ARTICLE 2. Selection, Removal and Resignation of Directors [12360. - 12364.]

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP 2.

in effect

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12360. Section 12360.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (d), directors shall be elected for terms of not longer than four years, as fixed in the articles or bylaws. In the absence of any provision in the articles or bylaws, the terms shall be one year. No amendment of the articles or bylaws may extend the term of a director beyond that for which the director was elected, nor may any bylaw provision increasing the terms of directors be adopted without approval of the members. (b) Unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy, shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected and until a successor has been elected and qualified, unless the director has been removed from office. (c) The articles or bylaws may prescribe requirements for eligibility for election as a director. (d) For the purposes of this subdivision, “designator” means one or more designators. Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, all or any portion of the directors authorized in the articles or bylaws of a corporation may hold office by virtue of designation or selection by a specified designator as provided by the articles or bylaws rather than by election. Those directors shall continue in office for the term prescribed by the governing article or bylaw provision, or, if there is no term prescribed, until the governing article or bylaw provision is duly amended or repealed, except as provided in subdivision (f) of Section 12362. A bylaw provision authorized by this subdivision may be adopted, amended, or repealed only by approval of the members (Section 12224), except as provided in subdivision (d) of Section 12330. Unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, the entitlement to designate or select a director or directors shall cease if any of the following circumstances exist: (1) The specified designator of that director or directors has died or ceased to exist. (2) If the entitlement of the specified designator of that director or directors to designate is in the capacity of an officer, trustee, or other status and the office, trust, or status has ceased to exist. (e) If a corporation has not issued memberships and (1) all the directors resign, die, or become incompetent, or (2) a corporation’s initial directors have not been named in the articles and all incorporators resign, die, or become incompetent before the election of the initial directors, the superior court of any county may appoint directors of the corporation upon application by any party in interest. (f) If authorized in the articles or bylaws of a corporation, all or any portion of the directors may hold office ex officio by virtue of occupying a specified position within the corporation or outside the corporation. The term of office of an ex officio director shall coincide with that director’s respective term of office in the specified position entitling him or her to serve on the board of directors. Upon an ex officio director’s resignation or removal from that position, or resignation or removal from the board for any reason, the term of office as a director of the corporation shall immediately cease. At that time, the successor in office shall become an ex officio director of the corporation, occupying the place of the former director.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12361. Section 12361.

The board may declare vacant the office of a director whose eligibility for election as a director has ceased, or who has been declared of unsound mind by a final order of court, or convicted of a felony, or, if at the time a director is elected, the bylaws provide that a director may be removed for missing a specified number of board meetings, fails to attend the specified number of meetings.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12362. Section 12362.

(a) Subject to subdivisions (b), (c) and (g), any or all directors may be removed without cause if one of the following applies: (1) In a corporation with fewer than 50 members, the removal is approved by a majority of all members (Section 12223). (2) In a corporation with 50 or more members, the removal is approved by the members (Section 12224). (b) In a corporation in which the articles or bylaws authorize members to cumulate their votes pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 12485, no director may be removed (unless the entire board is removed) when the votes cast against removal, or not consenting in writing to the removal, would be sufficient to elect the director if voted cumulatively at an election at which the same total number of votes were cast (or, if the action is taken by written ballot, all memberships entitled to vote were voted) and the entire number of directors authorized at the time of the director’s most recent election were then being elected; and (c) When by the provisions of the articles or bylaws the members of any class, voting as a class, are entitled to elect one or more directors, any director so elected may be removed only by the applicable vote of the members of that class. (d) Any reduction of the authorized number of directors or any amendment reducing the number of class of directors does not remove any director prior to the expiration of the director’s term of office, unless the reduction or amendment also provides for removal of one or more specified directors. (e) Except as provided in this section and Sections 12361 and 12363, a director may not be removed prior to the expiration of the director’s term of office. (f) Where a director removed under this section or Section 12361 or 12363 was chosen by designation pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 12360, then: (1) Where a different person may be designated pursuant to the governing article or bylaw provision, the new designation shall be made; or (2) Where the governing article or bylaw provision contains no provision under which a different person may be designated, the governing article or bylaw provision shall be deemed repealed. (g) For the purposes of this subdivision, “designator” means one or more designators. If by the provisions of the articles or bylaws a designator is entitled to designate one or more directors, then: (1) Unless as otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws at the time of designation, any director so designated may be removed without cause by the designator of that director. (2) Any director so designated may only be removed under subdivision (a) with the written consent of the designator of that director. (3) Unless as otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, the right to remove shall not apply if any of the following circumstances exist: (A) The designator entitled to that right has died or ceased to exist. (B) If that right is in the capacity of an officer, trustee, or other status, and the office, trust, or status has ceased to exist.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12363. Section 12363.

The superior court of the proper county may, at the suit of a director, or members possessing 5 percent of the voting power, remove from office any director in case of fraudulent or dishonest acts or gross abuse of authority or discretion with reference to the corporation and may bar from reelection any director so removed for a period prescribed by the court. The corporation shall be made a party to such action.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 12364. Section 12364.

(a) Unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws and except for a vacancy created by the removal of a director, vacancies on the board may be filled by approval of the board (Section 12222) or, if the number of directors then in office is less than a quorum, by (1) the unanimous written consent of the directors then in office, (2) the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office at a meeting held pursuant to notice or waivers of notice complying with Section 12351, or (3) a sole remaining director. Unless the articles or a bylaw approved by the members (Section 12224) provide that the board may fill vacancies occurring in the board by reason of the removal of directors, such vacancies may be filled only by approval of the members (Section 12224). (b) The members may elect a director at any time to fill any vacancy not filled by the directors. (c) Any director may resign effective upon giving written notice to the chairperson of the board, the president, the secretary, or the board of directors of the corporation, unless the notice specifies a later time for the effectiveness of such resignation. If the resignation is effective at a future time, a successor may be elected to take office when the resignation becomes effective.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026