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Professional Registrations
Professional Registrations are filed with the County Clerk and serve to make available to the public the registration of any person or entity who provides these services for compensation. Each registration is valid for a 2-year term, or it expires on the date of the bond, whichever comes first, or if the number of employees surpasses the posted bond amount.
- Process Server
- Professional Registration
- Legal Document Assistant
- Unlawful Detainer Assistant
See the specific requirements for each type of registration and the steps to file them below.
Business & Professions Code 22350-22360
Who Must Register
- Individuals must be file with the County Clerk of the county in which he or she resides or where the principal place of business is located if that person makes more than 10 services of process within this state during one calendar year for specific or in expectation of specific compensation which is directly attributable to the service of process.
- A corporation or partnership must register as a process server with the county clerk of the county where its principal place of business is located if they derive or expects to derive compensation from service of process within this state.
Positions Exempt from Registration
- Sheriff
- Marshal
- Government employee acting in the scope of his or her employment
- Attorney
- Court appointee
- Licensed private investigator or their employees.
To Register
Submit the completed forms to the County Clerk.
- Choose and complete applicable registration form:
- To secure a $2,000 Registration Bond, contact a bonding company, or alternatively, you can submit cash instead of a bond to the County Clerk.
- Live Scan Fingerprinting is required for first-time applicants.
- Print and complete Request for Live Scan Service Form (PDF) and take to your appointment with a Live Scan Operator, visit the Attorney General's Website for more information.
- Pay Professional Registration Fees, see Payment Methods (PDF) for details.
- Individual registrations are issued an identification card including a picture and electronic signature collected at our service counter.
Business & Professions Code 22450-22463
Who Must Register
Any person or entity who for compensation obtains or reproduces authorized documents. A professional photocopier shall be registered by the county clerk of the county in which he or she resides or has his or her principal place of business, and in which he or she maintains a branch office.
Positions Exempt from Registration
- A government employee who is acting in the course of his or her employment.
- A member of the State Bar or his or her employees, agents, or independent contractors.
- Any person who is specially appointed by the court to obtain or reproduce in order to transmit or distribute those records.
- An employee or agent of a person who is registered under this chapter.
- Any custodian of records who makes his or her own copies.
- Any certified shorthand reporter, official court reporter, or stenotype operator who makes his or her own copies.
- Any person licensed under Chapter 11.5 (commencing with Section 7512) of Division 3 of the BPC or their employees.
- The Office of the Secretary of State.
To Register
Choose and complete applicable registration form:
- Complete the Professional Photocopier Registration (PDF) form.
- If the notary commission is held by someone other than the registrant, written confirmation from the notary authorizing the
use of their commission for this registration is required.
- If the notary commission is held by someone other than the registrant, written confirmation from the notary authorizing the
- To secure a $5,000 Registration Bond, contact a bonding company, or alternatively, you can submit cash instead of a bond to the County Clerk.
- Pay Professional Registration Fees, see Payment Methods (PDF) for details.
- A certificate of registration is effective for two years. Individual registrations are issued an identification card including a picture and electronic signature collected at our service counter.
Business & Professions Code 6400-6415
This chapter does not sanction, authorize, or encourage the practice of law by nonlawyers.
Who Must Register
- Any person provides, or assists in providing, or offers to provide, or offers to assist in providing, for compensation, any self-help service to a member of the public who is representing themselves in a legal matter, or who holds themselves out as someone who offers that service or has that authority. This paragraph does not apply to any individual whose assistance consists merely of secretarial or receptionist services.
- A corporation, partnership, association, or other entity that employs or contracts who, as part of their responsibilities, provides, or assists in providing, or offers to provide, or offers to assist in providing, for compensation, any self-help service to a member of the public who is representing themselves in a legal matter or holds themselves out as someone who offers that service or has that authority. This paragraph does not apply to an individual whose assistance consists merely of secretarial or receptionist services.
Positions Exempt from Registration
- Any government employee who is acting in the course of their employment.
- A licensee of the State Bar of California, or their employee, paralegal, or agent, or an independent contractor while acting on behalf of a licensee of the State Bar.
- Any employee of a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation who either assists clients free of charge or is supervised by a licensee of the State Bar of California who has malpractice insurance.
- A licensed real estate broker or licensed real estate salesperson, as defined in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 10130) of Part 1 of Division 4, who acts pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10131 on an unlawful detainer claim as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 6400, and who is a party to the unlawful detainer action.
- An immigration consultant, as defined in Chapter 19.5 (commencing with Section 22440) of Division 8.
- A person registered as a process server under Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 22350) of Division 8 or a person registered as a professional photocopier under Chapter 20 (commencing with Section 22450) of Division 8.
- A person who provides services relative to the preparation of security instruments or conveyance documents as an integral part of the provision of title or escrow service.
- A person who provides services that are regulated by federal law.
- A person who is employed by, and provides services to, a supervised financial institution, holding company, subsidiary, or affiliate.
To Register
Choose and complete applicable registration form:
- Complete the Legal Document Assistant (PDF) registration form.
- Attach required educational documentation.
- To secure Bond, contact a bonding company, or alternatively, you can submit cash instead of a bond to the County Clerk. The registration expires if the number of employees exceeds the posted bond amount.
- An Individual registration requires a $25,000 bond.
- Corporation/Partnership registrations have the following bonding requirements:
- 1-4 employees: $25,000
- 5-9 employees: $50,000
- 10+ employees: $100,000
- Pay Professional Registration Fees, see Payment Methods (PDF) for details.
- A certificate of registration is effective for two years. Individual registrations are issued an identification card including a picture and electronic signature collected at our service counter.
Business & Professions Code 6400-6415
Who Must Register
Any person who for compensation renders assistance or advice in the prosecution or defense of an unlawful detainer claim or action, including any bankruptcy petition that may affect the unlawful detainer claim or action.
To Register
- Choose and complete applicable registration form:
- Attach required educational documentation.
- To secure Bond, contact a bonding company, or alternatively, you can submit cash instead of a bond to the County Clerk. The registration expires if the number of employees exceeds the posted bond amount. Bonding requirements listed below:
- An Individual registration requires a $25,000 bond.
- Corporation/Partnership registrations have the following bonding requirements:
- 1-4 employees: $25,000
- 5-9 employees: $50,000
- 10+ employees: $100,000
- Pay Professional Registration Fees, see Payment Methods (PDF) for details.
- A certificate of registration is effective for two years. Individual registrations are issued an identification card including a picture and electronic signature collected at our service counter.