CHAPTER 15. Records and Reports [1500. - 1512.]

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP 15.

in effect

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1500. Section 1500.

Each corporation shall keep adequate and correct books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its shareholders, board and committees of the board and shall keep at its principal office, or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, a record of its shareholders, giving the names and addresses of all shareholders and the number and class of shares held by each. Those minutes and other books and records shall be kept either in written form or in another form capable of being converted into clearly legible tangible form or in any combination of the foregoing. When minutes and other books and records are kept in a form capable of being converted into clearly legible paper form, the clearly legible paper form into which those minutes and other books and records are converted shall be admissible in evidence, and accepted for all other purposes, to the same extent as an original paper record of the same information would have been, provided that the paper form accurately portrays the record.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1501. Section 1501.

(a) (1) The board shall cause an annual report to be sent to the shareholders not later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year, unless in the case of a corporation with less than 100 holders of record of its shares (determined as provided in Section 605) this requirement is expressly waived in the bylaws. Unless otherwise provided by the articles or bylaws and if approved by the board of directors, that report and any accompanying material sent pursuant to this section may be sent by electronic transmission by the corporation (Section 20). This report shall contain a balance sheet as of the end of that fiscal year and an income statement and a statement of cashflows for that fiscal year, accompanied by any report thereon of independent accountants or, if there is no report, the certificate of an authorized officer of the corporation that the statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the corporation. (2) Unless so waived, the report specified in paragraph (1) shall be sent to the shareholders at least 15 (or, if sent by third-class mail, 35) days before the annual meeting of shareholders to be held during the next fiscal year, but this requirement shall not limit the requirement for holding an annual meeting as required by Section 600. (3) Notwithstanding Section 114, the financial statements of any corporation with fewer than 100 holders of record of its shares (determined as provided in Section 605) required to be furnished by this subdivision and subdivision (c) are not required to be prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles if they reasonably set forth the assets and liabilities and the income and expense of the corporation and disclose the accounting basis used in their preparation. (4) The requirements described in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be satisfied if a corporation with an outstanding class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 complies with Section 240.14a-16 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as it may be amended from time to time, with respect to the obligation of a corporation to furnish an annual report to shareholders pursuant to Section 240.14a-3(b) of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (b) In addition to the financial statements required by subdivision (a), the annual report of any corporation having 100 or more holders of record of its shares (determined as provided in Section 605) either not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or exempted from those reporting requirements by Section 12(g)(2) of that act, shall also describe briefly both of the following: (1) Any transaction (excluding compensation of officers and directors) during the previous fiscal year involving an amount in excess of forty thousand dollars ($40,000) (other than contracts let at competitive bid or services rendered at prices regulated by law) to which the corporation or its parent or subsidiary was a party and in which any director or officer of the corporation or of a subsidiary or (if known to the corporation or its parent or subsidiary) any holder of more than 10 percent of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation had a direct or indirect material interest, naming the person and stating the person’s relationship to the corporation, the nature of the person’s interest in the transaction and, where practicable, the amount of the interest; provided that in the case of a transaction with a partnership of which the person is a partner, only the interest of the partnership need be stated; and provided further that no report need be made in the case of any transaction approved by the shareholders (Section 153). (2) The amount and circumstances of any indemnification or advances aggregating more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) paid during the fiscal year to any officer or director of the corporation pursuant to Section 317; provided that no report need be made in the case of indemnification approved by the shareholders (Section 153) under paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 317. (c) If no annual report for the last fiscal year has been sent to shareholders, the corporation shall, upon the written request of any shareholder made more than 120 days after the close of that fiscal year, deliver or mail to the person making the request within 30 days thereafter the financial statements required by subdivision (a) for that year. A shareholder or shareholders holding at least 5 percent of the outstanding shares of any class of a corporation may make a written request to the corporation for an income statement of the corporation for the three-month, six-month, or nine-month period of the current fiscal year ended more than 30 days before the date of the request and a balance sheet of the corporation as of the end of the period and, in addition, if no annual report for the last fiscal year has been sent to shareholders, the statements referred to in subdivision (a) for the last fiscal year. The statements shall be delivered or mailed to the person making the request within 30 days thereafter. A copy of the statements shall be kept on file in the principal office of the corporation for 12 months and it shall be exhibited at all reasonable times to any shareholder demanding an examination of the statements or a copy shall be mailed to the shareholder. (d) The quarterly income statements and balance sheets referred to in this section shall be accompanied by the report thereon, if any, of any independent accountants engaged by the corporation or the certificate of an authorized officer of the corporation that the financial statements were prepared without audit from the books and records of the corporation. (e) In addition to the penalties provided for in Section 2200, the superior court of the proper county shall enforce the duty of making and mailing or delivering the information and financial statements required by this section and, for good cause shown, may extend the time therefor. (f) In any action or proceeding under this section, if the court finds the failure of the corporation to comply with the requirements of this section to have been without justification, the court may award an amount sufficient to reimburse the shareholder for the reasonable expenses incurred by the shareholder, including attorney’s fees, in connection with the action or proceeding. (g) This section applies to any domestic corporation and also to a foreign corporation having its principal office in California or customarily holding meetings of its board in this state.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1502. Section 1502.

(a) Every corporation shall file, within 90 days after the filing of its original articles and annually thereafter during the applicable filing period, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, a statement containing all of the following: (1) The name of the corporation and the Secretary of State’s file number. (2) The names and complete business or residence addresses of its incumbent directors. (3) The number of vacancies on the board, if any. (4) The names and complete business or residence addresses of its chief executive officer, secretary, and chief financial officer. (5) The street address of its principal executive office. (6) The mailing address of the corporation, if different from the street address of its principal executive office. (7) If the address of its principal executive office is not in this state, the street address of its principal business office in this state, if any. (8) If the corporation chooses to receive renewal notices and any other notifications from the Secretary of State by electronic mail instead of by United States mail, the corporation shall include a valid electronic mail address for the corporation or for the corporation’s designee to receive those notices. (9) A statement of the general type of business that constitutes the principal business activity of the corporation, such as, for example, manufacturer of aircraft, wholesale liquor distributor, or retail department store. (10) A statement indicating whether any officer or any director has an outstanding final judgment issued by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement or a court of law, for which no appeal therefrom is pending, for the violation of any wage order or provision of the Labor Code. (b) The statement required by subdivision (a) shall also designate, as the agent of the corporation for 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 act as an agent has not terminated. If a natural person is designated, the statement shall set forth that person’s complete business or residence street address. If a corporate agent is designated, no address for it shall be set forth. (c) If there has been no change in the information in the last filed statement of the corporation on file in the Secretary of State’s office, the corporation may, in lieu of filing the statement required by subdivisions (a) and (b), advise the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, that no changes in the required information have occurred during the applicable filing period. (d) For the purposes of this section, the applicable filing period for a corporation shall be the calendar month during which its original articles were filed and the immediately preceding five calendar months. The Secretary of State shall provide a notice to each corporation to comply with this section approximately three months prior to the close of the applicable filing period. The notice shall state the due date for compliance and shall be sent to the last address of the corporation according to the records of the Secretary of State or to the last electronic mail address according to the records of the Secretary of State if the corporation has elected to receive notices from the Secretary of State by electronic mail. The failure of the corporation to receive the notice is not an excuse for failure to comply with this section. (e) Whenever any of the information required by subdivision (a) is changed, the corporation may file a current statement containing all the information required by subdivisions (a) and (b). In order to change its agent for service of process or the address of the agent, the corporation must file a current statement containing all the information required by subdivisions (a) and (b). Whenever any statement is filed pursuant to this section, it supersedes any previously filed statement and the statement in the articles as to the agent for service of process and the address of the agent. (f) The Secretary of State may destroy or otherwise dispose of any statement filed pursuant to this section after it has been superseded by the filing of a new statement. (g) This section shall not be construed to place any person dealing with the corporation on notice of, or under any duty to inquire about, the existence or content of a statement filed pursuant to this section. (h) The statement required by subdivision (a) shall be available and open to the public for inspection. The Secretary of State shall provide access to all information contained in this statement by means of an online database. (i) In addition to any other fees required, a corporation shall pay a five-dollar ($5) disclosure fee when filing the statement required by subdivision (a). One-half of the fee shall, notwithstanding Section 12176 of the Government Code, be deposited into the Business Programs Modernization Fund established in subdivision (k), and one-half shall be deposited into the Victims of Corporate Fraud Compensation Fund established in Section 2280. (j) A corporation shall certify that the information it provides pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) is true and correct. No claim may be made against the state for inaccurate information contained in the statements. (k) There is hereby established the Business Programs Modernization Fund in the State Treasury. Moneys deposited into the fund shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be available to the Secretary of State to further the purposes of this section, including the development and maintenance of the online database required by subdivision (h), and by subdivision (c) of Section 2117. (l) (1) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2022, or upon certification by the Secretary of State that California Business Connect is implemented, whichever date is earlier. (2) If the Secretary of State certifies California Business Connect is implemented prior to January 1, 2022, the Secretary of State shall post notice of the certification on the homepage of its internet website and send notice of the certification to the Legislative Counsel.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1502.1. Section 1502.1.

(a) In addition to the statement required pursuant to Section 1502, every publicly traded corporation shall file annually, within 150 days after the end of its fiscal year, a statement, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, that includes all of the following information: (1) The name of the independent auditor that prepared the most recent auditor’s report on the corporation’s annual financial statements. (2) A description of other services, if any, performed for the corporation during its two most recent fiscal years and the period between the end of its most recent fiscal year and the date of the statement by the foregoing independent auditor, by its parent corporation, or by a subsidiary or corporate affiliate of the independent auditor or its parent corporation. (3) The name of the independent auditor employed by the corporation on the date of the statement, if different from the independent auditor listed pursuant to paragraph (1). (4) The compensation for the most recent fiscal year of the corporation paid to each member of the board of directors and paid to each of the five most highly compensated executive officers of the corporation who are not members of the board of directors, including the number of any shares issued, options for shares granted, and similar equity-based compensation granted to each of those persons. If the chief executive officer is not among the five most highly compensated executive officers of the corporation, the compensation paid to the chief executive officer shall also be included. (5) A description of any loan, including the amount and terms of the loan, made to any member of the board of directors by the corporation during the corporation’s two most recent fiscal years at an interest rate lower than the interest rate available from unaffiliated commercial lenders generally to a similarly-situated borrower. (6) A statement indicating whether an order for relief has been entered in a bankruptcy case with respect to the corporation, its executive officers, or members of the board of directors of the corporation during the 10 years preceding the date of the statement. (7) A statement indicating whether any member of the board of directors or executive officer of the corporation was convicted of fraud during the 10 years preceding the date of the statement, if the conviction has not been overturned or expunged. (8) A description of any material pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, to which the corporation or any of its subsidiaries is a party or of which any of their property is the subject, as specified by Item 103 of Regulation S-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission (Section 229.103 of Title 12 of the Code of Federal Regulations). A description of any material legal proceeding during which the corporation was found legally liable by entry of a final judgment or final order that was not overturned on appeal during the five years preceding the date of the statement. (b) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Publicly traded corporation” means a corporation, as defined in Section 162, that is an issuer as defined in Section 3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (15 U.S.C. Sec. 78c), and has at least one class of securities listed or admitted for trading on a national securities exchange, on the OTC Bulletin Board, or on the electronic service operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (2) “Executive officer” means the chief executive officer, president, any vice president in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function, any other officer of the corporation who performs a policymaking function, or any other person who performs similar policymaking functions for the corporation. (3) “Compensation” as used in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) means all plan and nonplan compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to the person for all services rendered in all capacities to the corporation and to its subsidiaries, as the compensation is specified by Item 402 of Regulation S-K of the Securities and Exchange Commission (Section 229.402 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations). (4) “Loan” as used in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) excludes an advance for expenses permitted under subdivision (d) of Section 315, the corporation’s payment of life insurance premiums permitted under subdivision (e) of Section 315, and an advance of expenses permitted under Section 317. (c) This statement shall be available and open to the public for inspection. The Secretary of State shall provide access to all information contained in this statement by means of an online database. (d) A corporation shall certify that the information it provides pursuant to this section is true and correct. No claim may be made against the state for inaccurate information contained in statements filed under this section with the Secretary of State.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1503. Section 1503.

(a) An agent designated for service of process pursuant to Section 202, 1502, 2105, or 2117 may deliver to the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State for filing, a signed and acknowledged written statement of resignation as an agent for service of process. The form shall contain the name of the corporation, the Secretary of State’s file number of the corporation, the name of the resigning agent for service of process, and a statement that the agent is resigning. Thereupon the authority of the agent to act in such capacity shall cease and the Secretary of State forthwith shall mail or otherwise provide written notice of the filing of the statement of resignation to the corporation at its principal office. (b) The resignation of an agent may be effective if, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State containing the name of the corporation, the Secretary of State’s file number for the corporation, and the name of the resigning agent for service of process, the agent disclaims having been properly appointed as the agent. Similarly, a person named as an officer or director may indicate that the person was never properly appointed as the officer or director. (c) The Secretary of State may destroy or otherwise dispose of any resignation filed pursuant to this section after a new form is filed pursuant to Section 1502 or 2117 replacing the agent for service of process that has resigned.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1504. Section 1504.

If a natural person who has been designated agent for service of process pursuant to Section 202, 1502, 2105, or 2117 dies or resigns or no longer resides in the state or if the corporate agent for such purpose resigns, dissolves, withdraws from the state, forfeits its right to transact intrastate business, has its corporate rights, powers and privileges suspended or ceases to exist, the corporation shall forthwith file a designation of a new agent conforming to the requirements of Section 1502 or 2117.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1505. Section 1505.

(a) Any domestic or foreign corporation, before it may be designated as the agent for the purpose of service of process of any entity pursuant to any law which refers to this section, shall file a certificate executed in the name of the corporation by an officer thereof stating all of the following: (1) The complete street address of its office or offices in this state, wherein any entity designating it as such agent may be served with process. (2) The name of each person employed by it at each such office to whom it authorizes the delivery of a copy of any such process. (3) Its consent that delivery thereof to any such person at the office where the person is employed shall constitute delivery of any such copy to it, as such agent. (b) Any corporation which has filed the certificate provided for in subdivision (a) may file any number of supplemental certificates containing all the statements provided for in subdivision (a), which, upon the filing thereof, shall supersede the statements contained in the original or in any supplemental certificate previously filed. (c) No domestic or foreign corporation may file a certificate pursuant to this section unless it is currently authorized to engage in business in this state and is in good standing on the records of the Secretary of State.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1506. Section 1506.

Upon request of an assessor, a domestic or foreign corporation owning, claiming, possessing or controlling property in this state subject to local assessment shall make available at the corporation’s principal office in California or at a place mutually acceptable to the assessor and the corporation a true copy of business records relevant to the amount, cost and value of all property that it owns, claims, possesses or controls within the county.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1507. Section 1507.

Any officers, directors, employees or agents of a corporation who do any of the following are liable jointly and severally for all the damages resulting therefrom to the corporation or any person injured thereby who relied thereon or to both: (a) Make, issue, deliver or publish any prospectus, report, circular, certificate, financial statement, balance sheet, public notice or document respecting the corporation or its shares, assets, liabilities, capital, dividends, business, earnings or accounts which is false in any material respect, knowing it to be false, or participate in the making, issuance, delivery or publication thereof with knowledge that the same is false in a material respect. (b) Make or cause to be made in the books, minutes, records or accounts of a corporation any entry which is false in any material particular knowing such entry is false. (c) Remove, erase, alter or cancel any entry in any books or records of the corporation, with intent to deceive.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1508. Section 1508.

The Attorney General, upon complaint that a foreign or domestic corporation is failing to comply with the provisions of this chapter or Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 600), 7 (commencing with Section 700), or 16 (commencing with Section 1600), may in the name of the people of the State of California send to the principal office of such corporation notice of the complaint. If the answer is not satisfactory, the Attorney General may institute, maintain or intervene in such suits, actions or proceedings of any type in any court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction or before any administrative agency for such relief by way of injunction, the dissolution of entities, the appointment of receivers or any other temporary, preliminary, provisional or final remedies as may be appropriate to protect the rights of shareholders or to undo the consequences of failure to comply with such requirements. In any such action, suit or proceeding there may be joined as parties all persons and entities responsible for or affected by such activity.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1509. Section 1509.

For a period of 60 days following the conclusion of an annual, regular, or special meeting of shareholders, a corporation shall, upon written request from a shareholder, forthwith inform the shareholder of the result of any particular vote of shareholders taken at the meeting, including the number of shares voting for, the number of shares voting against, and the number of shares abstaining or withheld from voting. If the matter voted on was the election of directors, the corporation shall report the number of shares (or votes if voted cumulatively) cast for each nominee for director. If more than one class or series of shares voted, the report shall state the appropriate numbers by class and series of shares.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1510. Section 1510.

(a) Any foreign corporation qualified to transact intrastate business in this state shall provide the information specified in Section 1509, at the request of a shareholder resident in this state. (b) Any of the following shall be considered to be a shareholder resident in this state: (1) A natural person residing in this state. (2) A bank organized under Division 1 (commencing with Section 99) of the Financial Code, whether acting for itself, acting as a sole fiduciary, or acting with one or more other persons as a fiduciary. (3) A national bank having its head office in this state whether acting for itself, acting as a sole fiduciary, or acting with one or more other persons as a fiduciary. (4) Any retirement fund for public employees established or authorized by any law of this state.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1511. Section 1511.

Any foreign corporation which is not qualified to transact intrastate business in this state but has one or more subsidiaries which are domestic corporations or foreign corporations qualified to transact intrastate business in this state shall provide the information specified in Section 1509, at the request of a shareholder resident in this state, as defined by subdivision (b) of Section 1510.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 1512. Section 1512.

(a) For the purposes of Sections 1509, 1510, and 1511, a shareholder includes (1) any person named in a share certificate as a shareholder or (2) any person named as a shareholder on the records of a central depository, bank, or broker-dealer with respect to shares which are subject to the control of the central depository, bank, or broker-dealer. (b) A beneficiary of a trust, a beneficiary of the estate of a decedent, or an employee with respect to a pension, retirement, or health care trust or fund is not a shareholder of any shares standing in the name of the trust, the fund, the decedent, or the estate of the decedent. (c) A person who is a shareholder by reason of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) shall provide the corporation with a photocopy of a receipt of a statement from the central depository, bank, or broker-dealer showing the person to be a shareholder and the corporation shall accept the photocopy as sufficient evidence thereof.

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