California LLC Statement of Information

A California LLC Statement of Information is an annual report that a limited liability company must submit to the Secretary of State biannually. The Statement of Information must be filed using LLC-12 (previously called LLC-12R) within 90 days of submitting the LLC Articles of Organization and every two years thereafter, even if no business has been conducted during the period in question. Form LLC-12 provides public information about the business and is required for all LLCs that do business in California, regardless of their home location.

The filing period for this document includes the month in which the LLC was created and the five previous months. For example, an LLC that submitted its Articles of Organization on July 15, 2017, will have to file Form LLC-12 between February 1 and July 31, 2019. Companies that fail to file during this period are subject to a $250 penalty and suspension of the right to do business in the state. If you expect you won't be able to file on time, you can submit Form PRD-1 within 30 days of receiving your first late warning to request a waiver of the late filing penalty. This official legal document requires a thorough explanation of your reasons for the late filing along with an original signature.

If you haven't filed Form LLC-12, you can check whether your status is suspended with the Secretary of State business search. If your LLC is suspended or forfeited, you must contact the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) either online or by phone.

How to Complete the Statement of Information

Any LLC member or employee who has been approved by the company to do so can complete Form LLC-12. If your information has not changed since the last submission, check the box under No Change Statement. If this is your first filing or you have changes to make, complete the form as follows:

  • Enter the official business name on record with the state in Item 1.
  • Enter the official state LLC number in Item 2.
  • Enter the state where the LLC was formed in Item 3.
  • If no information has changed since the last filing, check the box in Item 4 and skip ahead to Item 15. 
  • In Item 5, enter the full address of the LLC's main executive office, with no city abbreviations or PO Boxes permitted. 
  • If the mailing address is different than the office address, enter it in its entirety in Item 6. 
  • If the LLC was formed in California, enter the state mailing address in Item 7.
  • Enter the CEO's complete mailing address (residential or business) in Item 8.
  • In Items 9 to 11, enter the names and business addresses of all appointed or elected managers, or the LLC members if it has no managers. You can attach additional pages to complete this section if necessary.
  • In Item 12, enter the name of the agent for service of process. This person is a California resident who has agreed to accept legal papers, including lawsuits, on behalf of the LLC. It can be an individual or corporation that has registered with the Secretary of State, but an LLC is not permitted to act as its own agent. 
  • If the agent is an individual, complete Item 13 only with the person's California business or residential address. If the agent is a corporation, complete Item 14 only. with a description of the business.
  • In Item 15, enter the name of the individual who completed the form and the date. 

How to File the Statement of Information

You can mail Form LLC-12 to the Secretary of State office, Statement of Information Unit, P.O. Box 944230, Sacramento, CA 94244-2300. To receive a receipt for your submission, send a check for $1 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page, along with a return receipt request and a self-addressed stamped envelope. You can include one extra copy to be endorsed and filed for free; additional enclosed copies can be certified at a cost of $8 each.

You can download the form directly from the Secretary of State website. Processing time is typically a few weeks. You can also submit the form in person at 1500 11th Street, Sacramento. You can opt to either pick up your receipt or have it mailed. With either method of submission, you must enclose a check or money order for $20 payable to the Secretary of State. 

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