If you work in litigation, corporate law, or process serving in California, the name CT Corporation comes up constantly. CT Corporation System — officially filed as “C T Corporation System” with a space — is one of the two largest registered agent companies in the United States. But what exactly is CT Corporation, and why do so many companies use it?
This guide explains what CT Corporation does, who uses it, and what it means for anyone who needs to serve legal documents on a California corporation.
CT Corporation Is a Registered Agent
A registered agent is a company or individual designated by a corporation to receive legal documents — lawsuits, subpoenas, tax notices, and government correspondence — on the corporation’s behalf. California law requires every corporation doing business in the state to maintain a registered agent (also called an “agent for service of process”) with a physical address in California.
CT Corporation fills this role for hundreds of thousands of companies. When a corporation designates CT Corporation as its agent, any legal document directed at that corporation must be delivered to CT Corporation’s office.
A Subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer
CT Corporation is owned by Wolters Kluwer, a global information services and publishing company headquartered in the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer acquired CT Corporation along with other registered agent brands, including Prentice Hall Corporation System and National Registered Agents, Inc. (NRAI). This makes CT Corporation part of one of the largest registered agent operations in the world.
Why Do So Many Companies Use CT Corporation?
National coverage. CT Corporation maintains offices in all 50 states. For corporations that operate nationally, CT Corporation provides a single vendor that can serve as their registered agent everywhere they do business.
Compliance management. Beyond accepting legal documents, CT Corporation offers compliance monitoring, annual report filing, and entity management services. Large corporations with subsidiaries in multiple states rely on CT Corporation to keep their filings current.
Reputation and reliability. CT Corporation has been in business for over a century. Their offices are staffed by professionals who accept documents reliably and forward them promptly. For a Fortune 500 company, a missed service of process can lead to a default judgment — CT Corporation’s track record minimizes that risk.
Scale. CT Corporation represents an estimated 750,000+ entities in California alone. Nationally, the number exceeds three million. When nearly every Fortune 500 company uses the same registered agent, it becomes the industry standard.
Where Is CT Corporation in Sacramento?
CT Corporation’s Sacramento office is at 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1150, Sacramento, CA 95814. The office is on the 11th floor of the Plaza 555 building in downtown Sacramento. They accept service of process Monday through Friday during standard business hours, typically 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
CT Corporation also maintains a Southern California service of process address at 330 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 700, Glendale, CA 91203. Which office you serve depends on the address listed in the entity’s filing with the California Secretary of State.
CT Corporation vs CSC Lawyers Incorporating Service
The other major registered agent in California is CSC Lawyers Incorporating Service, located at 2710 Gateway Oaks Drive in Sacramento. CT Corporation and CSC each represent roughly 750,000+ California entities. The key differences for process servers: CT Corporation is downtown at 555 Capitol Mall and accepts service until 5:00 PM; CSC is at Gateway Oaks near I-80 and closes for service at 2:00 PM.
For a detailed comparison, see our guide: CT Corporation vs CSC Lawyers.
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