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

Right Column

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".

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

Information About

 

What's New

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.

  • 10/10//08 - The Department of Corporations will be closed on Monday, October 13, 2008 in observance of Columbus Day.
  • 10/03/08 - The California Corporations Commissioner proposes to amend Sections 260.101.2, 260.103.4, 260.105.7, 260.105.17, 260.105.33, 260.105.34, 260.217, 260.230, 260.241.4, and 260.242; and to repeal Sections 260.105.37 and 260.204.11 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations, to conform with changes in the names and function of certain national security exchanges, stock exchanges, markets and related entities.  The period within which to comment on this proposed regulatory action ends on November 24, 2008.  (PRO 10/08)
  • 09/10/2008- The next Escrow Law Advisory Committee meeting will be on Tuesday September 23, 2008 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)
  • 09/09/08 - 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 - July 2008.
  • 09/01/08 - The Department of Corporations will be closed on 9/1/08 in observance of Labor Day.
  • 08/25/08 - **INTERNET ALERT – Escrow-California.com** - The Department of Corporations has been notified that Escrow-California.com is offering escrow services over the internet and is falsely advertising that it is California Escrow Service, a valid escrow company that holds Department of Corporations license number 963-0188.  Escrow-California.com is not a website of California Escrow Service.  Escrow-California.com, which lists its office at 618 South Serrano Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California, is not licensed to conduct escrows by the California Department of Corporations. (Consumer Alerts)
  • 08/25/08 - **INTERNET ALERT – Expert Auto Deals** - The Department of Corporations has been notified that Expert Auto Deals (expert-auto-deals.com) is offering escrow services over the internet without a valid escrow license.  Expert Auto Deals, which lists offices at 904 Market Street, San Francisco, California and 1207 Stanley Road, Houston, Texas, is not licensed to conduct escrows by the California Department of Corporations. (Consumer Alerts)
  • 08/04/08 - 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 - June 2008.
  • 07/30/08 - **INTERNET ALERT – Vehicle Trade Deals ** - The Department of Corporations has been notified that Vehicle Trade Deals (vtr-deals.com) is offering escrow services over the internet and is falsely advertising that it holds Department of Corporations license 9181123, which is not a valid license number.  Vehicle Trade Deals, which lists offices at 58 Fleet Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and 145 Imlay Street, Brooklyn, New York, is not licensed to conduct escrows by the California Department of Corporations. (Consumer Alerts)
  • 07/29/08 - **INTERNET ALERT – Quick Vehicle Trade** - The Department of Corporations has been notified that Quick Vehicle Trade (quick-vehicle-trade.com) is offering escrow services over the internet and is falsely advertising that it holds Department of Corporations license 9101573, which is not a valid license number.  Quick Vehicle Trade, which lists offices at 904 Market Street, San Francisco, California and 1207 Stanley Road, Houston, Texas, is not licensed to conduct escrows by the California Department of Corporations. (Consumer Alerts)
  • 07/29/08 - SB 1137 (Perata - Chap. 69, Stats. 2008), signed by the Governor on July 8, 2008, requires persons foreclosing on real property to provide the residents of the property with notice that the property is subject to foreclosure sale.  (Civil Code section 2924.8.)  The notice must be provided in English, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Tagalog, and Spanish.  Pursuant to Civil Code section 2924.8(c), the following document contains translations of the notice in the languages required by that section: Notice to Residents of Foreclosed Property
  • 07/23/08 - ** Internet Alert – www.kcwfinancial.com** - The Department of Corporations has been notified that unknown individuals and entities are attempting to misappropriate the name of K. C. Ward Financial, a licensed broker-dealer. The web site www.kcwfinancial.com is falsely claiming to be the web site of K.C. Ward Financial, a licensed broker-dealer. The legitimate web site for K.C. Ward Financial is www.kcward.com. (Consumer Alerts)
  • Previously Posted What's New
 

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.