how do i get my articles of incorporation

Include the appropriate fee. Mergeable: 0. Designation as Stock or Non-Stock . Each state's secretary of state has a website you can typically use to get corporate documents for corporations registered to do business in that state. filed with the Division of Corporations may be obtained by submitting a written request to the New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231. Click on a link in the list generated and scroll to the bottom of the record to view the available documents. If you need a certified copy of articles for business or legal reasons, download and fill out a request form on your secretary of state’s website. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Many states do not ask for a specific duration in the articles of incorporation, and states that do ask for it often do not require you to provided a limited duration. A company's articles of incorporation is the document a business must file with the state, in order to operate in corporate form. From there you have access to all documents filed in our office on that entity. Some states require you to send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. To get a word name, make sure to choose custom incorporation when you start incorporating online. Some states have a separate website for the secretary of state's business department. For example, you might need a certified copy of a corporation's articles of incorporation if you plan on suing the corporation, or if you run a competing business and want to attempt to buy them out. Contact the Department of State or Secretary of State's office where your business filed its articles of incorporation. To order a copy of the articles, the process remains as a manual request. A trademark search list includes document number and status. Some states may enable you to search for business documents by keyword, and then request a certified copy from the same page. You also may have to wait a little longer to get a certified copy, since the certification of the document is done by hand. Filing Fee. It will verify the existence of your company and certify that it has been legally registered at Companies House under the Companies Act 2006.. How to Get Articles of Incorporation Once you form a corporation and file articles with the incorporating state, those articles become a part of the public record. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. Most states allow you to download a corporation's articles from the database for free. These provide basic information about the business and contact details for the corporation’s registered agent. Include your name and address as the person to whom the document should be sent. Check the "about" page of any website you find to make sure it's an official government site. Every state has a form for the articles of incorporation. For more tips from our Legal co-author, including how to get a copy of your articles of incorporation by mail, read on! In some instances, a request for copies of incorporation may be initiated by fax, email, or by writing the Secretary of State or Department of State's office. All you need to do is search the UBI number, select the entity from the search result, and select the Filing History button at the bottom of the page. You are going to an external site. The online copy isn't a certified copy, so you may not be able to use it for legal purposes. Regardless of whether you are forming a C corporation or an S corporation, the company formation document is called the Articles of Incorporation or Certificate of Incorporation. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 35,758 times. Make sure you're using the correct business name. Articles of Incorporation. He enjoys finding ways to communicate important information in a meaningful way to others. % of people told us that this article helped them. Articles of Incorporation. A … Step 2: Create your articles of incorporation. Form 4 Articles of Amendment - Stock For-Profit Corporation . Have a copy of your original Articles of Incorporation sent to you directly by email, without having to travel anywhere or stand in line waiting. Get started Start Your Articles of Incorporation Answer a few questions. Double-check the name you find and cross-reference it with any other information you have to make sure it's the right name for the corporation. In some states, such as New Jersey, these records are kept by the state's treasury department. Bureau of Commercial Services. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Articles of incorporation are the pertinent filing with a government body (usually the state) that signifies the creation of a corporation. Associated Contacts: Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) - Corporations Division. Instead, you may choose that the duration be “perpetual.” Moreover, in many states, if you do not provide a duration, it is assumed by default that the duration will be perpetual. If you haven't heard back from the secretary of state's office or received your documents within a month or so, contact the office directly to find out the status of your request. Statement of Information. Go to the website of the state of incorporation to continue your search. Applicants are encouraged to file online. This portion of the site is for informational purposes only. Alternatively, call your secretary of state’s office for support. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Download a copy of the corporation's articles of incorporation from the business entity database of the state of incorporation. To find the official site, do a basic internet search for the terms "secretary of state" along with the name of your state. This certificate is filed with the NYS Department of State (NYSDOS). The time frame to receive a copy of your articles of incorporation will vary according to the state where your business is incorporated. Form 8 Restated Articles of Incorporation - Stock For-Profit Corporation Whether you're researching a corporation for your own interests, or for business or legal purposes, you may need a copy of the corporation's articles of incorporation. From there, look for an option that mentions copies or information requests. Articles of Incorporation Louisiana Business #399 $75 …Articles of Incorporation-Louisiana Nonprofit #395 $75 …Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company #365 $100 … Some state databases also allow you to use keywords, so you don't have to worry about having the exact legal name of the corporation. Contact the Department of State or Secretary of State's office where your business filed its articles of incorporation. Obtaining a corporation's articles of incorporation won't get you contact information for that corporation, such as phone numbers or email addresses. Submitted by admin on Sat, 05/14/2016 - 01:14. Some states provide an expedited service that allows you to have the documents faxed to you, but you'll pay additional fees. Authorized Stock. There may be a specific phone number or address you're supposed to use if you're requesting copies of corporate records. Please review the following instructions before proceeding. Welcome. There are three ways to obtain copies of Articles of Incorporation. To form an LLC, members file articles of organization—also called a certificate of formation or a certificate of organization—with the state's business filing office. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. The articles of incorporation, sometimes called the certificate of incorporation, or charter, declares the desire of an individual or group of individuals to become a corporation. Obtaining a copy of a company's Articles of Incorporation is a relatively simple process. This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Most charitable nonprofits do not issue stock to individuals. Provide information such as the mailing address where the copy of your company's articles of incorporation should be sent. A certified copy must be generated by the secretary of state's office. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Content Category: BBL. Some states take credit or debit card information for fee payment, but plan on making your payment using a check or money order. Corporation Division P.O. Review and verify your information for accuracy. However, the information on the downloaded copy is exactly what the corporation filed with the secretary of state, so you can rely on it. Definition: Articles of Incorporation. If you're sending a fax request, provide a return fax number and contact name. The Articles of Incorporation Form . The document you must use to for this application is called Articles of Incorporation. In many instances, the Secretary of State's office allows businesses to request a copy of their articles of incorporation by phone, or in person. For example, in Maryland, the office that regulates businesses is called the State Department of Assessments and Taxation, while in Arizona it is called the Arizona Corporation Commission. Expect it to take a couple of weeks before you receive your certified documents in the mail. You will get a certificate of incorporation when your company is successfully incorporated at Companies House. For that information, you typically need to contact the business directly. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. If you are incorporating a small, private business, consider choosing basic incorporation. In all three cases you will receive a microfiche of your Articles of Incorporation. You can request a certified copy of your company's Articles of Organization via the … Pay for your copies. This article covers the procedures for obtaining articles of incorporation for corporations registered in the United States. A nonprofit can decide whether to have members or not. This document provides the state with necessary information on your business. This article has been viewed 35,758 times. By using our site, you agree to our. A business may be required to present copies of its articles of incorporation to open a business bank account, or to operate outside of the company's state of incorporation. You can also order paper copies for a small fee. Many states require businesses to include information such as the number of shares the company can issue, as well as the legal name and address of the business, in its articles of incorporation. Specify if you need more than one copy, and whether all copies need to be certified. In some instances, a request for copies of incorporation may be initiated by fax, email, or by writing the Secretary of State or Department of … A certified copy typically costs a little more to get. Contact the third party service, or incorporator, that completed and filed your articles of incorporation. You can get contact information for the secretary of state's office on their website. You will have to get your articles of incorporation and send them in with a letter to the Internal Revenue Service location that serves you with a letter describing the change of the name… There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. When you request a copy of an approved Certificate of Incorporation from the Delaware Division of Corporations, for example, the document serves as verification that you have established a valid company in Delaware. In addition, some states apply corporation law to LLCs, especially with regard to the Articles of Incorporation. Step 4 . In most cases, you'll be charged a fee by the third party service in order to obtain a copy of your company's articles of incorporation. Getting copies of the Delaware Articles of Incorporation provides you with the necessary paperwork you may need for certain transactions. Include an address where the secretary of state's office can mail your documents. You can find … Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. If the secretary of state doesn't keep business filings, the office's website will have a link to the appropriate department. The fees for a copy vary greatly among states, but typically won't be more than $20 or $30 for a certified copy (less for a plain copy). Corporations Forms - Business, Domestic & Foreign (Ch. 517-241-6470 . In order to begin the process of incorporating, the business must file a business registration form with the state in which you want to do business. Home / Content / Articles of Incorporation. Include your name and an address where the secretary of state's office can mail your documents. This form creates a Florida Profit Corporation OR corrects your rejected online filing. A new corporation founded in New York State must file a Certificate of Incorporation. Look for information about certified copies, and it will list the methods you can use to request them. Delaware Articles of Incorporation. [1] The specific information included in the Articles of Incorporation varies from state to state, but the following are the typical details that are included: It spells out the minimum information about the corporation that is required by the laws of the state. The Articles of Incorporation must be signed by each incorporator. This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Once you download the articles, you can print them or save the digital file to use however you need. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. 180) Form 2 Articles of Incorporation - Stock For-Profit Corporation Online Form 2 - Articles of Incorporation - Stock For-Profit Corporation . In many instances, the Secretary of State's office allows businesses to request a copy of their articles of incorporation by phone, or in person. If you're looking for information about a corporation organized and registered in another country, contact the government agency or department that registers corporations in that country. All incorporators must sign the articles of incorporation. For more tips from our Legal co-author, including how to get a copy of your articles of incorporation by mail, read on! In most states, the secretary of state’s website has an articles of incorporation template that meets the minimum filing requirements. Articles of incorporation are public documents, so you don't have to worry about proving you are an authorized representative of the corporation. References. With the new Corporations and Charities Filing System (CCFS) copies are available on-demand and for free. If that option is available, it can help you ensure that you're getting the document you need. Christopher Carter loves writing business, health and sports articles. In other states, these documents are kept by the state's treasury department. Box 30054 Lansing, Michigan 48909-7554. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Completed applications, with a fee, must be sent to the NYSDOS. REGISTERED AGENT: The corporation must appoint a registered agent who has a business address within the State of Illinois. How do you write articles of incorporation? Last Updated: December 31, 2019 If they’re available, you should be able to download them. If you need more than one copy, you may need to pay a separate fee for each copy. While you may be able to view or even print the documents online, this is different from a certified copy. These articles provide basic information about the business and the name and contact information for the corporation's registered agent. Copies of any documents (Certificates of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, Certificates of Amendment, etc.) In most states, you can get copies of corporate documents, including the articles of incorporation, from the office of the state's secretary of state. The fees for a certified copy are higher than the fees for a plain copy. You will need access to … This step establishes the structure of your corporation. To obtain a copy of such articles, you need to know the corporation's legal name and, in some states, the … Contact the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs for copies, certificates, or general information. CORPORATION NAME: The corporate name must include one of the following words or abbreviations: Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc. or Ltd.. Expect to pay around $20 or $30 for each certified copy. X In states like New Hampshire, a copy of your company's articles of incorporation may be sent free of charge, as long as the articles of incorporation are 20 pages or less. In many states you can view a corporation's articles of incorporation online. Put information about yourself and the documents you want. Supply the corporation's legal business name, as well as the year the company became incorporated. The official website typically ends with ".gov" or ".us." The cost for a copy of your company's articles of incorporation may vary depending on the state of incorporation. Foreign Documents: Articles of Incorporation, Keytlaw: Obtain a Copy of the Filed Articles of Organization, New Hampshire Department of State: Frequently Asked Questions, Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation: Corporate Charter. The articles become a public record and provide important information about the corporation, including its name, contact information, and information about its shares of stock. One of the requirements for foreign qualification is to provide a certified copy of your company's Articles of Organization. You’ll need to pay a filing fee when you submit the form. In most states, a certified copy can be requested by visiting the office of the Secretary of State in person or by phone, mail, or the state's online system. The documents must be ordered in person through the Provincial office at 393 University Avenue, 2nd floor in Toronto.If you do not wish to attend this office yourself, we offer the service to go on your behalf and order the documents over the counter at the Provincial office. When a business incorporates in the United States, it must file articles of incorporation with the state's secretary of state. Articles of incorporation form a document that establishes a corporation as a separate business entity. Some states will charge a fee to download the document. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. This article has been viewed 35,758 times. If you don't know the legal name of the corporation, look it up first using the corporate names database on the same website. Should the nonprofit go out of business, any remaining assets would be donated to another nonprofit. Furthermore, if your company plans to do business outside the United States, you'll likely need to file either an Apostille or Embassy Certification and include a certified copy of your Articles of Organization. We'll take care of the rest. All states have printable forms that can be used to file Articles of Incorporation. Once submitted, the Articles of Incorporation cannot be changed, removed, canceled or refunded. Print Send by email PDF. Carter earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Eastern Illinois University. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/articlesofincorporation.asp, http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/information-requests/, http://www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/copiesentities.shtml, https://www.sos.ky.gov/bus/business-filings/OnlineServices/Pages/default.aspx, http://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/manage-business/certification/certified-copy-by-mail/, http://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/be-records-requests.pdf, http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/business_services/howdoi.html, https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/faq_copies.page.asp, http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/processing-times/, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. You can use the template and fill in the blanks to easily create your articles of incorporation. Go to the website of your state's secretary of state. Checklist Item Category: Corporate Documentation . 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