California Secretary of State.

After clicking “File online,” a pop-up window should appear on the right side of your screen.

Click “Pay with credit card,” and enter your billing information.

Complete your payment to the California Secretary of State.

The California Secretary of State will receive your completed LLC Statement of Information once submitted and begin the processing procedure. This should be done immediately in most cases. I’ve discussed this in more detail in the section below.

Statement Of Information Processing And Approval Times

Once filed, your Statement of Information will be processed and approved immediately. You’ll receive a confirmation pop-up, allowing you to download these three items:

• Filing receipt.
• Your Form (Your actual Statement of Information).
• Business Entity Filing Acknowledgment.

Contact Information For The California Secretary Of State

Contact the California Secretary of State at 916-657-5448 if you have any concerns or questions regarding your filing.

Business hours: 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. PT (Monday – Friday).

Conclusion

You must complete several state regulatory requirements and legal filings if you want to remain compliant and in good standing with the California Secretary of State.

One of them is filing your Statement of Information to update the state on your current business information. This must be done within 90 days of forming your LLC, and every 2 years thereafter.

Failing to file or filing late can result in penalties, loss of good standing, and business suspension. Follow my guide to ensure you file correctly and set reminders so you never miss your filing deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions