CHAPTER 18. Crimes and Penalties [12670. - 12679.]

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP 18.

in effect

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12670. Section 12670.

(a) Upon the failure of a corporation to file the statement required by Section 12570, the Secretary of State shall provide a notice of that delinquency to the corporation. The notice shall also contain information concerning the application of this section, and shall advise the corporation of the penalty imposed by Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code for failure to timely file the required statement after notice of delinquency has been provided by the Secretary of State. If, within 60 days after providing notice of the delinquency, a statement pursuant to Section 12570 has not been filed by the corporation, the Secretary of State shall certify the name of the corporation to the Franchise Tax Board. (b) Upon certification pursuant to subdivision (a), the Franchise Tax Board shall assess against the corporation a penalty of fifty dollars ($50) pursuant to Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (c) The penalty herein provided shall not apply to a corporation which on or prior to the date of certification pursuant to subdivision (a) has dissolved, has been converted to another type of business entity, or has been merged into another corporation or other business entity. (d) The penalty herein provided shall not apply and the Secretary of State need not provide a notice of the delinquency to a corporation the corporate powers, rights, and privileges of which have been suspended by the Franchise Tax Board pursuant to Section 23301, 23301.5, or 23775 of the Revenue and Taxation Code on or prior to, and remain suspended on, the last day of the filing period pursuant to Section 12570. The Secretary of State need not provide notice of the filing requirement pursuant to Section 12570, to a corporation the corporate powers, rights, and privileges of which have been so suspended by the Franchise Tax Board on or prior to, and remain suspended on, the day the Secretary of State prepares the notice for sending. (e) If, after certification pursuant to subdivision (a) the Secretary of State finds the required statement was filed before the expiration of the 60-day period after providing notice of the delinquency, the Secretary of State shall promptly decertify the name of the corporation to the Franchise Tax Board. The Franchise Tax Board shall then promptly abate any penalty assessed against the corporation pursuant to Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (f) If the Secretary of State determines that the failure of a corporation to file a statement required by Section 12570 is excusable because of reasonable cause or unusual circumstances which justify the failure, the Secretary of State may waive the penalty imposed by this section and by Section 19141 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, in which case the Secretary of State shall not certify the name of the corporation to the Franchise Tax Board, or if already certified, the Secretary of State shall promptly decertify the name of the corporation.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12671. Section 12671.

Any promoter, director, or officer of a corporation who knowingly and willfully issues or consents to the issuance of memberships or membership certificates with intent to defraud present or future members or creditors is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment in county jail for not more than one year or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12672. Section 12672.

Any director of any corporation who concurs in any vote or act of the directors of the corporation or any of them, knowingly and with dishonest or fraudulent purpose, to make any distribution of assets, except in the case and in the manner allowed by this part, either with the design of defrauding creditors or members or of giving a false appearance to the value of the membership and thereby defrauding purchasers is guilty of a crime. Each such crime is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12673. Section 12673.

(a) Every director or officer of any corporation is guilty of a crime if such director or officer knowingly concurs in making or publishing, either generally or privately, to members or other persons (1) any materially false report or statement as to the financial condition of the corporation, or (2) any willfully or fraudulently exaggerated report, prospectus, account, or statement of operations, financial condition, or prospects, or (3) any other paper intended to give, and having a tendency to give, a membership in such corporation a greater or lesser value than it really possesses. (b) Every director or officer of any corporation is guilty of a crime who refuses to make or direct to be made any book entry or the posting of any notice required by law in the manner required by law. (c) A violation of subdivision (a) or (b) of this section shall be punishable by imprisonment in state prison or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year or both such fine and imprisonment.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12674. Section 12674.

(a) Every director, officer or agent of any corporation, who knowingly receives or acquires possession of any property of the corporation, otherwise than in payment of a just demand, and, with intent to defraud, omits to make, or to cause or direct to be made, a full and true entry thereof in the books or accounts of the corporation is guilty of a crime. (b) Every director, officer, agent or member of any corporation who, with intent to defraud, destroys, alters, mutilates or falsifies any of the books, papers, writings, or securities belonging to the corporation or makes or concurs in omitting to make any material entry in any book of accounts or other record or document kept by the corporation is guilty of a crime. (c) Each crime specified in this section is punishable by imprisonment in state prison, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both such fine and imprisonment.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12675. Section 12675.

Every director, officer or agent of any corporation, or any person proposing to organize such a corporation who knowingly exhibits any false, forged, or altered book, paper, voucher, security, or other instrument of evidence to any public officer or board authorized by law to examine the organization of such corporation or to investigate its affairs, with intent to deceive such officer or board in respect thereto, is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code, or by imprisonment in a county jail for not exceeding one year.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12676. Section 12676.

Every person who, without being authorized so to do, subscribes the name of another to or inserts the name of another in any prospectus, circular or other advertisement or announcement of any corporation, whether existing or intended to be formed, with intent to permit the document to be published and thereby to lead persons to believe that the person whose name is so subscribed is an officer, agent or promoter of such corporation, when in fact no such relationship exists to the knowledge of such person, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12677. Section 12677.

Nothing in this chapter limits the power of the state to punish any person for any conduct which constitutes a crime under any other statute.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12678. Section 12678.

Any person may be enjoined from violating the provisions of Section 12311. Any corporation may be enjoined from carrying on business outside of the purpose for which it was formed.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12679. Section 12679.

Any person violating Section 12311, and any corporation carrying on business outside the purpose for which it was formed, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026