CA registered agent
Registered agent service in California. $24 a year. Yes.
Every California company must appoint a registered agent at a street address in the state. What follows is the statute, quoted where it matters, and our position on it, which is brief.
The statutory requirement in California
Requirement
The California code provides:
... the purpose of service of process, a natural person residing in this state or a corporation that has complied with Section 1505 and whose capacity to ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: Cal. Corp. Code § 1502(b); accord § 17701.13(c) (LLCs)
Service of process in our absence
Substituted service
... or if no agent has been designated, and it is shown by affidavit to the satisfaction of the court that process ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: Cal. Corp. Code § 1702(a); accord § 17701.16(c) (LLCs)
Enforcement in California
The state's remedies against a company whose agent does not perform. Quoted without paraphrase.
Pecuniary penalty
... has not been filed by the corporation, the Secretary of State shall certify the name of the corporation to the Franchise Tax ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: Cal. Corp. Code § 2204(a)-(b)
Further
... Franchise Tax Board of the suspension and provide a notice of the suspension ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: Cal. Corp. Code § 2205(a), (c)
Pecuniary penalty
... statement pursuant to Section 17702.09 has not been filed by the limited liability company or foreign limited liability company, the limited liability company or foreign ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: Cal. Corp. Code § 17713.07(b); see § 17713.09
Further
... State shall notify the Franchise Tax Board of the suspension, and shall provide a notice ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: Cal. Corp. Code § 17713.10(c)
Restoration
incFACTS has not yet verified the California restoration fee. We have not enquired.
The California annual report, which you may also decline
California levies an annual charge to keep a company in good standing. The amount is below. Declining it is consistent with everything else on this page.
Annual report, limited liability company
$20 per annum.
... information of a limited liability company or of a foreign limited liability company ...
Source: state statute, via incFACTS: Cal. Gov. Code 12190(k)
Annual report, corporation
$25 per annum.
... and Agricultural Cooperative Corporations (Form SI-200) - initial or annual statement: $20.00 filing fee and a $5.00 ...
Source: official state fee schedule, via incFACTS: https://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/be-fee-schedule-062018.pdf
Our position
We decline. At this price you may have expected otherwise.
Statutory text captured by incFACTS on 2026-08-01, verified against the code on 2026-08-10. Statutes are amended. This page is not.