California Secretary of State office — contact & fees
Updated August 2026
Quick Answer
The California Secretary of State's Business Programs Division registers business entities, processes filings, and maintains public records for corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and other entity types formed or registered in California. Over 140 filing types are available online through its bizfile Online portal; the division also accepts documents by mail and in-person drop-off at the Sacramento office.
Open Official California Secretary of State Portal ↗Office contact and hours
- Street address
- 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Business Entities phone
- (916) 657-5448
- Main SOS phone
- (916) 653-6814
- Office hours
- Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (excluding California state holidays)
- Online portal
- bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov
- Business entities homepage
- sos.ca.gov — Business Entities
Los Angeles satellite office
A Los Angeles satellite office provides limited services for corporations. For that office's address and the services it handles, see the Los Angeles Office page on the SOS website.
Mailing addresses by filing type
Statements of Information go to a different P.O. box than most other filings. Using the wrong address causes processing delays.
- Statement of Information (corps and LLCs): P.O. Box 944230, Sacramento, CA 94244-2300
- LLC filings: P.O. Box 944260, Sacramento, CA 94244-2600
- Corporate filings: P.O. Box 944260, Sacramento, CA 94244-2600
- Limited partnership filings: P.O. Box 944260, Sacramento, CA 94244-2600
- Records requests (copies, status reports, certificates): P.O. Box 944260, Sacramento, CA 94244-2600
- Name reservations: 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814
Source: Business Entities Contact Information, California Secretary of State.
County and city business licenses
County and city business licenses are separate from state requirements and vary by jurisdiction. Check with the city or county in which the business operates for local permit requirements.
Entity formation and filing fees
The fees below come from the California Secretary of State's official Business Entities fee schedule. The LLC Articles of Organization fee ($70) and Statement of Information fee ($20) are confirmed as current per the SOS website (August 2026). Verify all current amounts at sos.ca.gov — Forms, Samples and Fees before filing.
LLC — Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1)
- SOS fee
- $70
LLC — Statement of Information (biennial; Form LLC-12)
- SOS fee
- $20
Stock corporation — Articles of Incorporation
- SOS fee
- $100
Stock corporation — Statement of Information (annual; Form SI-200)
- SOS fee
- $25
Nonprofit corporation — Articles of Incorporation (no shares)
- SOS fee
- $30
Name reservation (corporation, LLC, or LP)
- SOS fee
- $10
Certificate of Status
- SOS fee
- $5
In-person drop-off at the Sacramento office adds a non-refundable special handling fee of $15 per filing request, on top of the standard filing fee. Expedited services are available for documents delivered or submitted online: 24-hour filing runs $350 extra; same-day filing (document must arrive by 9:30 a.m.) costs $750 extra. Mail submissions do not qualify for special handling or expedited fees.
These are Secretary of State filing fees only. California's minimum annual franchise tax for LLCs and corporations is a separate obligation administered by the Franchise Tax Board, not the Secretary of State.
UCC filing, notary, and apostille services
Beyond business entity filings, the Secretary of State's office also runs three other public-facing services:
- UCC search and filing — free UCC search through bizfile Online; secured lenders use it to record liens against a debtor's personal property.
- Notary public commissions — a $20 application processing fee plus a separate $20 exam fee; a duplicate commission certificate costs $10.
- Apostilles and authentications — $20 per apostille, plus a $6 special handling fee for each additional public official's signature being authenticated.
Source: California Secretary of State UCC, Notary Public, and Apostille program pages (sos.ca.gov).
Key California state licensing agencies
Registering a business entity with the Secretary of State satisfies the state formation requirement. It does not replace local business licenses, sales tax registration, employer registration, or professional licenses. The following agencies handle the most common additional requirements:
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA)
- What it covers
- Seller's permits, sales and use tax, excise taxes
- Website
- cdtfa.ca.gov
Franchise Tax Board (FTB)
- What it covers
- State income and franchise taxes for businesses and LLCs
- Website
- ftb.ca.gov
Employment Development Department (EDD)
- What it covers
- Employer registration, payroll taxes, unemployment insurance
- Website
- edd.ca.gov
Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
- What it covers
- Contractor and subcontractor licenses for construction work
- Website
- cslb.ca.gov
Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA)
- What it covers
- Professional licenses across more than 30 boards and bureaus — healthcare providers, cosmetology, engineering, funeral services, and others
- Website
- dca.ca.gov
California Department of Insurance (CDI)
- What it covers
- Insurance producer, broker, and adjuster licenses
- Website
- insurance.ca.gov
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to form an LLC in California?
$70 to file the Articles of Organization, plus $20 for the Statement of Information that's due every two years. This is the SOS filing fee only — it doesn't include the state's separate minimum franchise tax.
How much extra does expedited filing cost with the California Secretary of State?
24-hour filing costs $350 extra and same-day filing (document must arrive by 9:30 a.m.) costs $750 extra — both online only. In-person drop-off at the Sacramento office adds a separate $15 special handling fee, and mail submissions don't qualify for expediting at all.
Does registering an LLC with the California Secretary of State cover the state's minimum franchise tax?
No. SOS filing fees like the $70 Articles of Organization fee are separate from California's minimum annual franchise tax for LLCs and corporations, which is administered by the Franchise Tax Board, not the Secretary of State.