California · How do I start a business? · state model checked by Claude · quality 1.00
Generated by lexflow from the state statutes (open-us-law, government publisher text) and checked by Claude: every quoted phrase was matched word for word against the statute text, and the process passed the BPMN/DMN schemas, bpmnlint and a Petri-net soundness check. Information, not legal advice.
Governing law: Cal. CORP § 17702.01 — Section 17702.01
Decision table (DMN), hit policy FIRST.
| Lawful-purpose statement included (§ 17702.01 (b)(1)) | Name complies with § 17701.08 | Street address of initial principal office (and mailing address if different) given | Initial agent for service of process named, qualified under § 17701.13 (c) | If manager-managed, the articles say so (§ 17702.01 (b)(5)) | If managed by only one manager, the articles say so (§ 17702.01 (b)(6)) | Record captioned to describe its purpose, in a medium the Secretary of State permits (§ 17702.05 (a)) | Articles on the form prescribed by the Secretary of State (§ 17702.01 (a)) | Filing fees paid | → Articles comply | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| false | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | false | § 17702.01(b)(1) |
| - | false | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | false | § 17702.01(b)(2) |
| - | - | false | - | - | - | - | - | - | false | § 17702.01(b)(3) |
| - | - | - | false | - | - | - | - | - | false | § 17702.01(b)(4) |
| - | - | - | - | false | - | - | - | - | false | § 17702.01(b)(5) |
| - | - | - | - | - | false | - | - | - | false | § 17702.01(b)(6) |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | false | - | - | false | § 17702.05(a) |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | false | - | false | § 17702.01(a) |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | false | false | § 17702.05(a) |
| true | true | true | true | true | true | true | true | true | true | § 17702.05(a) |
Decision table (DMN), hit policy FIRST.
| Organized for a nonprofit or charitable purpose | Owners render a licensed professional service | Number of owners | Owners want protection from the business's debts | Plans to sell shares to outside investors | Some co-owners will be passive investors only | → Business structure | → What is filed, and where | → State filing fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| true | - | - | - | - | - | Nonprofit public benefit corporation | Articles of incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State (which makes the filed articles available to the Attorney General, § 5120 (d)); then a statement of information (Corp. Code § 6210, not printed here) | $30 for articles of incorporation not providing for shares (Gov. Code § 12186 (d)); $20 for each statement of information (Gov. Code § 12186 (g)) | § 5120(a) |
| false | true | - | true | - | - | Professional corporation, formed under the General Corporation Law, for professional services as defined in Corp. Code §§ 13401 (a) and 13401.3, which a California LLC may not render (§ 17701.04 (e)); other licensed services may use an LLC where the licensing law lets an LLC hold the licence (§ 17701.04 (b)) | Articles of incorporation stating that the corporation is a professional corporation, filed with the Secretary of State; then a certificate of registration from the agency that regulates the profession before rendering professional services (§ 13404), and a statement of information (Corp. Code § 1502, not printed here) | $100 for articles of incorporation providing for shares (Gov. Code § 12186 (c)); $20 for each statement of information (Gov. Code § 12186 (g)); the licensing agency's registration fee is set by the Business and Professions Code | § 13404 |
| false | - | - | true | true | - | Stock corporation (General Corporation Law) | Articles of incorporation, filed with the Secretary of State; the corporation exists from filing (§ 200 (c)); then a statement of information (Corp. Code § 1502, not printed here) | $100 for articles of incorporation providing for shares (Gov. Code § 12186 (c)); $20 for each statement of information (Gov. Code § 12186 (g)) | § 200(a) |
| false | - | >= 2 | true | - | true | Limited partnership (the certificate names each general partner, § 15902.01 (a)(4)) | Certificate of limited partnership, filed with the Secretary of State on its form and naming each general partner; the partners must also enter into a partnership agreement, before or after the filing (§ 15902.01 (a)). Filing the certificate obligates the partnership to pay an annual tax to the Franchise Tax Board (§ 15902.01 (g)) | $70 (Gov. Code § 12188 (b)); the annual Franchise Tax Board tax is set by Rev. & Tax. Code § 17935 (not printed here) | § 15902.01(a) |
| false | - | - | true | - | - | Limited liability company | Articles of organization, filed with the Secretary of State on its form; then a statement of information within 90 days after the filing (§ 17702.09 (a)); a fictitious business name statement with the county clerk if it trades under another name (Bus. & Prof. Code § 17910) | $70 for articles of organization (Gov. Code § 12190 (b)); $20 for the statement of information (§ 12190 (k)) | § 17702.01(a) |
| false | - | 1 | false | - | - | Sole proprietorship | No formation filing appears in the printed text; the only state filing is the fictitious business name statement, which an owner trading under a fictitious business name must file with the clerk of the county of the principal place of business (§ 17915) within 40 days of starting to trade (Bus. & Prof. Code § 17910 (a)) | None to form; $10 for a fictitious business name statement for the first name and owner, plus $2 for each additional name or owner filed on the same statement and doing business at the same location (Bus. & Prof. Code § 17929 (a)) | § 17910 |
| false | - | >= 2 | false | - | - | General partnership | No formation filing: two or more co-owners carrying on a business for profit form a partnership. A partnership trading under a fictitious business name must file a fictitious business name statement with the county clerk within 40 days of starting to trade (Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17910, 17915). Partnerships in certain professions may register as a registered limited liability partnership with the Secretary of State (Corp. Code § 16953, not printed here) | None to form; $10 for a fictitious business name statement for the first name and owner, plus $2 for each additional name or owner filed on the same statement and doing business at the same location (Bus. & Prof. Code § 17929 (a)) | § 16202(a) |
Found with CourtListener (Free Law Project): opinions in the state's appellate courts whose text cites these sections. Listed for research; not every citing case construes the section.