How to File an Incorporation
If you wish to start a business and you have chosen a corporation as your business entity, then you must file a document called "Articles of Incorporation," which is sometimes called a "Certificate of Incorporation," with the state in which you wish to become incorporated. Incorporating a business prevents the owners of the business, called shareholders, from being held personally liable for the actions of the business. Filing the necessary documents for incorporation can be done by following these steps.
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Instructions
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Navigate to your state's secretary of state website. In some cases the secretary of state may be called the department of state. Locate the business or corporation section of the website, and select the link that will take you to the articles of incorporation form. If you wish, contact your secretary of state and request that the forms be mailed to you.
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Obtain and complete the articles of incorporation. Generally, the articles of incorporation will ask for the name of the corporation, its mailing address, the name of the corporation's registered agent, the names of the incorporators, the addresses of the incorporators, and the amount and type of shares that will be issued for the corporation. All incorporators must sign the articles of incorporation.
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Submit the completed articles of incorporation with any necessary fees, which can usually range from about $50 to more than $125, and additional requested documents to the secretary of state. Once the secretary of state receives the completed articles of incorporation document and files it, then the business will be incorporated.
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Tips & Warnings
Some states allow you to file this paperwork online. All you must do is create an account through the secretary of state business or corporations webpage, and the site will navigate you through the process.
Avoid doing business until the secretary of state has filed your articles of incorporation because the incorporators are not protected from personal liability until the articles are filed.
Read all directions that accompany the articles of incorporation. Failure to follow the directions could delay the filing of your articles of incorporation.
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