What are Articles of Incorporation?

A set of formal documents filed with a government body to legally document the creation of a corporation

What is Included in the Articles of Incorporation

No matter the type or size of your new business, most states require that the articles of incorporation include, at a minimum, the following information:

• Your new corporation's name and address (principal place of business)
• The corporate purpose (usually stated in broad language such as "to engage in any lawful activity," in order to avoid limiting the corporation's business prospects)
• Name and address of your corporation's registered agent, who will be authorized to physically accept delivery of certain legal documents (including lawsuits) on behalf of your corporation.
• Stock information -- including number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue, designation of classes of shares, and value of each share.

Once filed and approved by the state, the articles of incorporation legally create the corporation as a registered business entity within the state.

Business owners occasionally need to get copies of their most important state-filed documents, such as Articles of Incorporation and amendments.

Certified Copies are state-issued, exact copies of your original business documents. They're often accompanied by a title page bearing an official seal or the Secretary of State's signature, lending them additional proof of authenticity.

Maybe you've lost the original copy of your document or it's been damaged. Maybe you just want to have a duplicate to keep with your internal company records.

Having Certified Copies of your business documents on hand is also a crucial part of completing many business transactions.

Certified Copies of business documents may be requested by:

• state governments, if you've applied for foreign qualification in those states
• lenders, when you're trying to obtain financing
• banks, in order to open a business checking account
• potential business partners or investors

Along with their Articles of Incorporation, business owners typically need Certified Copies of:

• Certificates of Formation
• Certificates of Authority (evidence of foreign qualification)
• Corporate dissolution or liquidation forms
• DBA/fictitious name filings

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