How to Locate a State of Incorporation

Locating the state of incorporation for a business can give you a large amount of information about the organization. The state in which a business incorporates is its domestic state; in all other states it will operate as a foreign business. Businesses from outside the country are alien businesses, but will have a state in which they conduct their formal operations in the Unites States. Publicly traded companies are required to file reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Using the SEC and communicating with the business itself will allow you to discover the state in which a business is incorporated.

Instructions

1. Visit the corporate website of the company you are researching. You may be able to find the state of incorporation and other information on the corporate website under information about the company.

2. Go to the website for the SEC at sec.gov. Use the search function to locate the most recent report from the business you are investigating.

3. Open the report. Download it as a PDF file or open the report on a web page. The state of incorporation will be located on the first page of the reports the corporation files with the SEC.

Tips & Warnings

• Contacting the corporate offices of a company directly can help you find the state of incorporation.

• Some offices websites for a state's Secretary of State will allow you to browse through the incorporated businesses in that state. Delaware has 850,000 incorporated businesses, according to their Division of Corporations website.

References

• Law Research: States of Incorporation
• Delaware's Division of Corporation

Resources

• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission