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Government Code section 53051 requires local agencies to update their Registry of Public Agencies document, which must be filed with both the California Secretary of State and the county clerk of each county where the agency operates an office. The form contains various fields, including:

1. Full, legal name of the agency;
2. Official mailing address of its governing body;
3. Name and residence or business address of each member of the governing body of the agency; and
4. Name, title, and residence or business address of the clerk or secretary of the board and the chairman, president, or other presiding officer.

Should any changes occur that affect any of those fields, an updated form must be filed within 10 days with both the Secretary of State and the county clerk of each county where the agency operates an office.

While Government Code section 53051 does not provide specific sanctions for failures to abide by its provisions, local agencies may find themselves vulnerable in legal proceedings absent compliance. Government Code sections 960.2 and 960.3 allow for individuals seeking to initiate legal proceedings against an agency to leave copies of the service of process with the Secretary of State, rather than with the local agency. In the event a local agency is served in this manner and its Registry of Public Agencies filings are grossly deficient or incomplete, the agency might not be able to rely on pre-existing legal protections.

The  Registry of Public Agencies document, also known as Form SF-405, is available for download at the Secretary of State’s website, at http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/special-filings/forms/.

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