Section 2602.
Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 2602.
in effectThe articles of incorporation shall set forth:
(a)
The name of the social purpose corporation that shall contain the words “social purpose corporation” or an abbreviation of those words.
(b)
(1)
Either of the following statements, as applicable:
(A)
“The purpose of this social purpose corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a social purpose corporation may be organized under Division 1.5 of the California Corporations Code, other than the banking business, the trust company business or the practice of a profession permitted to be incorporated by the California
Corporations Code, for the benefit of the overall interests of the social purpose corporation and its shareholders and in furtherance of the following enumerated purposes ____.”
(B)
“The purpose of this social purpose corporation is to engage in the profession of ____ (with the insertion of a profession permitted to be incorporated by the California Corporations Code) and any other lawful activities, other than the banking or trust company business, not prohibited to a social purpose corporation engaging in that profession by applicable laws and regulations, for the benefit of the overall interests of the social purpose corporation and its shareholders and in furtherance of the following enumerated purposes ____.”
(2)
A statement that a purpose of the social purpose corporation, in addition to the purpose stated pursuant to paragraph (1), is to engage in one or more of the
following enumerated purposes, as also specified in the statement set forth pursuant to paragraph (1):
(A)
One or more charitable or public purpose activities that a nonprofit public benefit corporation is authorized to carry out.
(B)
The purpose of promoting positive effects of, or minimizing adverse effects of, the social purpose corporation’s activities upon any of the following, provided that the corporation consider the purpose in addition to or together with the financial interests of the shareholders and compliance with legal obligations, and take action consistent with that purpose:
(i)
The social purpose corporation’s employees, suppliers, customers, and creditors.
(ii)
The community and society.
(iii)
The environment.
(3)
(A)
For any corporation organized under this division before January 1, 2015, that has not elected to change its status to a social purpose corporation, a statement that the corporation is organized as a flexible purpose corporation under the Corporate Flexibility Act of 2011. Such a corporation is not required to revise the statements required in paragraphs (1) and (2) to conform to the changes made by the act adding this subparagraph.
(B)
For any corporation organized under this division on and after January 1, 2015, or that has elected to change its status to a social purpose corporation pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 2601, a statement that the corporation is organized as a social purpose corporation under the Social Purpose Corporations
Act.
(4)
If the social purpose corporation is a social purpose corporation subject to the Banking Law (Division 1.1 (commencing with Section 1000) of the Financial Code), the articles shall set forth a statement of purpose that is prescribed by the applicable provision of the Banking Law (Division 1.1 (commencing with Section 1000) of the Financial Code).
(5)
If the social purpose corporation is a social purpose corporation subject to the Insurance Code as an insurer, the articles shall additionally state that the business of the social purpose corporation is to be an insurer.
(6)
If the social purpose corporation is intended to be a professional corporation within the meaning of the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act (Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3), the articles shall additionally
contain the statement required by Section 13404. The articles shall not set forth any further or additional statement with respect to the purposes or powers of the social purpose corporation, except by way of limitation or except as expressly required by any law of this state, other than this division, or any federal or other statute or regulation, including the Internal Revenue Code and regulations thereunder as a condition of acquiring or maintaining a particular status for tax purposes.
(7)
If the social purpose corporation is a close social purpose corporation, a statement as required by subdivision (a) of Section 158.
(c)
The name and street address in this state of the social purpose corporation’s initial agent for service of process in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 1502.
(d)
The initial street
address of the corporation.
(e)
The initial mailing address of the corporation, if different from the initial street address.
(f)
If the social purpose corporation is authorized to issue only one class of shares, the total number of shares that the social purpose corporation is authorized to issue.
(g)
If the social purpose corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of shares, or if any class of shares is to have two or more series, the articles shall state:
(1)
The total number of shares of each class that the social purpose corporation is authorized to issue and the total number of shares of each series that the social purpose corporation is authorized to issue or that the board is authorized to fix the number of shares of any such
series.
(2)
The designation of each class and the designation of each series or that the board may determine the designation of any such series.
(3)
The rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to or imposed upon the respective classes or series of shares or the holders thereof, or that the board, within any limits and restrictions stated, may determine or alter the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to or imposed upon any wholly unissued class of shares or any wholly unissued series of any class of shares. As to any series the number of shares of which is authorized to be fixed by the board, the articles may also authorize the board, within the limits and restrictions stated in the article or in any resolution or resolutions of the board originally fixing the number of shares constituting any series, to increase or decrease, but not below
the number of shares of such series then outstanding, the number of shares of any series subsequent to the issue of shares of that series. If the number of shares of any series shall be so decreased, the shares constituting that decrease shall resume the status which they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of that series.
References
referencesCal. Financial Code - FIN § 1000.
referencesCal. Corporations Code - CORP § 2601.
referencesCal. Corporations Code - CORP § 13400.
referencesCal. Corporations Code - CORP § 13404.
referencesCal. Corporations Code - CORP § 158.
referencesCal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1502.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026