HOW TO SERVE LEGAL PAPERS ON GOOGLE

Serving Google: The Entity Beneath the Brand That Almost Every Plaintiff Gets Wrong

“Google” is not a legal entity. Google LLC is. That distinction — invisible in everyday language, decisive in litigation — determines whether your service of process is valid or defective from the first filing. Google LLC is a Delaware limited liability company and the wholly owned operating subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. that runs Search, Ads, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, Android, Chrome, Google Cloud, Google Pay, the Play Store, Pixel hardware, Nest, Fitbit, and Waze. Alphabet Inc. is the Delaware stock corporation listed on NASDAQ as GOOGL and GOOG. Alphabet holds Google LLC. Alphabet operates nothing consumer-facing. Serving Alphabet for a Search or YouTube claim is almost certainly the wrong entity.

The naming problem runs deeper still. Google Inc. — the California corporation that existed from 1998 through 2017 — was converted to Google LLC on September 1, 2017, as part of the Alphabet restructuring. Google Inc. has not existed as an active legal entity for nearly a decade. Complaints, subpoenas, and civil demands that name “Google Inc.” are facially defective, and Google’s legal team in Mountain View will file a motion to quash on that ground quickly. The correct entity name is Google LLC. That distinction, compounded by the Alphabet/Google LLC parent-subsidiary confusion, makes entity identification the single highest-risk element of serving this defendant.

Undisputed Legal has served process on Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. across California, Delaware, New York, Virginia, Texas, Illinois, and Washington D.C. — spanning the full range of antitrust, patent, privacy, employment, and consumer actions in Google’s exceptionally active litigation docket. Our GPS-verified affidavits, entity-confirmation review, and current CT Corporation System registered agent records eliminate the threshold procedural risk before it becomes a motion that costs your client time and leverage. Call (800) 774-6922 or place your order below to begin.

Why Serving Google Is More Complex Than It Appears

Google Inc. was retired in 2017 — naming it today is a defect. The conversion of Google Inc. (a California corporation) into Google LLC (a Delaware limited liability company) was completed September 1, 2017 as part of the Alphabet corporate restructuring initiated in October 2015. Despite nearly a decade of public record, pro se filings and occasional attorney-drafted complaints continue to name “Google Inc.” as the defendant. CT Corporation System will receive service addressed to Google Inc. and forward it — but Apple’s legal team may challenge service on the ground that “Google Inc.” is not the entity registered in the state where service was executed. Name Google LLC in all new actions.

Alphabet vs. Google LLC — parent does not equal operating entity. Alphabet Inc. is a pure holding company. It does not operate Google Search, sell Google Ads, host YouTube videos, run the Android operating system, process Google Pay transactions, or manufacture Pixel phones. All of those operations run through Google LLC. Suing Alphabet Inc. for a consumer, advertising, or platform claim is comparable to suing a real estate holding company for a restaurant it owns — structurally connected, legally wrong. The narrow exception: shareholder derivative actions and corporate governance claims arising from Alphabet’s board decisions are correctly directed at Alphabet Inc. For everything else, name Google LLC.

YouTube LLC — a separate California LLC with a separate registered agent. YouTube LLC is a wholly owned California limited liability company that operates the YouTube platform. For claims specific to YouTube — Federal Trade Commission COPPA enforcement-parallel private actions, copyright infringement and DMCA takedown disputes, creator monetization contract claims, and YouTube-specific advertising fraud — YouTube LLC is the correct named defendant, not Google LLC. YouTube LLC maintains its own registered agent registration in California separate from Google LLC’s. Serving Google LLC and relying on the parent-subsidiary relationship to reach YouTube LLC may generate a standing or privity challenge. If your action involves YouTube specifically, confirm the registered agent for YouTube LLC through the California Secretary of State before serving.

DOJ antitrust — two simultaneous cases in the Eastern District of Virginia. The U.S. Department of Justice has two concurrent antitrust actions against Google LLC pending in the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria Division). The first — the search monopoly case before Judge Amit Mehta — produced a landmark liability ruling in August 2024 finding that Google illegally maintained its monopoly in the general search market through exclusive default agreements with Apple, Samsung, and other device manufacturers. The second — the ad tech case — challenges Google’s dominance across the online advertising stack and remains in active litigation. Private plaintiffs, state attorney general follow-on actions (led by Texas), and publisher class actions have generated substantial additional service volume in Virginia, a jurisdiction not historically associated with major tech litigation but now a primary Google service state.

Epic Games v. Google — Play Store jury verdict December 2023. A Northern District of California jury found Google LLC liable for monopolization of the Android app distribution market through the Play Store in December 2023. The verdict followed Epic Games v. Apple, which produced a contrary result — making Google the defendant with an actual jury monopoly finding. The case is on appeal in the Ninth Circuit and has spawned developer class actions and state-level Play Store investigations. Service on Google LLC in California for Play Store-related claims runs to CT Corporation in Los Angeles.

Illinois BIPA — Google Photos facial recognition. Google Photos’ face-grouping feature, which automatically identifies and groups photos by the faces of individuals appearing in them, has generated BIPA class action litigation in Illinois. The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14) requires written consent before collecting biometric identifiers, including facial geometry scans. BIPA’s private right of action with liquidated statutory damages — $1,000 per negligent violation, $5,000 per intentional violation — makes these cases high-stakes from the pleadings stage. Google LLC is the defendant in Illinois BIPA actions; there is no separate Illinois Google entity.

Employment — contractor classification and the intermediary model. Google uses a large workforce of extended workforce contractors employed formally by staffing intermediaries including Cognizant Technology Solutions, Accenture, and others. That intermediary structure creates a contested employer-of-record question in wage-and-hour and employment discrimination claims. Plaintiffs suing Google for contractor misclassification must determine whether to name Google LLC, the staffing intermediary, or both — and must serve each named defendant through its own registered agent. Serving Google LLC alone may not reach the intermediary employer of record, and vice versa.

Google/Alphabet Corporate Structure: Who to Name and Who Not to Name

Alphabet Inc. — Delaware stock corporation; publicly traded NASDAQ: GOOGL (Class A) and GOOG (Class C); headquartered at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043. Alphabet is the correct defendant for shareholder derivative claims, corporate governance disputes, and actions arising directly from Alphabet board decisions. It is NOT the correct defendant for Search, Ads, YouTube, Maps, Android, Gmail, Pixel, Nest, Google Cloud, or Google Pay claims. Registered agent: Corporation Trust Company (not CT Corporation System — note the distinction), 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.

Google LLC — Delaware limited liability company; the principal operating subsidiary of Alphabet; correct defendant for virtually all U.S. consumer, advertising, privacy, patent, and platform litigation. Google LLC operates: Google Search and Search Ads; Google Ads (formerly AdWords), AdSense, and DV360; YouTube; Google Maps and Street View; Android operating system and Google Play Store; Gmail and Google Workspace; Google Chrome and ChromeOS; Google Cloud Platform; Google Pay; Pixel smartphones and tablets; Nest smart home devices; Fitbit wearables; Waze navigation; and Google Shopping. Registered agent: CT Corporation System in most U.S. states.

YouTube LLC — California limited liability company wholly owned by Google LLC; acquired in October 2006. YouTube LLC is the correct defendant for COPPA violations (FTC-parallel private claims), copyright infringement and DMCA Section 512 takedown disputes, creator monetization and partnership agreement claims, and YouTube-specific advertising fraud. Confirm the current registered agent for YouTube LLC through the California Secretary of State business entity search before serving — do not assume it matches Google LLC’s registered agent.

Google Payment Corp. — Delaware corporation; Google’s financial services regulatory entity operating the Google Pay platform for U.S. payments and Google’s stored-value and money-transmission regulated activities. Claims involving Google Pay payment disputes, unauthorized transaction claims, or financial services regulatory matters may run against Google Payment Corp. rather than Google LLC directly — confirm the correct entity before serving.

Waymo LLC — Delaware limited liability company; Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary; headquartered in San Francisco. Waymo operates robotaxi services in select U.S. markets. Personal injury claims arising from Waymo autonomous vehicle incidents, intellectual property disputes involving Waymo sensor and software patents, and AV regulatory matters name Waymo LLC directly. Waymo maintains its own registered agent separate from Google LLC.

Verily Life Sciences LLC — Delaware LLC; Alphabet’s health technology subsidiary. Claims involving Verily medical device partnerships, health data agreements, or Verily clinical study participation name Verily Life Sciences LLC. Separate registered agent from Google LLC.

Fitbit LLC / Fitbit Inc. — acquired by Google in January 2021; operates through Google LLC for U.S. purposes following full integration. Product liability claims involving Fitbit wearables and health tracking devices are directed to Google LLC as the acquiring and operating entity. Confirm the current entity structure through applicable Secretary of State records for Fitbit-specific claims.

Mandiant Inc. — acquired by Google in September 2022; operates as a Google Cloud cybersecurity business unit. Mandiant’s contractual, licensing, and cybersecurity services claims may run against the Google Cloud entity, which operates under Google LLC. Confirm named entity through contract documents before serving.

DeepMind Technologies Limited — UK-incorporated AI research subsidiary of Alphabet; based in London with research centers in Canada, France, and the United States. DeepMind has no U.S. registered agent. Claims involving DeepMind AI research, licensing, or employment require Hague Convention service through the UK Central Authority. Undisputed Legal provides Hague Convention service in 120+ countries for cross-border Alphabet and DeepMind disputes.

Our Process: How Undisputed Legal Serves Google LLC and Alphabet

Step 1 — Entity and Jurisdiction Verification. Before dispatching any server, we confirm the exact legal name of the entity named in your complaint, subpoena, or administrative action. We verify whether you have named Google LLC (correct for virtually all U.S. consumer and platform cases), Alphabet Inc. (correct for shareholder and governance matters), a subsidiary such as YouTube LLC or Waymo LLC, or an international entity requiring Hague Convention service. We confirm the entity’s active registration status in the state where service will be executed through the applicable Secretary of State database, and flag any Google Inc./Google LLC naming discrepancy before dispatch.

Step 2 — Registered Agent Address Confirmation. We pull the current CT Corporation System address for the state where service is ordered. CT Corporation maintains offices in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In California — Google’s operational headquarters state and highest-volume litigation jurisdiction — CT Corporation is located at 818 W. 7th Street, Suite 930, Los Angeles, CA 90017. We verify the address against current Secretary of State records at every dispatch; we do not rely on cached or historical records.

Step 3 — Document Review. We review your summons, complaint, subpoena, and all accompanying documents for completeness and accuracy before dispatch: the entity name on the summons must match the registered agent filing; service copies must be complete; any court-specific cover sheet or local rule requirements must be satisfied. Alphabet Inc. and Google LLC have different registered agents in Delaware — we confirm the correct agent for each entity independently. Incomplete or mismatched packages are flagged before the server goes out.

Step 4 — Service Planning and Scheduling. Routine Service first attempts are scheduled within 3–7 business days of order placement. Rush Service first attempts are within 1–2 business days. Same-Day Service dispatches documents received during normal business hours for same-business-day delivery. DOJ antitrust follow-on cases in EDVA with approaching responsive-pleading deadlines and patent cases in EDTX with tight scheduling orders are flagged for prioritized dispatch and direct counsel coordination.

Step 5 — Execution with GPS Verification. Our servers carry GPS-enabled devices that timestamp and geolocate each service attempt at the moment of delivery. In New York City’s five boroughs, our servers hold active DCWP process server licenses as required by New York City law. Photo documentation supplements GPS data on every corporate delivery. Every attempt — successful or not — is logged with full GPS metadata and timestamped records that form the evidentiary foundation of the affidavit.

Step 6 — GPS-Verified Affidavit of Service. Every completed service produces a GPS-verified affidavit identifying the server, the Google or Alphabet entity served, the CT Corporation System office location, the date and time, the precise GPS coordinates, and the method of delivery. The affidavit is formatted to the filing court’s local rules — including EDVA, EDTX, NDCA, and SDNY-specific requirements — and delivered in final, court-ready form within 24 hours of service completion.

Where to Serve Legal Papers on Google — State by State

This section identifies the registered agent address and controlling statute for each primary Google and Alphabet service jurisdiction. Service rules vary by entity type, case category, and court — consult your attorney to confirm the applicable method, timing requirements, and any local rule variations for your action before proceeding.

California — Operational Headquarters and Highest-Volume Jurisdiction. Google LLC is a Delaware LLC registered as a foreign limited liability company authorized to do business in California. Service on Google LLC in California is governed by California Corporations Code § 17708.09, which authorizes service on a foreign LLC through its designated agent for service of process. Google LLC’s registered agent in California is CT Corporation System, located at 818 W. 7th Street, Suite 930, Los Angeles, CA 90017. California is the highest-volume Google service jurisdiction: NDCA patent actions (San Jose and San Francisco divisions), CCPA privacy claims, Play Store antitrust follow-on cases from the Epic v. Google verdict, employment actions (contractor classification, Alphabet Workers Union-adjacent wage claims), and consumer class actions covering Search manipulation, Google Shopping bias, and location tracking. Google’s principal offices at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway (Mountain View) and Sundar Pichai’s CEO office are inaccessible to process servers as a controlled campus. Cal. Corp. Code § 17708.09.

Delaware — Home State for Both Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. are both Delaware entities, but they have different registered agents. Google LLC (a Delaware LLC) is served through CT Corporation System at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 under 6 Del. C. § 18-109. Alphabet Inc. (a Delaware stock corporation) is served through Corporation Trust Company at the same physical address — 1209 Orange Street — under 8 Del. C. § 321. Note the entity distinction carefully: delivering Alphabet’s summons to CT Corporation System rather than Corporation Trust Company, or vice versa, creates an ambiguity in the service record that Google’s counsel will investigate in high-stakes matters. The District of Delaware is a significant patent venue for NPE filings against Google. 6 Del. C. § 18-109 (Google LLC); 8 Del. C. § 321 (Alphabet Inc.).

New York — Commercial, Antitrust Follow-On, and SDNY Docket. The Southern District of New York hosts DOJ antitrust follow-on private plaintiff actions, publisher and advertiser class actions arising from Google’s ad tech practices, and state court commercial disputes involving Google Workspace and Google Cloud enterprise contracts. Google LLC’s registered agent in New York is CT Corporation System, located at 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005. CPLR 311(a)(1); N.Y. Bus. Corp. Law § 306(b); N.Y. LLC Law § 303 (foreign LLCs).

Texas — State AG Antitrust and Patent Litigation. Texas leads the multistate attorney general coalition challenging Google’s advertising technology monopoly, and the Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division) and Western District of Texas (Waco Division) generate significant patent action volume against Google LLC. Google LLC’s registered agent in Texas is CT Corporation System, located at 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75201. Plaintiffs serving Google in connection with state AG parallel private antitrust actions and EDTX or WDTX patent matters deliver to this Dallas office. Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 5.251.

Illinois — BIPA Biometric Class Actions. Google Photos’ face-grouping feature generates class action litigation under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14) in Illinois. BIPA’s private right of action and liquidated statutory damages ($1,000 per negligent violation, $5,000 per intentional or reckless violation) make Illinois a high-value plaintiff jurisdiction for biometric privacy claims. Google LLC is the defendant — there is no separate Illinois Google entity. Google LLC’s registered agent in Illinois is CT Corporation System, located at 208 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 814, Chicago, IL 60604. 735 ILCS 5/2-204.

Virginia — DOJ Antitrust Primary Venue. The Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria Division) is the forum for both of the DOJ’s concurrent antitrust actions against Google LLC: the search monopoly case (August 2024 liability ruling before Judge Amit Mehta) and the ad tech case. Private plaintiffs and state AG parallel actions arising from those DOJ cases are also filed in EDVA. Virginia has become a primary Google service jurisdiction that plaintiffs’ counsel must now manage with the same attention as California and Delaware. Google LLC’s registered agent in Virginia is CT Corporation System, located at 4701 Cox Road, Suite 285, Glen Allen, VA 23060. Va. Code Ann. § 13.1-1018 (foreign LLCs); Va. Code Ann. § 13.1-766 (foreign corporations).

Washington D.C. — Federal Regulatory and State AG Coordination. The District of Columbia is the seat of the DOJ Antitrust Division, the Federal Trade Commission, and Congress — all of which generate service demand on Google LLC in connection with regulatory investigations, congressional subpoenas, and administrative proceedings. DC-filed civil actions against Google LLC — including state-coordinated actions where D.C. is a named plaintiff — serve Google through CT Corporation System, located at 1015 15th Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005. D.C. Code § 29-104.08.

Service Fees for Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. Process Service

Service Type	Timeline	Fee
Routine Service	First attempt within 3–7 business days	$100–$150
Rush Service	First attempt within 1–2 business days	$200–$250
Same-Day Service	Same business day (documents received during business hours)	$250–$300
Email / Mail Service	Where permitted by court order	$75
Stake-Out Service	Includes 1 hour; additional time billed hourly	$325–$425 + $100–$150/hr

Why Professional Process Service Matters for Google Litigation

Google LLC’s legal department — based at the Googleplex in Mountain View and supported by outside counsel at major firms — manages one of the most active corporate litigation dockets in the United States. At any given time Google is defending hundreds of concurrent matters spanning patent, antitrust, privacy, employment, consumer, and regulatory proceedings across multiple federal and state courts. That team is expert at identifying service defects and raising them early, before Google must engage on the merits. A GPS-verified affidavit of service on the correct registered agent, formatted to the filing court’s local rules, closes the procedural window before it can be opened.

Entity naming is the highest-frequency error in Google service. Google Inc. was retired September 1, 2017 — nearly a decade ago. Serving process on “Google Inc.” delivers documents to an entity that no longer exists as a registered filing in any U.S. Secretary of State database. CT Corporation may still receive the package and forward it internally, but Google’s attorneys will challenge service on the “Google Inc.” summons because the entity name does not match any active registration. The fix — re-serving on Google LLC with a corrected summons — costs time and potentially a default argument if responsive pleading deadlines have been running. We flag naming discrepancies at Step 1 before any server is dispatched.

The Alphabet/Google LLC distinction matters most in Delaware. Alphabet Inc. uses Corporation Trust Company as its registered agent — not CT Corporation System. Google LLC uses CT Corporation System — not Corporation Trust Company. Both are at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington. A server who delivers Alphabet documents to the CT Corporation System counter, or Google LLC documents to the Corporation Trust Company counter, creates a service record that Google’s counsel will scrutinize. In high-value antitrust and shareholder matters where Delaware service is part of a multi-jurisdiction filing strategy, that distinction is material. Our Delaware protocol accounts for it explicitly.

YouTube LLC presents a separate entity problem. If your action involves YouTube COPPA violations, DMCA takedown disputes, or creator monetization claims, the correct defendant may be YouTube LLC — not Google LLC. The two entities have separate registered agent filings in California. Serving Google LLC for a YouTube-specific claim and relying on the parent-subsidiary relationship to bind YouTube LLC creates a standing argument that Google’s outside counsel will identify in the motion to dismiss phase. We verify the correct YouTube LLC registered agent at the California SOS before any YouTube-related dispatch.

Virginia is now a primary Google service jurisdiction and requires the same operational discipline as California and Delaware. The Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria) is moving fast on both DOJ antitrust cases — the search monopoly case produced its liability ruling in August 2024 and is in the remedies phase, while the ad tech case is in active trial litigation. Private plaintiff follow-on cases in EDVA are subject to EDVA’s notoriously tight scheduling orders. First service attempt within 3–7 business days, documented with GPS-verified records, is the baseline for keeping up with EDVA’s docket pace. Call (800) 774-6922 to discuss rush options for EDVA matters with approaching deadlines.

BIPA litigation in Illinois involves statutory damages that scale with the number of class members and violations. Google Photos BIPA cases are inherently large-class actions, and the damages exposure can run to billions of dollars at statutory rates. Google LLC contests these cases vigorously at every stage, beginning with service. A GPS-verified affidavit documenting precise delivery to the CT Corporation Chicago office, with timestamp and location data, provides an evidentiary foundation that withstands Google’s motion practice in the pre-certification phase where service challenges are most likely to arise.

For New York antitrust follow-on litigation — SDNY private plaintiff cases arising from the DOJ search and ad tech findings — our servers hold active DCWP process server licenses required for service within New York City’s five boroughs. CT Corporation’s 28 Liberty Street office is in Manhattan’s Financial District, within the five-borough zone where DCWP licensing is required by New York City law. Our network spans 120+ countries for international Alphabet subsidiary service through Hague Convention channels where U.S. domestic service does not reach DeepMind, Google’s European entities, or other international Alphabet operations.

Compliance and Legal Framework for Serving Google and Alphabet

Cal. Corp. Code § 17708.09 governs service on foreign limited liability companies authorized to do business in California — the controlling rule for Google LLC in its operational home state. The statute authorizes delivery of process to the LLC’s designated agent for service of process. CT Corporation System is Google LLC’s designated agent at 818 W. 7th Street, Suite 930, Los Angeles, CA 90017 for California service purposes.

6 Del. C. § 18-109 governs service on Delaware limited liability companies — the home-state rule for Google LLC. Service on a Delaware LLC through its registered agent constitutes valid service on the LLC and starts the responsive pleading clock. Google LLC designates CT Corporation System at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 as its Delaware registered agent under this statute.

8 Del. C. § 321 governs service on Delaware stock corporations through their registered agent — the home-state rule for Alphabet Inc. Alphabet designates Corporation Trust Company at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Note that Corporation Trust Company and CT Corporation System, while related entities under the same corporate family, are distinct legal entities and maintain separate intake counters at the same address. Deliver documents for Alphabet to Corporation Trust Company, and documents for Google LLC to CT Corporation System.

Va. Code Ann. § 13.1-1018 governs service on foreign limited liability companies registered in Virginia — applicable to Google LLC in the Eastern District of Virginia, now a primary antitrust venue. The statute authorizes service through the LLC’s registered agent. Google LLC designates CT Corporation System at 4701 Cox Road, Suite 285, Glen Allen, VA 23060 as its Virginia registered agent.

FRCP Rule 4(h) governs federal court service on domestic corporations and LLCs for actions filed in U.S. District Courts across all seven of Google’s primary service states. Rule 4(h) authorizes service by delivering process to an officer, managing agent, or registered agent, or by following the law of the state where the district court is located. For multi-district Google patent actions and antitrust matters, Rule 4(h) service at the CT Corporation office in the relevant district’s state satisfies federal service requirements and starts the responsive pleading clock under FRCP Rule 12.

740 ILCS 14 — Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). BIPA’s private right of action (§ 20) creates liquidated damages of $1,000 per negligent violation and $5,000 per intentional or reckless violation, recoverable without proof of actual injury. Google Photos BIPA claims are filed in Illinois state court or removed to the Northern District of Illinois. Service on Google LLC in Illinois under 735 ILCS 5/2-204 through CT Corporation’s Chicago office is the entry point for this high-value docket.

The service rules, statutes, and addresses identified in this section are current as of the date of this publication and are provided for informational purposes. Service requirements vary by court, case type, jurisdiction, and entity. Consult your attorney to confirm the applicable service method, timing requirements, and entity identification for your specific action before proceeding.

Frequently Asked Questions About Serving Google LLC and Alphabet Inc.

Is “Google” the correct entity name, or do I name Google LLC or Alphabet Inc.?

Name Google LLC for virtually all U.S. civil litigation. “Google” alone is not a registered legal entity in any U.S. Secretary of State database — it is a brand name. Google LLC is the Delaware limited liability company that operates Google Search, Google Ads, YouTube, Maps, Android, Gmail, and all other Google products and services in the United States. Alphabet Inc. is the Delaware holding company that owns Google LLC but operates nothing consumer-facing; it is the correct defendant only for shareholder derivative actions and Alphabet-level governance claims. Complaints naming only “Google” or “Alphabet” for consumer, advertising, or platform disputes will face entity identification challenges.

What happened to Google Inc. — is it still a valid entity to serve?

No. Google Inc. — the California corporation originally incorporated by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in September 1998 — was converted into Google LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, on September 1, 2017. The conversion was part of the Alphabet restructuring initiated in October 2015. Google Inc. no longer exists as an active legal entity in any U.S. jurisdiction. Any complaint, summons, or subpoena naming “Google Inc.” names an entity that is not registered with any Secretary of State and has not been for nearly a decade. The correct entity for all post-September 2017 filings is Google LLC.

Which entity do I name for a YouTube copyright or COPPA claim?

YouTube LLC — a separate California limited liability company wholly owned by Google LLC. YouTube LLC is the entity that operates the YouTube platform, processes DMCA takedown notices, enters into YouTube Partner Program agreements with creators, and manages YouTube’s advertising monetization system. For copyright infringement claims against YouTube, DMCA Section 512 counter-notification disputes, COPPA violation claims related to YouTube Kids, and creator partnership or monetization contract claims, YouTube LLC is the correct defendant. Confirm the current registered agent for YouTube LLC through the California Secretary of State before serving — do not assume it matches Google LLC’s registered agent.

Which entity do I name for a Google Ads or AdSense dispute?

Google LLC. Google Ads (formerly AdWords), AdSense, Display & Video 360, Search Ads 360, and the broader Google advertising technology stack all operate under Google LLC directly. Advertiser disputes involving click fraud, billing errors, ad policy enforcement, trademark keyword bidding, and account suspension are claims against Google LLC. Publisher disputes involving AdSense payment withholding, content policy enforcement, and ad serving manipulation are also claims against Google LLC. The DOJ’s ad tech antitrust case — which challenges Google’s control of the publisher ad server (DFP/Google Ad Manager), the ad exchange (AdX), and the buy-side tools — also names Google LLC as the defendant.

How does the Alphabet/Google LLC parent-subsidiary structure affect which entity I serve?

For consumer, advertising, and platform claims: serve Google LLC, not Alphabet. Alphabet is a pure holding company — it does not contract with users, sell advertising, operate platforms, or employ the engineers and product managers who build Google’s products. In most consumer, tort, and contract actions, a plaintiff cannot hold a parent corporation liable for its subsidiary’s actions without piercing the corporate veil — which requires specific allegations of alter-ego, fraud, or disregard of corporate form that go well beyond simply being the parent. Name and serve Google LLC. If your action requires naming Alphabet as well (e.g., for injunctive relief affecting Alphabet’s corporate structure, or for shareholder claims), serve both entities separately through their respective registered agents — and note that they use different registered agents in Delaware.

What is the correct registered agent for Google LLC in Delaware?

CT Corporation System at 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Google LLC is a Delaware limited liability company, and its designated registered agent in its home state under 6 Del. C. § 18-109 is CT Corporation System. This is different from Alphabet Inc.’s Delaware registered agent: Alphabet, as a Delaware corporation, uses Corporation Trust Company — a related but distinct entity also located at 1209 Orange Street. If you are serving both Alphabet and Google LLC in the same action, deliver Alphabet’s documents to the Corporation Trust Company counter and Google LLC’s documents to the CT Corporation System counter at the same address. Mixing them creates an ambiguity in the service record.

Google was found liable in the DOJ antitrust search monopoly case — how does that affect service for related civil actions?

The August 2024 liability ruling in United States v. Google LLC (D.D.C., Judge Amit Mehta) finding Google illegally maintained its search monopoly through exclusive default agreements does not automatically resolve private plaintiff antitrust cases — but it provides collateral estoppel potential that private plaintiffs are actively litigating. Follow-on private plaintiff actions, state attorney general parallel cases, and publisher/advertiser class actions have been filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, the Southern District of New York, and the Northern District of California. Each of those actions must serve Google LLC through the applicable CT Corporation office in the relevant state. The remedies phase of the DOJ case — which may result in structural relief including forced divestiture of certain Google businesses — is ongoing and generates additional service demand on Google LLC in Virginia.

How long does Google have to respond after service on the registered agent?

In California state court, Google LLC has 30 days to respond after service on the registered agent under CCP § 412.20. In federal court under FRCP Rule 12(a)(1)(A), Google has 21 days from valid service to answer or file a motion. In the Eastern District of Virginia — where the DOJ antitrust cases are pending — EDVA’s “rocket docket” reputation means scheduling orders can compress or adjust those deadlines; confirm with the court’s docket. In EDTX patent matters, local rules and scheduling orders govern post-service deadlines. Google’s outside counsel routinely request short agreed extensions of time to respond in large commercial matters; any such agreement should be documented in writing and confirmed against your own filing deadlines before agreeing.

Ready to Serve Google? Place Your Order Now

Undisputed Legal has served Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. across California, Delaware, New York, Virginia, Texas, Illinois, and Washington D.C. Our entity-verification protocol catches the Google Inc./Google LLC naming error and the Alphabet/Google LLC confusion before dispatch. Our CT Corporation and Corporation Trust Company protocols are current and distinct for each entity in Delaware. Our GPS-verified affidavits are court-ready within 24 hours of completed service and formatted to the specific requirements of the filing court — whether that is the Eastern District of Virginia’s rocket docket, the Northern District of California, the Eastern District of Texas, or the Southern District of New York.

Place your order through the widget below or call (800) 774-6922 to speak with our team directly. We confirm the correct Google or Alphabet entity, verify the current CT Corporation address in your jurisdiction, and review applicable service rules and entity registration status before dispatch.

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Undisputed Legal Inc. maintains active membership and affiliations with the following professional organizations: National Association of Professional Process Servers (NAPPS), United States Process Servers Association (USPSA), National Association of Legal Support Professionals (NAOSP), Better Business Bureau (BBB) A+ Rating, New York State Unified Court System, DCWP Licensed Process Server (NYC), International Association of Professional Process Servers, National Notary Association, American Bar Association (ABA) - Allied Member, New York County Lawyers Association, Brooklyn Bar Association, Queens County Bar Association, Bronx County Bar Association, Staten Island Bar Association, Westchester County Bar Association, and Nassau County Bar Association.

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