Business Process Service in California: How to Serve a Corporation or LLC

Serving a business in California starts with identifying the exact legal entity and the person legally authorized to receive its papers. A corporation is commonly served through its designated agent for service of process or a qualifying corporate officer or manager. A limited liability company is commonly served through its designated agent, including the authorized representative at the office of a registered corporate agent. If direct methods fail, California law may permit office substituted service, service by notice and acknowledgment, or—after a court order in qualifying circumstances—service through the California Secretary of State.

Delivering papers to a storefront, receptionist, employee, owner, or mailing address does not automatically complete service on the company. The correct method depends on the entity type, the documents, the recipient’s legal capacity, the location, and every follow-up step required by the applicable rule.

Legal disclaimer: This article provides general information about California service of process and is not legal advice. The proper method can depend on the court, case type, document, business structure, court order, and facts of the assignment. Consult a California attorney about a specific case or disputed service.

2026 update: This guide describes California law reviewed in September 2026. Legislation enacted in 2025 schedules changes to several service statutes for January 1, 2027. Confirm the operative law and current court forms before serving papers on or after that date.

What Does Business Process Service Mean?

Business process service is the formal delivery of legal documents to a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, or other organization. The objective is not merely to make someone at the company aware of a lawsuit. The objective is to use an authorized method that gives legally sufficient notice to the named business.

The service packet may contain a summons and complaint, subpoena, petition, order, post-judgment document, demand, or another case-specific paper. Each document can have its own rules. This guide focuses mainly on California civil summons service, where the distinction between the business and the person accepting for the business is especially important.

A business cannot physically open a door or hold a packet. California law therefore identifies natural persons who can accept process in a representative capacity. Depending on the entity, that person may be:

• An individual designated as the agent for service of process
• An employee authorized by a registered corporate agent
• A president, chief executive officer, vice president, secretary, treasurer, chief financial officer, controller, or general manager
• A general partner or another person authorized for a partnership
• A person apparently in charge at a qualifying office when substituted service is permitted
• The California Secretary of State after a court authorizes that statutory method

The capacity matters. Papers delivered to Jane Smith personally are not necessarily service on Smith Manufacturing, Inc. Papers delivered to Jane Smith as the corporation’s designated agent may be service on the corporation without serving her as an individual. The summons, server’s field notes, and Proof of Service should consistently identify the party being served and the recipient’s representative capacity.

Step 1: Identify the Correct Legal Entity

The most preventable business-service error occurs before the process server reaches the address: the plaintiff names or searches for the wrong entity. A sign, website, invoice, and social media account may display a trade name that differs from the legal name registered with the state.

For example, “Pacific Coast Repairs” might be:

• Pacific Coast Repairs, Inc., a California corporation
• Pacific Coast Repair Group, LLC, doing business under that shorter name
• A fictitious business name used by an individual sole proprietor
• A brand owned by an out-of-state corporation registered in California
• A location operated by a franchisee rather than the national brand

These distinctions change who should be served. The receptionist at a branded location may work for a franchisee that is not the defendant. A building directory may list a trade name while the registered agent record uses the legal entity name. An individual owner is not automatically an authorized recipient for every type of entity service, and service on the company does not automatically serve the owner personally.

Before dispatch, compare the exact defendant name on the summons with the Secretary of State record, the court caption, any contract, and the address supplied by counsel. If the names do not match, the process server should not decide which party the plaintiff intended to sue. The client or attorney should resolve that issue.

Step 2: Find the Agent for Service of Process

California corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships generally designate an agent for service of process. The agent may be an individual or a registered corporate agent. Current filings can be searched through the California Secretary of State’s Bizfile Online system.

A useful business search should confirm:

• The entity’s complete legal name
• Entity type and jurisdiction
• California entity number
• Current status shown in the record
• Name of the agent for service of process
• Street address for an individual agent, when displayed
• Name of a registered corporate agent, when one is designated
• Principal or mailing addresses that may provide additional leads
• The filing date of the most recent statement or amendment

Do not rely only on an old printout, search-engine snippet, crowdsourced business directory, or address listed on a complaint drafted months earlier. Agents resign, companies move, and entity names change. Save or download the current state record near the time of dispatch so the service file shows what information was used.

If the record names an individual agent, confirm the complete address before sending the server. If it names a corporate agent—often a professional registered-agent company—the individual employee who accepts may not appear in the defendant’s public record. The process server should attend the corporate agent’s official office and identify the person authorized there to receive process.

The Secretary of State cautions that its business search may not contain every general partnership, LLP, or association record needed for service research. A formal business-entity records request or another authorized source may be necessary.

How to Serve a Corporation in California

California Code of Civil Procedure section 416.10 lists several people through whom a corporation may be served. The designated agent is a common choice, but it is not the only possible recipient.

Personal Service on the Designated Agent

When the corporation’s current filing identifies an individual agent, the server can attempt personal delivery to that agent. The agent should be identified before delivery, and the server should explain that the papers are being delivered for the named corporation.

When the filing identifies a registered corporate agent, the server ordinarily goes to that agent’s office and delivers the packet to the authorized person identified under the corporate-agent framework. Professional agent offices may have intake procedures, counters, scanning systems, or dedicated service staff. Those business practices do not replace the legal requirements, but they can help the server document the recipient’s identity and capacity.

Service on a Corporate Officer or General Manager

Section 416.10 also permits delivery to specified corporate representatives, including the president, chief executive officer, other head of the corporation, vice president, secretary or assistant secretary, treasurer or assistant treasurer, controller or chief financial officer, general manager, or another person authorized by the corporation to receive service of process.

The server should not infer an officer title from clothing, office location, or confidence. Ask for the person’s name and title, and record how that information was confirmed. “Manager” on a name badge does not always establish that the person is the corporation’s “general manager” for service purposes. When authority is uncertain, the client should review the facts before relying on the attempt.

The Corporate Notice on the Summons

Code of Civil Procedure section 412.30 requires the served copy of a summons in an action against a corporation or unincorporated association to contain notice that the recipient is being served on behalf of the named entity and under the applicable service provision. California summons forms contain a “Notice to the Person Served” area for this purpose.

The correct box, entity name, and capacity should be completed consistently. If a person is being served both individually and for a corporation, the documents and proofs must distinguish those two services. Serving a corporate officer only in a representative capacity does not automatically serve that officer as an individual defendant.

How to Serve an LLC in California

California Corporations Code section 17701.16 provides methods for serving a domestic or registered foreign LLC in addition to methods available under the Code of Civil Procedure. The usual starting point is the agent for service of process shown in the LLC’s current Secretary of State record.

Individual Agent for an LLC

If an individual is designated as the LLC’s agent, personal delivery to that individual can effect service under the statute. The process server should carry the exact entity name, the current agent record, and enough information to identify the agent at the listed address.

The address may be a residence, law office, accounting office, or operating business. The server should not assume that another resident or coworker is the agent simply because the named person receives mail there. If the agent is unavailable, the assignment may require another attempt or a different legally permitted method.

Registered Corporate Agent for an LLC

If the LLC designates a corporation as its agent, service is made through the corporate agent’s office under the statutory framework. The recipient should be a person authorized at that office, not an employee at the defendant LLC’s unrelated operating location.

Large registered-agent companies may receive process for thousands of entities. Give the server the defendant’s exact legal name, California entity number, case number, and complete packet. A close but incorrect entity name can lead the agent office to reject or misindex the delivery.

What About an LLC Member or Manager?

A member, manager, founder, or owner is not automatically interchangeable with the LLC’s designated agent. Other statutes or facts may provide a valid method, but the client should not instruct the server to hand papers to “any owner” without identifying the legal authority. The safest workflow is to review the entity record and the applicable provision before dispatch.

Substituted Service at a Business Office

California Code of Civil Procedure section 415.20(a), in its version operative during 2026, provides an office-based substituted service method for certain entity representatives identified in sections 416.10 through 416.50. Instead of personal delivery, a copy of the summons and complaint may be left during usual office hours in the person’s office—or, when no physical address is known, at a qualifying usual mailing address other than a United States Postal Service post office box—with the person apparently in charge. A second copy must then be mailed by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the person served at the place where the papers were left.

Under the 2026 version of the statute, this service is complete on the tenth day after the mailing. That completion date can affect response deadlines, default timing, and hearing calculations.

This method should not be confused with substituted service on an individual under section 415.20(b). The subsections have different wording and should not be blended into one generic rule. In particular, the office method in subsection (a) must be analyzed on its own terms.

Who Is “Apparently in Charge”?

The phrase is fact-specific. A receptionist, office administrator, manager, or service-desk employee may be apparently in charge in an appropriate office. A random customer, delivery driver, neighboring tenant, janitor, or building security guard is not automatically apparently in charge of the designated recipient’s office.

The process server should document facts rather than a conclusion alone:

• The business and suite identified at the location
• Whether the recipient maintained an office there
• The date and time and whether it was during usual office hours
• The substitute recipient’s name, title, and physical description
• Where the person was positioned and what duties they appeared to perform
• What the person said about their role or authority
• That the contents were explained as required
• The address and date used for the follow-up mailing

Receptionists and Security Desks

A receptionist inside the agent’s actual office presents different facts from a security officer in a shared high-rise lobby. The receptionist may control access and receive business deliveries for that office. The lobby guard may work for the building owner and have no relationship to the defendant or registered agent.

If security will not permit access, the server should record the building name, suite, access procedure, guard’s statements, directory information, and any attempt to contact the office. The server should not claim substituted service merely because a guard offered to pass the packet upstairs.

Mailing Is Not Optional

Leaving the packet with an apparently responsible office employee is only the delivery component. The required mailing must be completed and accurately recorded. The Proof of Service should show both steps and the date on which service becomes complete. If the wrong address is used for the mailing or the mailing never occurs, the client may not have completed the statutory method.

Can a California Business Be Served by Mail?

Code of Civil Procedure section 415.30 permits service of a summons by first-class mail or airmail when the required notice and acknowledgment documents are included. The package generally contains the summons and complaint, two copies of the notice and acknowledgment form, and a prepaid return envelope addressed to the sender.

For a business entity, the acknowledgment must be executed in the entity’s name by a person authorized to receive service. Service under this method is complete on the date the signed written acknowledgment is executed and returned.

Mailing the packet alone does not complete this method. If the recipient ignores the request, refuses to sign, or returns an acknowledgment signed in an unclear capacity, personal or another permitted form of service may still be necessary. Section 415.30 also contains a potential cost-shifting provision when a party fails to complete and return the acknowledgment without good cause, but the court—not the process server—determines whether those expenses are recoverable.

Certified-mail tracking can show delivery of an envelope, but it does not by itself replace the signed acknowledgment required by section 415.30. Other document types may have their own mail rules, so the server and client should not apply summons rules to every packet.

When Can a Business Be Served Through the California Secretary of State?

Service through the Secretary of State is a specialized fallback, not a shortcut selected whenever a registered-agent address is inconvenient. For both corporations and LLCs, the requesting party generally must show the court that authorized service methods were attempted with reasonable diligence and that the business cannot be served through those methods.

Corporations Code Section 1702

For a corporation, section 1702 may apply when the agent has resigned and has not been replaced, the agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the designated address, or no agent has been designated, and the court is satisfied by affidavit that the corporation cannot be served with reasonable diligence through the listed methods. The court may then order service by hand delivery to the Secretary of State.

Corporations Code Section 17701.16

For an LLC, section 17701.16 contains a comparable court-order process when the designated agent has resigned without replacement or cannot with reasonable diligence be found, and the LLC cannot be served through the methods identified by the statute.

Practical Secretary of State Workflow

1. Confirm the exact corporation or LLC and its current agent record.
2. Attempt legally appropriate direct methods at reliable addresses.
3. Preserve detailed reports showing dates, times, locations, access issues, contacts, and results.
4. Have counsel prepare the affidavit or declaration and request the required court order.
5. After the order is signed, assemble the process, certified court order, and statutory fee.
6. Hand-deliver the materials to the Secretary of State’s Sacramento office according to its current instructions.
7. Document delivery and calculate completion under the applicable statute and order.
8. Prepare and file the appropriate Proof of Service.

As of September 2026, the Secretary of State lists a $50 statutory fee for this service and states that the documents must be hand-delivered to its Sacramento public counter. It does not accept this substituted-service package by mail, and the Los Angeles office does not handle it. Verify the current address, hours, fee, copy requirements, and payment methods before dispatch because administrative instructions can change.

Under sections 1702 and 17701.16, service is generally complete on the tenth day after delivery to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then forwards the process by registered mail using the address specified by the statute. The forwarding step does not eliminate the client’s responsibility to follow the court order and file a correct proof.

Partnerships, DBAs, and Sole Proprietors

Not every business using a professional name is a corporation or LLC. The entity type must be confirmed before the server selects a recipient.

Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations

Code of Civil Procedure section 416.40 addresses unincorporated associations, including partnerships. A general or limited partnership may generally be served through its designated agent, a general partner, or its general manager. Other unincorporated associations may be served through specified officers, a general manager, a designated agent, or another authorized person.

A partnership’s public information may be more difficult to locate than a corporation’s. The client may need to supply formation documents, a statement of partnership authority, fictitious business name records, contracts, or other evidence identifying the correct organization and general partners.

DBAs and Fictitious Business Names

A fictitious business name is generally a trade name, not necessarily a separate legal person. County fictitious-business-name records can help identify the individual or entity operating under the name. If “Harbor Design Studio” is a DBA of Harbor Creative LLC, the service analysis should focus on the LLC. If it is a DBA of an individual sole proprietor, the individual may need to be served.

Sole Proprietorships

A sole proprietorship is not a corporation or LLC distinct from its owner. If the owner is the defendant, the rules for serving an individual usually control. Leaving papers with an employee at the shop is not automatically personal service on the owner. Substituted service may be possible if the requirements applicable to individual service are satisfied, including any required diligence and follow-up mailing.

Public Entities and Government Agencies

Do not use the corporation or LLC rules for a city, county, state agency, public district, or other public entity. Code of Civil Procedure section 416.50 identifies recipients for public entities, and claims statutes or agency-specific rules may add requirements. Confirm the exact public body and authorized officer before dispatch.

What Happens After the Business Is Served?

After service, the process server prepares a Proof of Service describing what actually occurred. For a California civil summons, POS-010 is commonly used. Other documents or courts may require a different proof or declaration.

The proof should accurately state:

• The court, case number, and parties
• The documents served
• The exact legal name of the entity served
• The recipient’s name
• The recipient’s title or legal capacity
• The service address
• The date and time of delivery
• The method of service
• Any required follow-up mailing and its date
• The corporate or association notice under section 412.30 when applicable
• The server’s identity, address, registration information, and declaration

“Served ABC Company” is not enough if the file does not show who accepted and why that person qualified. A stronger entry identifies both the entity and representative capacity, such as delivery to the named individual agent for the company or to an identified officer under the relevant provision.

The server usually returns a digital copy of the proof to the client after quality review. Filing responsibility should be confirmed at intake. Some process-serving assignments include preparation only, while others include e-filing, courthouse delivery, or direct return to the requesting law firm. A prepared proof sitting in an email inbox does not update the court docket.

Read our guide to what happens after a process server serves the papers for a complete post-service workflow.

Common Business Service Problems and Practical Solutions

The Agent Address Is a Residence

An individual agent may use a residential address. The process server can attempt the named agent there, but should not assume that any adult at the home is authorized to accept for the corporation or LLC. The specific personal or substituted method must support the delivery.

The Agent Moved

Document the current occupant’s statements, visible business identifiers, returned mail information, and whether the property appears residential, commercial, vacant, or inaccessible. Recheck the Secretary of State filing before ordering repeated attempts. A newer filing, principal office, attorney address, or lawful skip trace may provide a better lead.

The Business Is Closed During Posted Hours

Record the posted hours, locked entrance, lights, directory, mail accumulation, neighboring-business statements, and any phone contact. Try another reasonable time if the location appears active. A single locked-door visit may not establish that the business or agent cannot be found with reasonable diligence.

The Receptionist Refuses to Give a Name

Refusal does not automatically invalidate an otherwise lawful delivery, but the server must have enough facts to support the method. Record the person’s role, location, statements, appearance, and conduct without inventing a name or title. Whether those facts support substituted service is a legal determination for the client or court.

Security Will Not Allow Access

Ask whether security accepts legal process for the office and whether the tenant can be contacted. Record the guard’s employer, desk location, building access policy, call attempts, and directory information. Do not leave papers with building security unless the applicable rule and facts support that recipient.

The Registered Agent Refuses the Packet

If the correct recipient is identified and refuses to physically take the documents, refusal may not necessarily defeat service. The server should clearly state the nature of the papers, leave them in the recipient’s presence using a legally appropriate procedure, and document the encounter in detail. This is different from leaving papers outside a closed office or with an unidentified person.

The Company Is Suspended, Forfeited, or Dissolved

A non-active status does not by itself answer how the company should be served. Section 416.20 and provisions of the Corporations Code may apply to dissolved corporations, corporations with forfeited charters, trustees, or persons winding up affairs. Obtain legal instructions based on the entity’s actual status rather than assuming the Secretary of State automatically accepts every packet.

The Company Uses a Virtual Office or Coworking Space

A mail center, coworking front desk, or virtual-office provider may receive ordinary mail but lack authority to accept process. Determine whether the designated agent actually maintains an office there, whether the address is merely a mailbox, and who controls access. Section 415.20(a) also distinguishes a physical office from a usual mailing address and excludes a United States Postal Service post office box from its mailing-address alternative.

The Named Company Does Not Match the Tenant

Do not pressure an unrelated business to accept the papers. Photograph or note directory listings when lawful, confirm suite numbers, and report the discrepancy. The client may need to amend the defendant’s name, locate a new address, or identify a successor entity.

Business Service Timeline: What Affects Completion?

A registered agent at a staffed professional office may accept during the first visit. A small LLC with an outdated residential agent address may require research, multiple attempts, a declaration, and a court application. “Same-day service” usually means priority review and dispatch, not guaranteed same-day completion.

The timeline is affected by:

• Whether the summons and all documents are final
• Accuracy of the legal entity name
• Freshness of the Secretary of State record
• Whether the agent is an individual or corporate agent
• Office hours, holidays, and building access
• Availability of an officer or authorized representative
• Whether substituted service and mailing are appropriate
• Whether an acknowledgment is returned
• Need for address research or skip tracing
• Need for a court order and Sacramento delivery
• The completion rule for the method used

Give the process server the actual service deadline, not only the hearing date. Some documents must be served a set number of court or calendar days before a hearing, and substituted methods may add time before service becomes complete.

What Information Should You Send to the Process Server?

A complete intake package reduces rejected attempts and unclear proofs. Provide:

• The complete, file-endorsed service packet when available
• The exact entity name from the summons
• California entity number and entity type
• A current Secretary of State record
• The designated agent’s name and address
• Principal office and alternate operating addresses
• The service deadline and hearing date
• Special instructions from the court or issuing jurisdiction
• Whether an officer, general manager, or agent is the intended recipient
• Prior attempt reports and returned-mail information
• Gate, suite, lobby, parking, and security details
• Whether mailing, notarization, filing, or a conformed copy is required

If several related entities are defendants, prepare a separate assignment and proof plan for each one. Two companies sharing an agent and address are still separate named parties. One packet handed over without clear entity identification can create confusion about which defendants were served.

Common Mistakes When Serving a Corporation or LLC

• Using a brand instead of the legal entity: The storefront name may not be the defendant registered with the state.
• Serving any available employee: Employment alone does not establish authority to receive process.
• Serving the owner personally but not in the correct capacity: Individual and representative service are different.
• Relying on an outdated agent record: Always check the most recent official filing near dispatch.
• Leaving papers with building security: Shared-building personnel may not be in charge of the target office.
• Forgetting the follow-up mailing: Office substituted service is not complete after delivery alone.
• Assuming certified mail equals summons service: Section 415.30 requires a signed acknowledgment.
• Going directly to the Secretary of State: Statutory substituted service ordinarily requires documented diligence and a court order.
• Using one proof for multiple defendants without clarity: Each entity and recipient capacity must be accurately documented.
• Calculating deadlines from the attempt date: Completion may occur later, including the tenth day after a required mailing or statutory delivery.

Examples of California Business Process Service

Example 1: Corporation With an Individual Agent

The Secretary of State record identifies Maria Lopez as agent for Coastline Supply, Inc., at a San Diego address. The process server confirms Maria’s identity and personally delivers the summons and complaint to her for Coastline Supply, Inc. The server records her representative capacity and completes the corporate notice and Proof of Service accordingly.

Example 2: LLC With a Professional Corporate Agent

The record for Harbor Data LLC names a registered corporate agent. The server goes to the corporate agent’s official office during intake hours and delivers the packet to the authorized representative. The proof identifies Harbor Data LLC as the party served and records the accepting person’s name and capacity at the registered agent.

Example 3: Office Substituted Service

The appropriate entity representative maintains an office at the verified address but is unavailable. The facts support delivery under section 415.20(a) to the person apparently in charge during usual office hours. A second copy is mailed by first-class mail to the person served at the same office. The proof records both steps, and completion is calculated from the mailing under the operative statute.

Example 4: Outdated Agent Address

Several varied attempts show that the named agent moved and the current occupant has no connection to the LLC. The server reports each attempt rather than claiming service on the occupant. Counsel reviews alternate statutory methods, obtains additional address research, or uses the reports to support an application for court-ordered service.

Example 5: DBA Operated by a Sole Proprietor

The complaint names an individual doing business as a repair shop. County records confirm the DBA belongs to that person, not an LLC. The server follows the rules for serving the individual rather than treating the shop name as a registered company.

Serving a Corporation or LLC in San Diego County

San Diego business service ranges from registered-agent offices in Downtown San Diego to biotechnology campuses in Torrey Pines, industrial facilities in Otay Mesa, professional offices in La Jolla, small businesses in El Cajon, and corporate locations across North County.

Each setting creates different practical issues. Downtown high-rises may require lobby registration and elevator authorization. Corporate campuses may route visitors through security. Industrial sites may restrict access for safety. Coworking addresses may provide only mail handling. Small LLC agents may use a residence or home office.

Useful San Diego intake details include:

• Building and suite name exactly as listed
• Public office or registered-agent intake hours
• Parking, loading-zone, and lobby instructions
• Security desk telephone number
• Name and title of the expected corporate contact
• Whether the listed address is a storefront, office, residence, campus, or mailbox service
• Any scheduled closure, remote-work day, or appointment requirement

For time-sensitive assignments, send the packet early enough to recover from a closed office or incorrect suite. Our San Diego process serving team handles service on corporations, LLCs, registered agents, partnerships, and other business recipients throughout the county. When a business or agent has moved, skip tracing and address research may help identify a more useful next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can accept service for a corporation in California?

A corporation may commonly be served through its designated agent or one of the representatives listed in Code of Civil Procedure section 416.10, including specified officers, a general manager, or another person authorized to receive service. The proper recipient depends on the method and facts.

Who can accept service for an LLC in California?

The usual recipient is the individual or registered corporate agent designated in the LLC’s Secretary of State record. Corporations Code section 17701.16 and applicable Code of Civil Procedure provisions should be reviewed for other methods.

Can a receptionist accept papers for a company?

Possibly, when an authorized substituted-service rule applies and the receptionist is the person apparently in charge at the correct office. A receptionist is not automatically authorized merely because they work in the building. The required follow-up mailing must also be completed when using section 415.20(a).

Can a process server leave papers with security?

Not automatically. A security officer working for a building may have no authority for the tenant corporation or LLC. The server should determine the officer’s relationship to the correct office and document any access refusal.

Can you serve the owner of an LLC?

Ownership alone does not always make a member an authorized recipient for entity service. Check whether the owner is the designated agent, an authorized representative, or otherwise qualifies under the applicable law. Serving the LLC and serving the owner individually are separate questions.

Can a corporation be served by certified mail?

California section 415.30 allows a mail-and-acknowledgment method, but service is completed through the signed written acknowledgment, not tracking alone. Other jurisdictions, documents, or court orders may have different mail procedures.

What if the registered agent refuses to accept the papers?

Refusal to hold the packet may not defeat service if the correct recipient has been identified and the server uses a lawful refusal procedure. The encounter, statements, placement of documents, identity, and capacity should be documented carefully.

What if the registered agent cannot be found?

Recheck the current Secretary of State record, make strategically timed attempts, investigate reliable alternate locations, and preserve detailed reports. If authorized methods fail despite reasonable diligence, counsel may seek a court order for service through the Secretary of State under the applicable corporation or LLC statute.

Can the California Secretary of State accept service for any business?

No. The Secretary of State’s substituted-service procedure is not a walk-in alternative for every unsuccessful assignment. It generally requires a qualifying statute, proof of diligent attempts, and a court order directing service.

How much is the Secretary of State service fee?

As of September 2026, the California Secretary of State lists a $50 statutory fee for court-ordered substituted service on a business entity. Confirm the current fee and submission instructions before delivery.

When is office substituted service complete?

Under the version of Code of Civil Procedure section 415.20(a) operative in 2026, service is complete on the tenth day after the required first-class mailing. Confirm the operative version for service performed in 2027 or later.

Does serving a business also serve its owner?

No, not automatically. A company and its owner may be separate defendants. The owner may need a separate packet, separate service method, and separate Proof of Service.

What happens after the papers are served?

The server prepares the appropriate Proof of Service, returns it to the responsible party, and files it if filing was included in the assignment. The client should confirm that the proof appears on the court docket and calculate the next deadline from the legally correct completion date.

Official California Resources

• California Secretary of State: Service of Process
• Bizfile Online Business Search
• California Code of Civil Procedure § 416.10
• California Code of Civil Procedure § 415.30
• California Code of Civil Procedure § 412.30
• California Corporations Code § 1702
• California Corporations Code § 17701.16
• California Courts Form POS-010