ARTICLE 2. Selection, Removal and Resignation of Directors [9220. - 9226.]

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP 2.
in effect

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 9220. Section 9220.

(a) The articles or bylaws may provide for the tenure, election, selection, designation, removal, and resignation of directors. (b) In the absence of any provision in the articles or bylaws, the term of directors shall be one year. (c) Unless the articles or bylaws otherwise provide, 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. (d) 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. (e) 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 § 9221. Section 9221.

(a) The board may declare vacant the office of a director 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. (b) As provided in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 9151, the articles or bylaws may prescribe the qualifications of the directors. Unless otherwise provided by the articles or bylaws, the board, by a majority vote of the directors who meet all of the required qualifications to be a director, may declare vacant the office of any director who fails or ceases to meet any required qualification that was in effect at the beginning of that director’s current term of office.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 9222. Section 9222.

(a) Except as provided in the articles or bylaws and subject to subdivision (b) of this section, any or all directors may be removed without cause if the removal is approved by the members (Section 5034). (b) Except for a corporation having no members pursuant to Section 9310: (1) 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. (2) When by the provisions of the articles or bylaws the members within a chapter or other organizational unit, or region or other geographic grouping, voting as such, are entitled to elect one or more directors, any director so elected may be removed only by the applicable vote of the members within the organizational unit or geographic grouping. (c) Any reduction of the authorized number of directors or any amendment reducing the number of classes of directors does not remove any director prior to the expiration of the director’s term of office, unless the reduction or the amendment also provides for the removal of one or more specified directors.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 9223. Section 9223.

(a) The superior court of the proper county may, at the suit of a director, or twice the authorized number (Section 5036) of members, remove from office any director in case of fraudulent acts 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. (b) The Attorney General may bring an action under subdivision (a), may intervene in such an action brought by any other party and shall be given notice of any such action brought by any other party.

Cal. Corporations Code - CORP § 9224. Section 9224.

(a) Unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws and except for a vacancy created by the removal of a director by the members, vacancies on the board may be filled by approval of the board (Section 5032) 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 9211, or (3) a sole remaining director. (b) Subject to any provision in the articles or bylaws, 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

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