How Do You Domesticate an Out-of-State Subpoena for a Company Whose Registered Agent Is CT Corporation in Los Angeles County?

Domesticating an Out-of-State Subpoena for a Company Served Through CT Corporation in Los Angeles County: What the Sources Say

An informational overview, with links to the governing statutes and official sources, for out-of-state counsel whose California discovery target is served through CT Corporation System in Glendale.

Rush Intel Services is a licensed and bonded process serving and investigations firm — not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. The material below summarizes publicly available statutes, court resources, and CT Corporation's own published policy, and links to each so you can read the primary source yourself. For advice on your specific matter, consult a licensed California attorney.

The situation

You are litigating outside California and need records or testimony from a company that is registered to do business in California, and the California Secretary of State lists its agent for service of process as CT Corporation System, 330 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 700, Glendale, CA 91203 — one of the most-served addresses in Los Angeles County.

A foreign subpoena does not compel anyone in California on its own. California's Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act (IIDDA), the state's version of the UIDDA in effect since January 1, 2010, sets out how a foreign subpoena becomes an enforceable California subpoena. The sections below describe what the statutes and official sources say, and where to find them.

What CT Corporation's own policy says about being served

This is the point most overlooked, and CT Corporation states it directly in its published service-of-process guidance. According to that guidance:

• A registered agent's role is to receive and forward documents — nothing more.

• CT Corporation is not the custodian of records for the entities it represents.

• A subpoena therefore should not command CT Corporation to produce another company's records. It should name the entity that is CT's customer, and be addressed to that entity care of (c/o) CT Corporation at the service-of-process location.

In other words, the records request runs to the company, not to its agent. A subpoena that names "CT Corporation System" as the party who must produce the documents is, by CT's own account, directed at the wrong party.

Source: CT Corporation / Wolters Kluwer, "Service of Process Locations" — https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/ct-corporation/sop-locations

What the California Secretary of State provides

The Secretary of State maintains the public record of each registered entity's agent for service of process and its exact legal name. That record is where the agent designation is confirmed and where the precise entity name — the name that has to match on the subpoena — is found.

Source: California Secretary of State business search — https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov

What the Code of Civil Procedure says about domesticating the subpoena

California law provides two routes for turning a foreign subpoena into a California subpoena.

Route 1 — Issuance by the superior court clerk (CCP § 2029.300)

The statute provides that the requesting party submits, to the clerk of the superior court in the county where discovery is sought:

• the original or a true and correct copy of the foreign subpoena;

• an application asking the court to issue a California subpoena with the same terms, on the Judicial Council form prescribed for that purpose (form SUBP-030); and

• the issuance fee set by Government Code § 70626.

The statute states that no civil case cover sheet is required, that the request does not constitute an appearance in California, and that the clerk "shall promptly issue" the California subpoena. That subpoena must incorporate the terms of the foreign subpoena, carry all counsel-of-record information, and bear the caption and case number of the out-of-state matter.

For a company served in Glendale, the county where discovery is sought is Los Angeles, so the issuing court is the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Sources:

• CCP § 2029.300 (official text) — California Legislative Information, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (Code: CCP, Section: 2029.300)

• Judicial Council application form SUBP-030 — https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/subp030.pdf

Route 2 — Issuance by a California attorney (CCP § 2029.350)

The statute also provides that an active member of the California State Bar who is retained in the matter and who receives the foreign subpoena may issue the California subpoena directly, without going through the clerk. The same content requirements apply.

Source: CCP § 2029.350 — California Legislative Information, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (Code: CCP, Section: 2029.350)

What the rules say about consumer and employee records

The California Courts self-help materials and the Code of Civil Procedure note that when a subpoena seeks an individual's personal records — consumer records under CCP § 1985.3 or employment records under CCP § 1985.6 — a Notice to Consumer or Employee must be given before the subpoena is served, so that person has the chance to object. A missed notice is a common basis for a motion to quash.

Source: California Courts Self-Help, "Subpoena business records" — https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/subpoena/business-records

What the rules say about serving the issued subpoena

Once a California subpoena has issued, the Code of Civil Procedure provides:

• It must be personally served in compliance with California law (CCP §§ 2029.400, 1985).

• For an organization, service may be made on an officer, managing agent, or a person the organization has authorized to accept service (CCP § 2020.220) — the function CT Corporation performs for its customers.

• The person serving must be 18 or older and not a party to the action. In Los Angeles County, anyone serving more than ten papers a year must be a registered process server, which requires posting a $2,000 bond with the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

CT Corporation's Glendale office has historically accepted service only during a limited morning window — confirm current hours directly before any service attempt, as office hours change.

Sources:

• CCP §§ 1985, 2020.220, 2029.400 — California Legislative Information, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

• LA County process server registration — Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, https://www.lavote.gov

A limit worth noting

Under CCP § 2029.300(e), a California clerk will not issue a subpoena based on another state's law that targets a person for allowing a minor to receive gender-affirming care, with comparable protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care. Where the underlying out-of-state matter touches these areas, issuability should be confirmed first.

Source: CCP § 2029.300(e) — California Legislative Information, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (Code: CCP, Section: 2029.300)

Where Rush Intel Services fits

Rush Intel Services is a licensed, bonded process serving and investigations firm — not a law firm. For out-of-state counsel, it handles the clerk-issuance route end to end through the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles:

• Domestication filing. Working from the foreign subpoena and the terms your office provides, Rush Intel submits the foreign subpoena and the Judicial Council application (form SUBP-030) with the required fee to the LA Superior Court clerk, and obtains the issued California subpoena under CCP § 2029.300.

• Registered personal service. Rush Intel then serves the issued subpoena on the target entity, care of CT Corporation, at the Glendale service-of-process address, timed to the office's service window.

• Proof of service. A completed, court-ready proof of service is returned to your office.

Rush Intel performs these steps as a process server acting on documents and instructions provided by counsel. It does not draft the subpoena's terms, decide what to demand, or advise on your matter — those are the province of the issuing court and your licensed California counsel.

https://www.glendale-process-server.com/

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreign subpoena be mailed straight to CT Corporation? No. Per the Code of Civil Procedure, a foreign subpoena has no force in California until it is issued as a California subpoena under CCP §§ 2029.300 or 2029.350, and that subpoena must then be personally served.

Should the subpoena name CT Corporation? No. CT Corporation's published policy states it is not the records custodian and should not be commanded to produce another company's records. The subpoena names the target entity, addressed care of CT Corporation.

Which California court issues the subpoena? The superior court in the county where discovery is sought. For an entity served in Glendale, that is the Los Angeles Superior Court (CCP § 2029.300).

Is a California attorney required? Only for the attorney-issuance route under CCP § 2029.350. The clerk-issuance route under CCP § 2029.300 does not require California counsel.

Does Rush Intel handle the domestication filing? Yes. For out-of-state counsel, Rush Intel submits the foreign subpoena and the SUBP-030 application with the fee to the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, obtains the issued California subpoena under CCP § 2029.300, and then serves it.

Does Rush Intel give legal advice? No. Rush Intel is a process serving and investigations firm, not a law firm. It files the domestication application and serves the issued subpoena on documents and instructions provided by counsel; it does not draft subpoena terms or advise on your matter.

Primary and official sources

• California Interstate and International Depositions and Discovery Act, CCP §§ 2029.100–2029.900 — California Legislative Information: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

• California Courts Self-Help — Subpoena business records — https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/subpoena/business-records

• Judicial Council forms (incl. SUBP-030) — https://www.courts.ca.gov/forms.htm

• CT Corporation service-of-process locations and policy (Wolters Kluwer) — https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/ct-corporation/sop-locations

• California Secretary of State business search — https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov

• Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (process server registration) — https://www.lavote.gov

This page is general information drawn from public sources, not legal advice, and statutes, fees, and office hours change. Verify current requirements with the Los Angeles Superior Court and a licensed California attorney before acting.