How to Obtain Articles of Incorporation

This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006.

There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 75,346 times.

When a business incorporates in the United States, it must file articles of incorporation with the state's secretary of state. These articles provide basic information about the business and the name and contact information for the corporation's registered agent. 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. In many states you can view a corporation's articles of incorporation online. You can also order paper copies for a small fee. [1] X Research source

Getting an Uncertified Copy Online

• The official website typically ends with ".gov" or ".us." Some states have a separate website for the secretary of state's business department. Check the "about" page of any website you find to make sure it's an official government site.
• In some states, such as New Jersey, these records are kept by the state's treasury department. If the secretary of state doesn't keep business filings, the office's website will have a link to the appropriate department. [3] X Research source

• Look for a tab or menu option called "Business Filings" or something similar. From there, look for an option that mentions copies or information requests.

• If you don't know the legal name of the corporation, look it up first using the corporate names database on the same website.
• 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.

• Once you download the articles, you can print them or save the digital file to use however you need.
• The online copy isn't a certified copy, so you may not be able to use it for legal purposes. However, the information on the downloaded copy is exactly what the corporation filed with the secretary of state, so you can rely on it.

• You can get contact information for the secretary of state's office on their website. There may be a specific phone number or address you're supposed to use if you're requesting copies of corporate records.

Requesting a Certified Copy Online

• 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.
• A certified copy typically costs a little more to get. You also may have to wait a little longer to get a certified copy, since the certification of the document is done by hand.

• Look for information about certified copies, and it will list the methods you can use to request them.
• While you may be able to view or even print the documents online, this is different from a certified copy. A certified copy must be generated by the secretary of state's office.

• Make sure you're using the correct business name. You can look it up in the secretary of state's business name database if you're unsure.
• Some states may enable you to search for business documents by keyword, and then request a certified copy from the same page. If that option is available, it can help you ensure that you're getting the document you need.

• The fees for a certified copy are higher than the fees for a plain copy. Expect to pay around $20 or $30 for each certified copy.

• 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.
• Expect it to take a couple of weeks before you receive your certified documents in the mail.

Getting a Certified Copy by Mail

• 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.

• Put information about yourself and the documents you want. Include an address where the secretary of state's office can mail your documents.

• Include your name and an address where the secretary of state's office can mail your documents. Some states provide an expedited service that allows you to have the documents faxed to you, but you'll pay additional fees. [16] X Research source
• Specify if you need more than one copy, and whether all copies need to be certified. If you need more than one copy, you may need to pay a separate fee for each copy.

• 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. In other states, these documents are kept by the state's treasury 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). Some states take credit or debit card information for fee payment, but plan on making your payment using a check or money order.

• 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.

Expert Q&A

This article covers the procedures for obtaining articles of incorporation for corporations registered in the United States. 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.

Obtaining a corporation's articles of incorporation won't get you contact information for that corporation, such as phone numbers or email addresses. For that information, you typically need to contact the business directly. [20] X Research source

1. ↑https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/articlesofincorporation.asp
2. ↑http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/information-requests/
3. ↑http://www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/copiesentities.shtml
4. ↑http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/information-requests/
5. ↑https://www.sos.ky.gov/bus/business-filings/OnlineServices/Pages/default.aspx
6. ↑https://www.sos.ky.gov/bus/business-filings/OnlineServices/Pages/default.aspx
7. ↑https://www.sos.ky.gov/bus/business-filings/OnlineServices/Pages/default.aspx
8. ↑http://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/manage-business/certification/certified-copy-by-mail/
9. ↑http://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/be-records-requests.pdf

1. ↑http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/business_services/howdoi.html
2. ↑https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/faq_copies.page.asp
3. ↑http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/processing-times/
4. ↑https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/faq_copies.page.asp
5. ↑http://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/be-records-requests.pdf
6. ↑https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/faq_copies.page.asp
7. ↑http://www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/copiesentities.shtml
8. ↑http://www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue/copiesentities.shtml
9. ↑https://www.dos.ny.gov/corps/faq_copies.page.asp
10. ↑http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/processing-times/
11. ↑http://www.sos.ca.gov/business-programs/business-entities/information-requests/

About This Article

This article was written by Jennifer Mueller, JD. Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 75,346 times.

When you incorporate a business in the United States, you need to file articles of incorporation. These provide basic information about the business and contact details for the corporation’s registered agent. 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. You’ll need to pay a filing fee when you submit the form. 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. If they’re available, you should be able to download them. Alternatively, call your secretary of state’s office for support. For more tips from our Legal co-author, including how to get a copy of your articles of incorporation by mail, read on!

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