California Form SI-550 is the Statement of Information that every California stock corporation, agricultural cooperative corporation, and registered foreign stock corporation files with the Secretary of State to keep officer, director, address, and agent details current on the public record. The initial filing is due within 90 days of the date your Articles of Incorporation or initial statement and designation is filed, and after that you file once a year during a six-month window tied to your registration month. The total fee is $25, and the fastest route is the Secretary of State’s bizfile Online portal at bizfile.sos.ca.gov. Nonprofit corporations file Form SI-100 instead and cannot use this form.
Who Files and When
California Corporations Code section 1502 requires every domestic stock corporation to file within 90 days after its original Articles of Incorporation are filed, and annually after that.1California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 1502 – Records and Reports Foreign stock corporations registered in California carry the same obligation under section 2117, with the 90-day clock starting from the filing of their initial statement and designation.2California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 2117
The annual filing window is six months long. It opens on the first day of the fifth calendar month before your registration month and closes on the last day of your registration month. A corporation with October articles, for example, has a window running May 1 through October 31.3California Secretary of State. Statements of Information Filing Tips The Secretary of State posts the full month-by-month schedule online. Even if nothing about the corporation has changed, a filing is required every year to stay in good standing.
What to Gather Before You Start
Have all of the following ready. A missing field will stall the filing or trigger rejection.
- The corporation’s exact name as it appears on file, including the entity ending (Inc., Corp.).
- The seven-digit entity number assigned at formation or registration. Look it up on the Secretary of State’s business search page if you don’t have it.4California Secretary of State. Business Search – Frequently Asked Questions
- The complete street address of the principal executive office. P.O. boxes are not accepted here.
- A mailing address, if different from the principal executive office.
- A principal California office address, only if the executive office is outside California and the corporation keeps a separate California office.
- The full name and complete business or residential address for the Chief Executive Officer (or president), Secretary, and Chief Financial Officer (or treasurer).
- For domestic stock and agricultural cooperative corporations: every current director’s name and address, plus the number of board vacancies. Foreign corporations skip the director list.
- The agent for service of process. Either an individual residing in California with a full California street address, or a registered corporate agent that has a section 1505 certificate on file. If you name a corporate agent, list only the agent’s name; no address is needed.5California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 1505 – Records and Reports
- A short description of the corporation’s principal business activity, such as “retail clothing store” or “software development.”
Filling Out the Form
The items on the form follow the order above. Item 1 is the corporation name. Item 2 is the seven-digit file number. Items 3a through 3c cover the three address fields. Item 4 asks for the three required officers. Item 5 is where domestic stock and agricultural cooperative corporations list directors and any board vacancies. Item 6 covers the agent for service of process, with separate fields for an individual (6a and 6b) or a registered corporate agent (6c). Item 7 asks for the type of business, and Item 8 is the signature block: print the signer’s name and title, date the form, sign it.
The agent choice in Item 6 is the field that most often trips filers up. It is one or the other. Name an individual agent and fill in their California street address, or name a registered corporate agent and leave the address alone. Don’t fill in both. A corporate agent must have an active Form 1505 certificate on file with the Secretary of State, which confirms the agent’s California office address and authorizes acceptance of legal papers on your corporation’s behalf.6California Secretary of State. Registered Corporate Agent for Service of Process Certificate
Use complete physical addresses: full street, city, state, and ZIP. Abbreviating the state (“CA”) is fine, but don’t shorten street names or drop apartment or suite numbers.
Filing a No Change Statement
If nothing has changed since your last complete Statement of Information, you can file a No Change statement through bizfile Online during your six-month window instead of re-entering every field. Filing No Change means you are confirming that every detail on the last complete filing, including officers, directors, addresses, and agent, is still accurate. If any single detail has changed, you must file a full Form SI-550 instead.
How to Submit and What It Costs
The total fee is $25, made up of a $20 filing fee and a $5 disclosure fee.7California Secretary of State. Business Entities Fee Schedule The fee is the same whether you file online, by mail, or in person.
Online Through Bizfile
Bizfile Online at bizfile.sos.ca.gov is the fastest standard option. Log in, search for your entity, select the Statement of Information filing, and the system walks you through the same fields as the paper form. It accepts credit card payment. Online filings are generally processed within a few business days, and the Secretary of State publishes current processing dates so you can check the backlog before you file.8California Secretary of State. Current Processing Dates
By Mail
Print and complete the paper form, include a check or money order for $25 payable to the Secretary of State, and send it to the Sacramento office. Mail filings run on roughly the same processing timeline as online submissions once received, with delivery time added on each end.
In-Person Drop-Off
The Sacramento office at 1500 11th Street accepts in-person drop-off filings during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Drop-off requests are processed ahead of mailed submissions.9California Secretary of State. Special Handling (Drop-Off) Service
Expedited Filing
When a standard turnaround won’t work, for example when a pending loan or lawsuit requires proof of good standing, the Secretary of State offers three expedited tiers. All require in-person delivery to the Sacramento office.
- 24-hour service (Class C): $350 expedite fee. A filing submitted Wednesday at 11 a.m. is processed by Thursday at 11 a.m.
- 4-hour service (Class A): $500 expedite fee. The document must first be precleared and approved before you can request this tier.
- Same-day service (Class B): $750 expedite fee. The document must arrive by 9:30 a.m. for a response by 4 p.m. the same day.
Each expedite fee is on top of the standard $25 filing fee and is nonrefundable even if the filing is rejected. Include a separate check for the expedite fee, along with written instructions specifying the service class and your preferred delivery method for the response.10California Secretary of State. Preclearance and Expedited Filing Services
Updating Information Between Filings
You don’t have to wait for your next window to report changes. If an officer resigns, a new director is appointed, or the corporation moves its principal office, the Secretary of State recommends filing an updated Statement of Information right away.3California Secretary of State. Statements of Information Filing Tips An off-cycle update does not reset the annual filing obligation. You still have to file again during your next regular six-month window.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
The Franchise Tax Board assesses a $250 penalty for each delinquent filing.3California Secretary of State. Statements of Information Filing Tips The corporation also appears as delinquent in the Secretary of State’s public database, which banks, potential business partners, and licensing agencies see when they search for your entity.
If the filing stays outstanding, the Secretary of State can suspend or forfeit the corporation’s powers. A suspended corporation loses the ability to conduct business in California. It cannot file lawsuits, defend itself in court, enter into contracts that will hold up, or complete transactions like mergers or asset sales. Officers and directors who keep operating a suspended entity risk personal exposure for obligations the corporation can no longer legally take on.
Reviving a Suspended Corporation
Reviving a suspended corporation means clearing the books with both the Franchise Tax Board and the Secretary of State. The Franchise Tax Board side has three steps: file all past-due tax returns, pay all outstanding balances (including penalties, fees, and interest), and submit the Application for Certificate of Revivor on Form FTB 3557 BC.11Franchise Tax Board. My Business Is Suspended On the Secretary of State side, file any missing Statements of Information and pay the associated fees and penalties.
If the corporation is suspended and involved in active litigation, a pending escrow, a loan closing, or a federal grant application, the Franchise Tax Board’s field offices offer walk-through revivor requests. You need to arrive before 2 p.m. (1 p.m. at the Los Angeles office), and your documents must be dated within 30 days of the request.11Franchise Tax Board. My Business Is Suspended A suspended corporation cannot legally dissolve until it has been revived, so waiting only piles up penalties.