Section 21903 - Special Handling Fees(a) Special Handling Services: Any Customer may submit one or more service requests or documents for processing with special handling service. Unless otherwise specified in this Section, special handling services apply only to service requests or documents submitted in person at the Secretary of State's Sacramento public counter, provided however, at the discretion of the Secretary of State, some special handling services may be made available at Secretary of State regional office public counters.(b) Special handling service includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:(1) the review, filing and the preparation of certified copies of a document submitted for filing in priority to documents submitted by mail;(2) responses to requests for certificates, certified copies of documents filed, and uncertified copies of documents filed in priority to requests submitted by mail;(3) written or in-person requests concerning the status or name-availability of a corporation or other business entity;(4) except when prohibited by statute, relay of status or name availability information through the Secretary of State's telephone service.(c) The special handling fee shall be remitted at the time of submission. Fees for special handling services shall be in addition to any applicable filing fees, and shall be $15 per service request or document submitted for processing, unless denoted below: (1) Merger filing - $15 per transaction, regardless of the number of constituent corporations or other business entities;(2) Requests for certificates and for a certified or uncertified copy of a document for corporations or other business entities - $10 per entity;(3) Name reservation requests - $10 per name;(4) Notaries public certificates and certified and uncertified copy requests - $6 per document;(5) UCC lien filings, certificates and copy requests - $6 per document;(6) Trademark/service mark certified and uncertified copy requests - $6 per mark;(7) Certificates of official character (authentication of a public official's signature) - $6 per certificate;(d) If a special handling fee is charged with respect to documents submitted for processing or the authentication of a public official's signature, a separate special handling fee shall not be charged for concurrent special handling for additional simultaneously submitted authentication requests for the same public official.(e) There shall be no special handling fee for the submission for processing of statements of information by corporations or limited liability companies, or for any filing which is exempt pursuant to Government Code section 6103.(f) "Customer" is a customer of the Secretary of State and includes, but is not limited to, a principal, agent, messenger or attorney.(g) "Other business entity" includes, but is not limited to, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability limited partnership (foreign only), limited liability company, business trust, real estate investment trust or an unincorporated association.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 2, § 21903
1. Renumbering of former section 21904 to new section 21903, including amendment of NOTE, filed 8-29-2000; operative 9-28-2000 (Register 2000, No. 35).
2. Amendment filed 8-8-2008; operative 9-7-2008 (Register 2008, No. 32).
3. Amendment of subsection (c), repealer of subsection (c)(11) and amendment of subsections (d)-(e) filed 7-11-2011; operative 8-10-2011 (Register 2011, No. 28).
4. Amendment of subsections (b)(1)-(2) filed 9-13-2018; operative 9-15-2018 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2018, No. 37).
5. Amendment of subsections (c)(3) and (c)(7), repealer of subsections (c)(8)-(10) and amendment of subsection (d) filed 3-30-2022; operative 4-7-2022 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2022, No. 13). Note: Authority cited: Section 12182, Government Code. Reference: Section 12182, Government Code.
1. Renumbering of former section 21904 to new section 21903, including amendment of Note, filed 8-29-2000; operative 9-28-2000 (Register 2000, No. 35).
2. Amendment filed 8-8-2008; operative 9-7-2008 (Register 2008, No. 32).
3. Amendment of subsection (c), repealer of subsection (c)(11) and amendment of subsections (d)-(e) filed 7-11-2011; operative 8-10-2011 (Register 2011, No. 28).
4. Amendment of subsections (b)(1)-(2) filed 9-13-2018; operative 9/15/2018 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2018, No. 37).
5. Amendment of subsections (c)(3) and (c)(7), repealer of subsections (c)(8)-(10) and amendment of subsection (d) filed 3-30-2022; operative 4/7/2022 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2022, No. 13).