Welcome to the State of California - Department of Corporations' website

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Welcome

Welcome to the World Wide Web site of the Department of Corporations, California’s Investment and Financing Authority. The Department licenses and regulates a variety of businesses that affect your life, including securities brokers and dealers, investment advisers and financial planners, and certain fiduciaries and lenders.  We also regulate the offer and sale of securities, franchises and off-exchange commodities. We hope you will find our site to be informative, interesting and helpful. Since we frequently add information to our web site, please come back regularly to see "What’s New".

DEPARTMENT CLOSURE INFORMATION: During the month of July 2009, all Department of Corporations offices will be closed on the 10th, 17th and 24th. All Department of Corporation Offices will be closed on the first, second and third fridays of the month beginning August 1, 2009. The closure is in connection with the Governor's Executive Order (S-13-09) that addresses the State's deficit and ongoing fiscal crisis.

Please review our website to obtain specific information pertaining to a license, information on the status of a pending application, information regarding our licensees, and any enforcement actions.  

Thank you for your patience.  

Thank you for stopping by and please feel free to let us know "How Are We Doing?"

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NOTE: Questions concerning the organization of corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, foreign (other state) corporations, qualifying or registering to do business in California, dissolutions, articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, current officers and directors, agents for service of process, and name availability should be addressed to the Business Programs Division of the California Secretary of State.

DEPARTMENT CLOSURE INFORMATION: During the month of July 2009, all Department of Corporations offices will be closed on the 10th, 17th and 24th. The closure is in connection with the Governor's Executive Order (S-13-09) that addresses the State's deficit and ongoing fiscal crisis.

  • 07/02/09 - **INTERNET ALERT – allproescrow@hotmail.com** - The Department of Corporations has been notified that unsolicited emails from the email address allproescrow@hotmail.com are being sent to consumers offering escrow services using the identity and contact information of All Pro Escrow Services, Inc., a licensed escrow company.   The Department recommends that should you receive an unsolicited email from this email address, or any other purported escrow company, that you verify the company’s legitimacy before proceeding. (Consumer Alerts)
  • 06/15/09 - The Department of Corporations has collected data from various mortgage loan servicers relating to loan modifications, forbearance plans, and foreclosures. The Commissioner has released results from the Department's survey - First Quarter 2009
  • 06/04/09 - **INTERNET ALERT – Onlesc.com** - The Department of Corporations has been notified that onlesc.com is offering escrow services over the internet without a valid escrow license.  Onlesc.com claims to hold license number 963-0771 and to be located at 11770 Bernardo Plaza Court, San Diego, California.  License number 963-0771 was previously issued to 1 Escrow Online, Inc., located at 11770 Bernardo Plaza Court, San Diego, California. Onlesc.com is not licensed to conduct escrows by the California Department of Corporations. (Consumer Alerts)
  • 06/03/09 - The application to apply for an exemption under the California Foreclosure Prevention Act (CFPA) is now available for download on our website.  Also available is a notice to servicers providing an overview of the new requirements and a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ's).
  • 06/01/09 - The California Foreclosure Prevention Act Emergency Regulations were filed with the Secretary of State. The law will become operative on June 15, 2009.
  • 06/01/09 - The California Corporations Commissioner is amending the proposed changes to Sections 260.004, 260.017.1, 260.101, 260.102.14, 260.165, 260.210, 260.211, 260.230.1, 260.231A, 260.236, 260.236.1, 260.237.2, 260.240, 260.241.3, 260.103.3, and 260.237.1 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations, originally published in the March 13, 2009 California Register (No. 2009, No. 11-Z).  The Commissioner proposes amending Section 260.165 of the Commissioner’s rules to provide that the consent to service of process under Corporations Code Section 25165 may be the consent included in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Form D, or any consent included in an electronic filing.  The period within which to comment on these amendments ends on June 17, 2009 (PRO 18/08)
  • 06/01/09 - The next Escrow Law Advisory Committee meeting will be on Tuesday June 9, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Department of Corporations' Los Angeles office located at 320 West Fourth Street, 7th floor conference room. (Agenda)
  • 05/22/09 - On May 21, 2009, the Commissioner filed Emergency Regulations under the California Foreclosure Prevention Act with the Office of Administrative Law.
  • 05/14/09 - The emergency regulations to clarify the application of Sections 2923.52 and 2923.53 of the Civil Code under the California Foreclosure Prevention Act (“CFPA”, Civil Code Sec. 2923.52 et seq.), as enacted by ABX2 7 (Lieu, Ch. 5, Stats. 2009) and ABX2 7 (Corbett, Ch. 4, Stats. 2009) during the second extraordinary legislative session are now available on the website.
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Multi-Department LookupCalifornia Real Estate and Financial Services License Information

The Department of Corporations, Department of Real Estate, the Office of Real Estate Appraisers and the Department Financial Institutions regulate most of the real estate financial services in California. Check the license records of all four departments at once.

Troops Against Predatory Scams Troops Against Predatory Scams

TAPS is a program administered by the California Department of Corporations that educates California's military troops on how to avoid becoming a victim of financial and investment fraud. TAPS also serves as the enforcement arm against financial fraud crimes by taking action against the predators targeting our troops.

Investigate Before You Invest Investigate Before You Invest

The Department of Corporations and the Department of Consumer Affairs have joined forces to expand the information they provide to consumers. The departments have gathered together links to important resources to help you investigate before investing your hard-earned money.

Seniors Against Investment Fraud Seniors Against Investment Fraud

The SAIF Program is a statewide outreach campaign under the California Department of Corporations. The primary purpose of SAIF is to alert and educate Californians over the age of 50 about investment and telemarketing fraud crimes and how to avoid being victimized by scam artists.