California Secretary of State

What California Secretary of State does

The California Secretary of State is a constitutional state government office established in 1850 when California achieved statehood. Headquartered in Sacramento, the office administers statewide elections, manages voter registration systems, and oversees the integrity of California's electoral process. It also serves as the custodian of official state records, including business entity filings, notary public commissions, and the California Archives.

The office's core product offerings include business entity formation and registration services (corporate filings, LLC formations, partnership registrations) and business entity document services (certificates of status, certificates of filing, document retrieval). These services are delivered through the CA.gov state portal and physical office locations, with supporting technology infrastructure managed by the California Department of Technology (CDT). The office also regulates notaries public, maintains the state flag and seal, and administers campaign finance disclosure.

The office is funded through state tax revenue and legislative appropriations, with certain services generating fees set by state statute (business filings, notary commissions, vital records). The current Secretary of State is Shirley Weber, who succeeded Alex Padilla following his appointment to the U.S. Senate. The office is currently engaged in a federal legal matter involving a DOJ lawsuit seeking access to California's voter rolls, which was dismissed at the district court level and is under appeal at the Ninth Circuit.

Name

California Secretary of State

Legal name

California Secretary of State

Website

https://ca.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The California Secretary of State is a constitutional state office administering elections, business filings, notaries, and public records for California's ~39 million residents and businesses. Services are delivered via the CA.gov portal and operated under state legislative authority.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Government Administration Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (9211), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921)

akta.pro primary industry

Governor/Executive Office & Cabinet Administration (BPAIABAA)

Keywords

• Election administration
• Business filings
• Public records
• Voter registration
• Notary commission

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The California Secretary of State is a constitutional state government office that administers statewide elections, processes and maintains business entity filings and registrations (corporations, LLCs, partnerships), commissions notaries public, preserves the California Archives, and oversees campaign and lobbyist disclosure for the State of California. Services are delivered through the CA.gov digital portal and physical offices in compliance with California Government Code.

Product overview

The California Secretary of State provides core business filing and registration services for entities operating in California. The primary offerings include business entity formation and registration through the Secretary of State's office, and the retrieval of business entity documents and certificates. These services are delivered through the Secretary of State's website as part of the CA.gov state portal ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Entity Filing and Registration Core statutory service for forming, registering, and managing California business entities including corporate filings, LLC formations, and partnership registrations, delivered through the Secretary of State's office and the CA.gov state portal.
• Business Entity Document Services Service for obtaining copies of filed business entity documents, certificates of status, and certificates of filing from the California Secretary of State for use by California businesses, attorneys, and the public.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Florida Department of State: Florida's chief state office for elections, business filings, and records administration. Directly comparable in role, scope of statutory authority, and service portfolio to the California Secretary of State.
• Illinois Secretary of State: Illinois's chief state officer for business filings, vehicle services, and official records. Comparable in role to California, particularly on the business entity registration and records administration side.
• Pennsylvania Department of State: Pennsylvania's state department responsible for elections administration, professional licensing, and corporate filings. Comparable in scale and function to the California Secretary of State.
• Oregon Secretary of State: Oregon's independently elected state officer with constitutional authority over elections, business filings, and the state archives. Closely comparable to California as a state constitutional office with overlapping functional scope including archives administration.
• Ohio Secretary of State: Ohio's chief state officer for elections, business filings, and the state archives. Directly comparable as an elected state constitutional office administering business filings and statewide elections.
• Nevada Secretary of State: Nevada's chief state officer for business entity filings, elections, and official records. Directly comparable to California in administering statewide business registrations and election oversight.
• New York Department of State: New York's state department responsible for business filings, records, and licensing oversight. Directly comparable as a state-level office performing business entity registration and records administration functions similar to California.
• Washington Secretary of State: Washington's chief state office for elections, business filings, and the state archives. Directly comparable to California in administering business entity registration, voter registration, and statewide archives.
• Texas Secretary of State: Texas's chief state officer for elections, business filings, and official records. Directly comparable to the California Secretary of State as a state-level constitutional office administering business entity registration, voter rolls, and statewide elections.
• Delaware Department of State — Division of Corporations: Delaware's state authority responsible for corporate filings and business entity registration. Highly relevant peer for the California Secretary of State's business entity filing and registration functions, especially given Delaware's prominence as a corporate domicile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/office-of-california-secretary-of-state-alex-padilla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Secretary of State