CHAPTER 2. Administration [28100. - 28111.]

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP 2.

in effect

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28100. Section 28100.

The commissioner shall administer and enforce the provisions of this division in a manner that facilitates the legislative purposes set forth in Section 28004, consistent with protection of investors.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28101. Section 28101.

Whenever the commissioner issues an order or license under this division, the commissioner may impose any conditions that are in his or her opinion necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this division.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28102. Section 28102.

Any application filed with the commissioner under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division shall be in a form, shall contain information, shall be signed in a manner, and shall be verified in a manner, that the commissioner may by regulation or order require.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28103. Section 28103.

In determining whether to approve any application filed under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, the commissioner may consider proposals made by the applicant, including, but not limited to, proposals to appoint officers, sell securities, obtain financing, or purchase securities of small business firms, and, if in the opinion of the commissioner it is probable that the applicant will be able to implement the proposal, the commissioner may make findings on the basis of the proposal. However, whenever the commissioner approves an application on the basis, in whole or in part, of a proposal made by the applicant, the commissioner shall impose upon the approval appropriate conditions requiring that the applicant implement the proposal within a period of time specified by the commissioner.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28104. Section 28104.

(a) The commissioner may do both of the following: (1) Make public or private investigations within or outside this state that he or she deems necessary to determine whether to approve any application filed under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, to determine whether any person has violated or may violate any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division, to aid in the enforcement of any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division, or to aid in the issuing of regulations or orders under this division. (2) Publish information concerning any violation of any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division. (b) For purposes of any investigation, examination, or other proceeding under this division, the commissioner may administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, or other documents or records that the commissioner deems relevant or material to the inquiry. (c) In case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a subpoena issued to, any person, the superior court, upon application by the commissioner, may issue to the person an order requiring him or her to appear before the commissioner, and to produce documentary evidence, if so ordered, or to give evidence relevant to the matter under investigation or in question. Failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28105. Section 28105.

The commissioner may provide information relating to a licensee or any parent or subsidiary of the licensee to, or receive information relating to a licensee or any parent or subsidiary of the licensee from, any governmental agency.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28106. Section 28106.

If the commissioner permits any licensee, any affiliate of the licensee, or any governmental agency to inspect or make copies of any record relating to the licensee or to any director, officer, employee, or affiliate of the licensee, or if the commissioner provides the record, or a copy thereof, to any of those persons, Section 7922.000 of the Government Code, subdivision (a) of Section 7922.540 of the Government Code, and each provision listed in Section 7920.505 of the Government Code shall continue to apply to the record to the extent that these provisions applied to the record prior to that action by the commissioner.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28107. Section 28107.

The commissioner may refer any evidence available concerning any violation of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division that constitutes a crime to the district attorney of the county in which the violation occurred, who may, with or without that reference, institute appropriate criminal proceedings.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28108. Section 28108.

Before any applicant for a license is issued a license, the applicant and each parent and subsidiary of the applicant shall file, and each person that becomes a parent or subsidiary of a licensee shall file, not less than 30 days after becoming a parent or subsidiary of the licensee, with the commissioner, in the form the commissioner may by regulation or order require, an irrevocable consent appointing the commissioner to be the person’s attorney-in-fact to receive service of any lawful process in any noncriminal judicial or administrative proceeding against the person, or the person’s successor, executor, or administrator, which arises under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division after the consent has been filed, with the same force and validity as if served personally on the person. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process at any office of the commissioner, but the service is not effective unless (a) the party making the service, who may be the commissioner, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the person served at the person’s last address on file with the commissioner, and (b) an affidavit of compliance with this section by the party making service is filed on or before the return date, if any, or within that further time as the court, in the case of a judicial proceeding, or the administrative agency, in the case of an administrative proceeding, allows.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28109. Section 28109.

Whenever any person, including any nonresident of this state, engages in conduct prohibited or made actionable by this division or by any regulation or order issued under this division, whether or not the person has filed a consent to service of process under Section 28108, and if personal jurisdiction over the person cannot otherwise be obtained in this state, that conduct shall be considered equivalent to the person’s appointment of the commissioner to be the person’s attorney-in-fact to receive service of any lawful process in any noncriminal judicial or administrative proceeding against the person or the person’s successor, executor, or administrator, which grows out of that conduct and which is brought under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, with the same force and validity as if served on the person personally. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process in any office of the commissioner, but the service is not effective unless (a) the party making the service, who may be the commissioner, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the person served at the person’s last known address or takes other steps which are reasonably calculated to give actual notice, and (b) an affidavit of compliance with this section by the party making service is filed in the case on or before the return date, if any, or within that further time as the court, in the case of a judicial proceeding, or the administrative agency, in the case of an administrative proceeding, allows.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28110. Section 28110.

(a) Fees shall be paid to, and collected by, the commissioner, as follows: (1) The fee for filing with the commissioner an application for a license shall be no greater than two thousand dollars ($2,000). (2) The fee for filing with the commissioner an application for approval to acquire control of a licensee shall be no greater than one thousand dollars ($1,000). (3) The fee for filing with the commissioner an application for approval for a licensee to merge with another company, an application for approval for a licensee to purchase all or substantially all of the business of another person, or an application for approval for a licensee to sell all or substantially all of its business or of the business of any of its offices to another licensee, shall be no greater than one thousand dollars ($1,000). However, whenever two or more applications relating to the same merger, purchase, or sale are filed with the commissioner, the fee for filing each application shall be the quotient determined by dividing one thousand dollars ($1,000) by the number of the applications. (4) Whenever the commissioner examines, audits, or investigates any licensee or any affiliate of a licensee, that licensee shall pay, within 10 days after receipt of a statement from the commissioner, a fee that equals the amount of the salary or other compensation paid to the persons making the examination, audit, or investigation plus the amount of expenses, including overhead, reasonably incurred in the performance of the work. The licensee shall be given a preliminary estimate of the fee before the commissioner commences an examination, audit, or investigation. In determining the costs associated with an examination, audit, or investigation, the commissioner may use the estimated average hourly cost for all departmental persons performing examinations, audits, or investigations for the fiscal year. (b) (1) Each fee for filing an application with the commissioner shall be paid at the time the application is filed with the commissioner. (2) No fee for filing an application with the commissioner shall be refundable, regardless of whether the application is approved, denied, withdrawn, or abandoned. (c) All fees charged and collected under this section shall be transmitted to the Treasurer at least weekly, accompanied by a detailed statement therefor, and shall be credited to the State Corporations Fund.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 28111. Section 28111.

(a) If a licensee becomes licensed as a small business investment company and is subject to regulation by the Small Business Administration under the federal Small Business Investment Act of 1958, the commissioner may by rule or order provide that a licensee in compliance with those federal regulations shall be deemed to be in compliance with the regulatory requirements under this division except those provisions required to exempt licensees from regulation under the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, and the provisions of Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 28550), Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 28600), Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 28650), Chapter 11 (commencing with Section 28700), Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 28800), Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 28900), and Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 28950). (b) A violation by a licensee of any regulation promulgated by the Small Business Administration that the commissioner has by rule or order deemed to be consistent with the regulatory requirements under this division shall constitute a violation of this division. The commissioner shall have all of the powers granted in this division to enforce those federal regulations against a licensee.

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