Welcome

Welcome to the World Wide Web site of the Department of Corporations. The Department provides protections to consumers, and services to businesses, engaged in financial transactions. We also license and regulate a variety of businesses, including securities brokers and dealers, investment advisers and financial planners, and certain fiduciaries and lenders.  The Department regulates 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: The Department will be closed on the following dates: January 1st (New Years Day) and January 18th (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and January 8th, 15th and 22nd (furloughs) . 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 stopping by and please feel free to let us know "How Are We Doing?"

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.

DEPARTMENT CLOSURE INFORMATION: he Department will be closed on the following dates: January 1st (New Years Day) and January 18th (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and January 8th, 15th and 22nd (furloughs) . The closure is in connection with the Governor's Executive Order (S-13-09) that addresses the State's deficit and ongoing fiscal crisis. The Department will also be closed on December 25th.

  • 01/01/10 - The California Department of Corporations will begin using the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System (NMLS) starting January 4, 2010.  NMLS, developed through the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR), will allow companies to conveniently manage their mortgage license(s) in an electronic format through a secure website. For your convenience, we have included a link to NMLS below.
  • 12/24/09 - The Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLS) will hold its 2nd Annual NMLS Users Conference and Training, February 9 – 11, 2010 in San Diego, California.  The agenda for the conference is as follows: NMLS User Conference Agenda Registration information can be found on the NMLS Resource Center website at www.nationwidelicensingsystem.org.  You are encouraged to register and make your room reservations right away.
  • 12/07/09 - The California Corporations Commissioner proposes to adopt rules entitled, “The California Foreclosure Prevention Act.”  The proposed regulatory action clarifies the application of Civil Code Sections 2923.52 and 2923.53 under the California Foreclosure Prevention Act.  The proposed rules were adopted as emergency regulations on June 1, 2009, and in this rulemaking action the Commissioner proposes to permanently adopt Subchapter 14, Article I, Sections 2031.1, 2031.2, 2031.3, 2031.4, 2031.5, and 2031.6; Article II, Sections 2031.7 and 2031.8; Article III, Section 2031.9; and Article IV, Section 2031.10 to Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.  The period within which to comment on this proposed regulatory action ends on January 25, 2010.  PRO 05/09
  • 11/24/09 - The Department has prepared information and guidelines that were mailed to all CRMLA and CFLL licensees regarding the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System, (NMLS), the Transition Plans for current licensees onto NMLS and the licensing requirements for Mortgage Loan Originators
  • 11/23/09 - The next Escrow Law Advisory Committee meeting will be on Tuesday December 8, 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)
  • 11/17/09 - The California Corporations Commissioner will file with the Office of Administrative Law the readoption of emergency regulations implementing the California Foreclosure Prevention Act on November 24, 2009.  (PRO 05/09)
  • 11/17/09 - The California Corporations Commissioner adopted amendments to Sections 260.101.2, 260.103.4, 260.105.7, 260.105.17, 260.105.33, 260.105.34, 260.211.1, 260.217, 260.230, 260.241.4, and 260.242; and repealed Sections 260.105.37 and 260.204.11 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations, to conform the language of the regulations with recent changes in the names and functions of certain national security exchanges, stock exchanges, markets, and related entities.  These amendments were filed with the Secretary of State on November 10, 2009 and become effective on December 10, 2009.  (PRO 10/08)
  • 11/16/09 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 January through August 2009
  • Previously Posted What's New
  • Previously Posted - Archives
 

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.

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.

NMLS
NMLS, developed through the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR), will allow companies to conveniently manage their mortgage license(s) in an electronic format through a secure website. 

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.