A California Statement of Information is a periodic filing that every corporation, LLC, and nonprofit corporation registered with the California Secretary of State must submit to keep the state’s records of your business current. The form lists your officers or managers, the street address of your principal office, and your agent for service of process. You file it once within 90 days of registering, and then on a repeating schedule after that. Missing the deadline can cost you a $250 penalty and, eventually, the suspension of your right to do business in the state.
Who Has to File
Three kinds of entities file: corporations (including nonprofit corporations) and limited liability companies. The requirement applies the same way to foreign entities, meaning businesses formed in another state that have registered to do business in California.1CA.gov (California Secretary of State). Instructions for Completing the Statement of Information (Form SI-550)
The filing cadence differs by entity type:
- Corporations file an initial statement within 90 days of incorporating or registering, then every year after that.2California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 1502
- LLCs file within 90 days of registering, then every two years. If you registered in an even-numbered year, your biennial filing falls in even years; odd-year registrations file in odd years.3California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 17702.09
- Nonprofit corporations file within 90 days, then every two years during a window tied to the month they incorporated.
The 90-day clock for the initial filing starts on the date the Secretary of State’s office processes your formation or registration documents.
When Your Filing Is Due
After the initial statement, each subsequent filing has a six-month window. The window closes on the last day of the month you were originally registered and opens five months earlier. A corporation incorporated in March, for example, has a window running October 1 through March 31 every year.4California Secretary of State. Statements of Information Filing Tips
You can look up your registration date on the Secretary of State’s Business Search page if you aren’t sure which month applies. Corporations repeat the cycle every year; LLCs and nonprofits every other year.
What Information You Report
The form differs depending on your entity type, but both versions ask for the entity name, Secretary of State file number, principal office street address, and agent for service of process. Your agent must be either a California resident with a physical street address in the state or a corporate agent registered with the Secretary of State.1CA.gov (California Secretary of State). Instructions for Completing the Statement of Information (Form SI-550)
Corporations (Form SI-550)
Corporations must list every current director by name and complete business or residence address, along with any vacancies on the board. You also list three specific officers by name and address: the chief executive officer, the secretary, and the chief financial officer.2California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 1502
LLCs (Form LLC-12)
LLCs list their managers by name and street address if the company is manager-managed. If the LLC is member-managed, meaning it has no managers, you list each member instead.3California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 17702.09
If Nothing Has Changed
When none of your information has changed since your last filing, you can submit a short no-change form instead of the full statement. Corporations use Form SI-550NC and LLCs use Form LLC-12NC. The filing fee is the same, and the no-change form satisfies your obligation for that period.
How to File and What It Costs
The fastest route is the Secretary of State’s online portal, bizfile, at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov. You can also mail a paper form to the Secretary of State’s office in Sacramento.5California Secretary of State. bizfile – California Secretary of State Once accepted, the state returns a file-stamped copy as proof of compliance.
Standard filing fees are:6California Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions
- Corporations: $25
- LLCs: $20
- Nonprofit corporations: $20
If you need faster turnaround, expedited processing is available for an added fee on top of the standard filing cost: $350 for 24-hour processing, $750 for same-day, and $500 for 4-hour processing (which is Sacramento drop-off only and requires a precleared document).7California Secretary of State. Service Options For routine filings, standard processing through bizfile is enough.
Updating Information Between Filings
You don’t have to wait for your next filing window to report changes. The Secretary of State recommends filing an updated Statement of Information whenever your officers, directors, managers, principal address, or agent for service of process changes.4California Secretary of State. Statements of Information Filing Tips You use the same form and pay the same fee.
Using a Business Address Instead of Your Home
Statements of Information are public records, so the names and addresses you provide can be looked up by anyone. The Secretary of State notes that you may list a business street address rather than a residential one, and that private companies offer street addresses and office space for this purpose.8California Secretary of State. FAQs – Personal Information in Public Filings A P.O. Box can serve as a mailing address, but the form still requires a physical street address for the principal office and for any individual acting as agent for service of process.
Hiring a professional registered agent is a common workaround. The agent company provides a California street address, accepts legal documents for you, and forwards them. Annual costs typically range from around $125 to over $400, depending on the provider and the compliance support included.
What Happens If You Miss the Deadline
If you don’t file on time, the Secretary of State sends a delinquency notice. If you still haven’t filed 60 days after that notice, the office refers the matter to the Franchise Tax Board, which assesses a $250 penalty against corporations and LLCs. Nonprofit corporations face a $50 penalty.9California Legislative Information. California Code RTC 19141
It can get worse. If a corporation hasn’t filed any statement in the preceding 24 months and was already penalized during the same filing period, the Secretary of State can suspend it outright. The office sends a warning that suspension will take effect in 60 days; if no filing arrives within that window, the entity’s powers, rights, and privileges are suspended.10California Legislative Information. California Code CORP 2205
A suspended or forfeited business loses the right to use its entity name in California, conduct business, and use California courts, meaning it cannot file or defend lawsuits.6California Secretary of State. Frequently Asked Questions If another business reserves your entity name while you’re suspended, you may have to choose a new name before you can come back.
Getting Back to Active Status
If your business has been suspended, you can restore it through a process called revivor. The Franchise Tax Board requires three steps: file all past-due tax returns, pay any outstanding tax balances along with penalties and interest, and submit a revivor request (Form FTB 3557 BC for corporations, Form FTB 3557 LLC for LLCs).11Franchise Tax Board. My Business Is Suspended You also have to be in good standing with the Secretary of State, which means catching up on any missing Statements of Information and paying their fees. Revivor requests can be filed online, by mail, or in person at a Franchise Tax Board office.
An Extra Form for Publicly Traded Corporations
If your corporation is publicly traded, you file an additional document alongside the Statement of Information: the Corporate Disclosure Statement, Form SI-PT. There is no separate filing fee for it. The form asks for information not covered by the standard statement, including recent bankruptcies, material legal proceedings, independent auditor details, and loans to board members.12CA.gov (Secretary of State). Corporate Disclosure Statement (Domestic Stock and Foreign Corporations) Private corporations and LLCs do not file this form.