What Is a Notice of Incorporation?

A notice of incorporation is a formal announcement to the public, indicating the formation of a new legal entity. Depending on regulations in your state, you may not be required to publish a notice of incorporation.

Location

States such as Pennsylvania, Arizona, Illinois and Georgia require new corporations to publish a notice of incorporation. In addition, they require proof that you've published a notice.

Significance

A notice of incorporation must be published in a newspaper within the county where the corporation is formed. If a corporation is located out of the state where it's formed, a notice of incorporation is published in the county where the corporation's registered agent is located. A previously unincorporated business planning to use the same name once it's incorporated, must file a notice of incorporation

Features

A notice of incorporation contains the name of the corporation, name and address of the registered agent, number of corporate shares, and the name and address of the incorporator. An incorporator is the individual responsible for handling the process of forming the corporation.

Length of Time

Depending on your state, you'll be required to publish your notice of incorporation in the appropriate publication for three or four consecutive weeks.

Corporate Validity

If your state requires you to publish a notice of incorporation, and you fail to do so for the appropriate length of time, your business may not be recognized as a corporation. This may cause you to be held personally liable for business lawsuits and debts.

References

• Activefilings.com: Other Questions About Incorporating
• Omaha.com: Notice of Incorporation