Required Officers – California Corporations are Unique

Officers conduct a corporation’s day-to-day business. Among the states, California law is unique in its set of required officers.

California Corporations Code Section 312(a) states that each California corporation must have:

• A chairman of the board or a president or both;
• A secretary; and
• A chief financial officer.

Additional officers are optional.

That Code section also provides that the president is the chief executive officer of the corporation, unless the articles of incorporation or the bylaws state otherwise.

Other states typically take an approach similar to that specified in Delaware General Corporation Law Section 142 (emphasis added):

Every corporation organized under this chapter shall have such officers with such titles and duties as shall be stated in the bylaws or in a resolution of the board of directors which is not inconsistent with the bylaws and as may be necessary to enable it to sign instruments and stock certificates….

So if you form a California corporation, make sure that the directors elect the required officers specified by California law.

Related post: Corporate Officers in California Need to Be More Careful than Directors

Photo credit: Amazon

Dana H. Shultz, Attorney at Law  +1 510-547-0545  dana [at] danashultz [dot] com
This blog does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact a lawyer directly.