Change Your Registered Agent in California

Changing your registered agent in California (state law says "agent for service of process") is a single filing with the Secretary of State. The catch: that filing is not a change-of-agent form, because California does not have one.

There Is No Dedicated Change Form

Search the Secretary of State's form list and you will not find an agent-change document. The mechanism is an updated Statement of Information:

• LLCs: file Form LLC-12 with the new agent's name and California street address in the agent section
• Stock corporations: file Form SI-550
• Nonprofit corporations: file Form SI-100

Filings go to the Secretary of State's Business Programs Division through bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov. The new agent's acceptance is built into the statement itself; no separate consent letter is sent to the state.

Fees: $0 Mid-Cycle, $20 With the Biennial Filing

• Between filing periods: an updated statement submitted just to report a change is free. $0.
• During your scheduled filing period: the normal fee applies, $20 for LLCs and $25 for corporations.
• Our charge to help you switch: nothing beyond the $99/year agent service.

How to Change Registered Agents: Step by Step

1. Sign up with the new agent first, so their exact name and California address are ready to enter.
2. Collect your entity name and Secretary of State entity number.
3. Log in at bizfileOnline, open your entity, and submit the updated Statement of Information listing the new agent.
4. Watch the state's business search and confirm the agent line shows the new information once processed.
5. Close out the old provider only after the record is updated.

When to Change Your Agent

Common reasons businesses change their agent for service of process:

• Current agent is unreliable — missed documents, slow forwarding, or unresponsive
• Cost — your current provider charges more than necessary
• Agent relocated — your agent moved out of California or closed their office
• Privacy concerns — you were using your own home address and want to switch to a commercial service
• Agent resigned — agents can resign by filing with the Secretary of State, leaving you without coverage

If your entity currently has no agent on file — whether due to resignation, suspension, or oversight — updating this should be a priority. Operating without a valid agent puts your entity at risk.

What We Provide When You Switch to Us

When you sign up with California Registered Agent.ai:

1. We provide our California address and agent details for your filing
2. You file the Statement of Information (Form LLC-12 for LLCs) with the Secretary of State
3. Once processed, we begin accepting documents on your behalf immediately
4. All documents are scanned same-day and available through your secure portal

We do not charge a setup fee, transfer fee, or any amount beyond the $99/year service rate.

Avoiding a Coverage Gap

The safe order is: new agent first, filing second, cancellation last. Keep the old service active until the Secretary of State's records show the new agent, and never leave the agent field empty while the entity is alive.

Order Here Questions about the switch? Contact us.