LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeCorporations CodeCh. 8§ 12500 Corporate Articles Amendment Rules

§ 12500 Corporate Articles Amendment Rules

Corporations Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 12500 Corporate Articles Amendment Rules

This law lets a company change its rules (called 'articles') whenever it wants, as long as the new rules follow current laws. But it can't change certain old info like its first address or first leaders unless it's fixing a mistake.

Key Takeaways

  • •Companies can update their rules anytime, but the new rules must follow today's laws.
  • •Some old info (like first address or first leaders) can't be changed unless it's wrong.
  • •If the company wants to change member rights or membership types, it must include the right details.

Example

A small business wants to change its name and add new rules about how decisions are made.

The business can do this by following the steps in this law, but it can't change who the first directors were unless there was a mistake in the original paperwork.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 12500 Corporate Articles Amendment Rules

(a) By complying with the provisions of this chapter, a corporation may amend its articles from time to time, in any and as many respects as may be desired, so long as its articles as amended contain only such provisions as it would be lawful to insert in original articles filed at the time of the filing of the amendment or as authorized by Section 12504 and, if a change in the rights of members or an exchange, reclassification or cancellation of memberships is to be made, such provisions as may be necessary to effect such change, exchange, reclassification or cancellation. It is the intent of the Legislature in adopting this section to exercise to the fullest extent the reserve power of the state over corporations and to authorize any amendment of the articles covered by the preceding sentence regardless of whether any provision contained in the amendment was permissible at the time of the original incorporation of the corporation. (b) A corporation shall not amend its articles to add any statement or to alter any statement which may appear in the original articles of the initial street address and initial mailing address of the corporation, the names and addresses of the first directors, or the name and address of the initial agent, except to correct an error in the statement or to delete the information after the corporation has filed a statement under Section 12570. (Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 494, Sec. 29. (SB 1532) Effective January 1, 2013.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

amend its articleschange in the rights of membersexchange, reclassification or cancellation of membershipsSection 12570

Related Statutes

  • § 12501 Amending Articles Before Directors
  • § 12502 Corporate Amendment Approval Rules
  • § 12503 Class Amendment Approval Rules
  • § 12504 Corporate Status Amendment Rules
  • § 12505 Corporate Amendment Filing Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 12500.
View Official Source