If you have ever searched for a company’s registered agent on the California Secretary of State website and seen “Prentice Hall Corporation System” or “The Prentice-Hall Corporation System, Inc.” listed as the agent for service of process, you may have wondered: who is Prentice Hall, and where do I serve them?
The short answer: Prentice Hall Corporation System is now part of CT Corporation. Service goes to CT Corporation’s office. Here is the full story and what it means for process servers.
The History
Prentice Hall Corporation System was one of the original registered agent companies in the United States. For decades, thousands of corporations designated Prentice Hall as their agent for service of process in California and other states. The name appeared on Secretary of State filings across the country.
Wolters Kluwer, the global information services company, acquired Prentice Hall Corporation System as part of its strategy to consolidate the registered agent industry. Wolters Kluwer also owns CT Corporation System. After the acquisition, Prentice Hall’s operations were merged into CT Corporation.
What This Means for Service of Process
If an entity’s filing lists Prentice Hall Corporation System as the registered agent, service is now accepted at the CT Corporation office. In Sacramento, that means 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1150. The CT Corporation staff at this location accept documents for entities that originally designated Prentice Hall.
You do not need to find a separate Prentice Hall office — it no longer exists as an independent operation. CT Corporation handles everything.
How to Confirm Before Serving
While Prentice Hall entities generally route to CT Corporation, it is always best practice to verify the current registered agent before serving. Companies may have updated their filing to reflect the CT Corporation name, or they may have switched to an entirely different agent.
Search the California Secretary of State’s business database at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov. Look up the entity name and check the current agent for service of process designation. If it still says Prentice Hall, serve at the CT Corporation office. If it has been updated to CT Corporation, the same office applies. If a different agent is listed, serve at that agent’s address instead.
Other Wolters Kluwer Brands
Prentice Hall is not the only registered agent brand that Wolters Kluwer merged into CT Corporation. National Registered Agents, Inc. (NRAI) is also under the Wolters Kluwer umbrella. Some older filings may list NRAI as the agent. The same principle applies: check the current filing and serve at the appropriate CT Corporation office if NRAI is still listed.
Sacramento Service Details
CT Corporation’s Sacramento office at 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 1150 is on the 11th floor of the Plaza 555 building in downtown Sacramento. They accept service Monday through Friday during standard business hours, typically 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We serve this office regularly and are familiar with the building, the suite, and the staff.
For more details on the CT Corporation Sacramento office, see our pillar guide to serving CT Corporation in Sacramento.
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