How to Obtain Certified Copies of Articles of Incorporation Paperwork
In the United States, corporations are created according to state law. In other words, a particular corporation is established and maintained pursuant to the laws of one particular state. In most states, the secretary of state is responsible for overseeing the creation of corporations. Additionally, this governmental official is responsible for managing the filing and maintenance of annual reports prepared by a corporation. You may need basic information about a corporation, including certified copies of articles of incorporation. If that is the case, there are certain procedures for you to follow to obtain this information.
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Instructions
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Go to the secretary of state's office in the state in which a corporation was established. Specifically, you need to go to the corporations division of that office.
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Fill out a request for documents form asking for certified copies of articles of incorporation. Insert the name of the corporation and any other relevant information that you may have available, including its state corporation ID number. Certified copies are duplicate articles of incorporation stamped (or sealed) and signed by a representative of the secretary of state as being true and correct.
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Submit the request for documents form to the secretary of state's staff. In most cases the certified copies of articles of incorporation will be provided to you the same day you request them.
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Pay the fee for duplication and certification. The fee varies from state to state. You may want to call in advance to determine how much certified copies will cost.
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Order certified copies through a secretary of state's website. Although you likely will be able to access and download actual articles of incorporation through a secretary of state's website, such a copy is not certified. It will not bear the appropriate stamp (or seal) and signature from a staff member of the secretary of state. However, through most websites you can order certified copies and have them mailed to you. You will need to pay the fee for duplication and certification through the website (by credit card) before your request is processed.
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Tips & Warnings
If you need certified copies of articles of incorporation immediately, your best bet is to obtain them directly from the secretary of state's office in the brick and mortar world.
