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HomeCorporations CodeCh. 9§ 903 Shareholder Approval For Amendments

§ 903 Shareholder Approval For Amendments

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

§ 903 Shareholder Approval For Amendments

Key Takeaways

  • •If a company wants to change big things about its shares (like how many there are, what they can do, or who gets paid first), the people who own those shares must agree.
  • •Even if the company’s rules say some shares don’t get a vote, they still get to vote on these big changes.
  • •If the company wants to create new shares that get paid before old ones, the old shareholders must agree.
  • •All shareholders who normally get to vote must also agree to these changes, not just the ones directly affected.

Example

A company wants to create new shares that get paid dividends before the old shares.

The people who own the old shares must vote and agree to this change because it affects their rights. Even if the company’s rules say these shareholders don’t usually get to vote, they still get to vote on this.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 903 Shareholder Approval For Amendments

(a) A proposed amendment must be approved by the outstanding shares (Section 152) of a class, whether or not such class is entitled to vote thereon by the provisions of the articles, if the amendment would: (1) Increase or decrease the aggregate number of authorized shares of such class, other than an increase as provided in either subdivision (b) of Section 405 or subdivision (c) of Section 902. (2) Effect an exchange, reclassification, or cancellation of all or part of the shares of such class, including a reverse stock split but excluding a stock split. (3) Effect an exchange, or create a right of exchange, of all or part of the shares of another class into the shares of such class. (4) Change the rights, preferences, privileges or restrictions of the shares of such class. (5) Create a new class of shares having rights, preferences or privileges prior to the shares of such class, or increase the rights, preferences or privileges or the number of authorized shares of any class having rights, preferences or privileges prior to the shares of such class. (6) In the case of preferred shares, divide the shares of any class into series having different rights, preferences, privileges or restrictions or authorize the board to do so. (7) Cancel or otherwise affect dividends on the shares of such class which have accrued but have not been paid. (b) Different series of the same class shall not constitute different classes for the purpose of voting by classes except when a series is adversely affected by an amendment in a different manner than other shares of the same class. (c) In addition to approval by a class as provided in subdivision (a), a proposed amendment must also be approved by the outstanding voting shares (Section 152). (Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 136, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1998.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

proposed amendmentoutstanding sharesauthorized sharesexchangereclassificationrightspreferencesprivilegesrestrictionsvoting shares

Related Statutes

  • § 12246.2 Membership Series Classification Rules
  • § 12421 Equal Membership Rights
  • § 13228 Share Class Requirements
  • § 5330 Membership Rights And Classes
  • § 5331 Membership Rights And Equality

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 903.
View Official Source