Introduction

The Secretary of State (or other responsible department) of each of the 50 states is where a company registers if it wants to become a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, or other form of entity. General partnerships and sole proprietors usually do not have to register with the Secretary of State.

Directory of Secretary of State Websites

Below are links to the Secretary of State offices, or other responsible departments that have information and services online. Most have free information and forms, but some require payment to access their services:

Alabama	Louisiana	Ohio
Alaska	Maine	Oklahoma
Arizona	Massachusetts	Oregon
Arkansas	Maryland	Pennsylvania
California	Michigan	Rhode Island
Colorado	Minnesota	South Carolina
Connecticut	Missouri	South Dakota
DC	Mississippi	Tennessee
Delaware	Montana	Texas
Florida	Nebraska	Utah
Georgia	Nevada	Vermont
Hawaii	New Hampshire	Virginia
Idaho	New Jersey	Washington
Illinois	New Mexico	West Virginia
Indiana	New York	Wisconsin
Iowa	North Carolina	Wyoming
Kansas	North Dakota
Kentucky

What does the Secretary of State's Office do? The Secretary of State's office usually provides the following services: - File Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization, Certificates of Formation or other required documents to become a corporation, limited partnership or limited liability company - File annual information statement filings, to include your officers, directors, managers, and current address - File to register as a foreign qualified entity in a state if you are incorporated elsewhere but are going to be doing business in another state - Search for the availability of names for your corporation, LP, or LLC and reserve the name - Order Certificates of Good Standing for a company to make sure it is qualified to do business in a particular state