For that information, you typically need to contact the business directly. Businesses should consult an attorney to learn about legal structures. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Designation as Stock or Non-Stock . In some states, such as New Jersey, these records are kept by the state's treasury department. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. The Articles of Incorporation Form . 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. Expect it to take a couple of weeks before you receive your certified documents in the mail. 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 … Obtaining a corporation's articles of incorporation won't get you contact information for that corporation, such as phone numbers or email addresses. 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. 517-241-6470 . Statement of Information. If you are incorporating a small, private business, consider choosing basic incorporation. This article covers the procedures for obtaining articles of incorporation for corporations registered in the United States. Supply the corporation's legal business name, as well as the year the company became incorporated. Once the articles of incorporation are retrieved, a staff member in the office will check the business filings to make sure they are the most recent articles filed by the corporation, and certify their accuracy. 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. Box 30054 Lansing, Michigan 48909-7554. [1] While you may be able to view or even print the documents online, this is different from a certified copy. You can get contact information for the secretary of state's office on their website. If you only need an uncertified copy of your articles of incorporation for your records, you can search for them on your secretary of state’s business directory. A trademark search list includes document number and status. 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. One of the requirements for foreign qualification is to provide a certified copy of your company's Articles of Organization. Contact the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs for copies, certificates, or general information. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Completed applications, with a fee, must be sent to the NYSDOS. Include an address where the secretary of state's office can mail your documents. A certified copy must be generated by the secretary of state's office. 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. CORPORATION NAME: The corporate name must include one of the following words or abbreviations: Corporation, Company, Incorporated, Limited, Corp., Co., Inc. or Ltd.. This is usually the Secretary of State's office, but it can vary. 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. This portion of the site is for informational purposes only. Most charitable nonprofits do not issue stock to individuals. Carter earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Eastern Illinois University. You also may have to wait a little longer to get a certified copy, since the certification of the document is done by hand. The articles of organiz… How do you write articles of incorporation? 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. From there, look for an option that mentions copies or information requests. You can use the template and fill in the blanks to easily create your articles of incorporation. This article has been viewed 35,758 times. Please review the following instructions before proceeding. You can look it up in the secretary of state's business name database if you're unsure. 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. All states have printable forms that can be used to file Articles of Incorporation. Provide information such as the mailing address where the copy of your company's articles of incorporation should be sent. If you're sending a fax request, provide a return fax number and contact name. We'll take care of the rest. 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. Research source. Obtaining a copy of a company's Articles of Incorporation is a relatively simple process. In many states you can view a corporation's articles of incorporation online. Check the "about" page of any website you find to make sure it's an official government site. REGISTERED AGENT: The corporation must appoint a registered agent who has a business address within the State of Illinois. Every state has a form for the articles of incorporation. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. You are going to an external site. This document provides the state with necessary information on your business. Get started Start Your Articles of Incorporation Answer a few questions. If documents are listed, look for the articles of incorporation and click the link to open to document to view, save and print. The fee for filing Articles of Incorporation is $100. Articles of Incorporation Louisiana Business #399 $75 …Articles of Incorporation-Louisiana Nonprofit #395 $75 …Articles of Organization-Louisiana Limited Liability Company #365 $100 … These articles provide basic information about the business and the name and contact information for the corporation's registered agent. Last Updated: December 31, 2019 This step establishes the structure of your corporation. In addition, some states apply corporation law to LLCs, especially with regard to the Articles of Incorporation. A … Authorized Stock. Alternatively, call your secretary of state’s office for support. To obtain a copy of such articles, you need to know the corporation's legal name and, in some states, the … Contact the third party service, or incorporator, that completed and filed your articles of incorporation. There are 20 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Go to the website of the state of incorporation to continue your search. If you don't know the legal name of the corporation, look it up first using the corporate names database on the same website. The official website typically ends with ".gov" or ".us." Applicants are encouraged to file online. Getting copies of the Delaware Articles of Incorporation provides you with the necessary paperwork you may need for certain transactions. 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. Include your name and an address where the secretary of state's office can mail your documents. Most states allow you to download a corporation's articles from the database for free. If you need more than one copy, you may need to pay a separate fee for each copy. There may be a specific phone number or address you're supposed to use if you're requesting copies of corporate records. X Include your name and address as the person to whom the document should be sent. Filing Fee. If that option is available, it can help you ensure that you're getting the document you need. Checklist Item Category: Corporate Documentation . Content Category: BBL. 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… 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. (California Government Code section 12186.) 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. The cost for a copy of your company's articles of incorporation may vary depending on the state of incorporation. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 35,758 times. To get a word name, make sure to choose custom incorporation when you start incorporating online. Include the appropriate fee. 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. A new corporation founded in New York State must file a Certificate of Incorporation. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Weight: 1. Articles of Incorporation. Review the instructions for filing the Articles of Incorporation for Florida Profit Corporations. 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. When you incorporate a business in the United States, you need to file articles of incorporation. Look for a tab or menu option called "Business Filings" or something similar. A company's articles of incorporation is the document a business must file with the state, in order to operate in corporate form. Form 8 Restated Articles of Incorporation - Stock For-Profit Corporation If they’re available, you should be able to download them. Some states have a separate website for the secretary of state's business department. 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 time frame to receive a copy of your articles of incorporation will vary according to the state where your business is incorporated. A nonprofit can decide whether to have members or not. Mergeable: 0. 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. 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. 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. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Make sure you're using the correct business name. These provide basic information about the business and contact details for the corporation’s registered agent. He enjoys finding ways to communicate important information in a meaningful way to others. In most states, the secretary of state’s website has an articles of incorporation template that meets the minimum filing requirements. 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. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. 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. This certificate is filed with the NYS Department of State (NYSDOS). For more tips from our Legal co-author, including how to get a copy of your articles of incorporation by mail, read on! 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). This form creates a Florida Profit Corporation OR corrects your rejected online filing. Delaware Articles of Incorporation. 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. Once you download the articles, you can print them or save the digital file to use however you need. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Some states provide an expedited service that allows you to have the documents faxed to you, but you'll pay additional fees. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Go to the website of your state's secretary of state. The specific information included in the Articles of Incorporation varies from state to state, but the following are the typical details that are included: Corporation Division P.O. Home / Content / Articles of Incorporation. Expect to pay around $20 or $30 for each certified copy. 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