LLC Articles of Organization Guide & FREE Template Download

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What are Articles of Organization?

To put it simply — Articles of Organization are a necessary legal document used to form an LLC in any of 50 states. Its purpose is to describe the rights, powers, duties, liabilities, and other obligations between each member of an LLC and also between the LLC and its members.

Filing Articles of Organization is just one of the many steps you must go through when you are going through the process of registering an LLC to your state. A limited liability company is a popular and relatively inexpensive option for establishing a structure for a new company, offering plenty of benefits and flexibility. One of the biggest benefits is they include liability protection for the company owners so that personal assets are somewhat protected.

Although they all mean the same thing, some states have different names for Articles of Organization, for example, some will use the term Certificate of Formation, while others will use the term Certificate of Organization.

Some Articles of Organization are very long and detailed, while others can be short and simplified. You will just need to be sure that it covers all the information that the state requires.

Table Of Contents

Jump to Article of Organization Template Download
What are Articles of Organization?
Step 1: Research the State Requirements for Articles of Organization
Step 2: Get the Information for Your LLC
Step 3: Filling Out the Form
Download The Articles of Organization Template
Best Services to Help With Your LLC & Articles of Organization
- #1: Zenbusiness
- #2: Incfile
FAQs About LLC Articles of Organization

Step 1: Research the State Requirements for Articles of Organization

The first step is to find out the requirements for the Articles of Organization in your particular state. These can usually be found on the Security of State’s website, and will either be in the form of an itemized list of the things that you will need to include, or some will have a sample that you can look at.

Step 2: Get the Information for Your LLC

Once you have found out what it is you actually need to provide, it is time to start collecting all of the information. Although what is needed differs according to the state, most will include:

The name of the LLC that follows the state’s naming requirements.
The full address of the LLC.
A statement that identifies the state law the LLC will be organized under.

The registered agent that you have designated for your LLC. Finding a registered agent is one of the step you will need to complete with forming an LLC, and this needs to be included on the Articles of Organization. This is the individual or company that is in charge of receiving the official paperwork for your business.
The date that your LLC is designated to start.
The name of each of the LLC’s organizers as well as other information such as the address, email address and telephone number of the organizer.
In many states, you will have to specify whether the LLC will have a defined end date, or whether it will be perpetual.

There is likely to also be some additional information that your state will require before it can be filed. For example, you might need to talk about who will be managing the LLC, while others will need you to describe the purpose for the LLC. In some states, the purpose of your business can be pretty general, such as just ‘to conduct any and all lawful business, while others require something more specific, such as ‘car repair and maintenance service’. You will have to check the requirements for your state to see which will apply to you.

The forms have usually been designed so that the organizers are also able to supply additional information if they wish to. If this is the case, the organizer may wish to also include information on with LLC members are authorized to handle financial transactions, so there is not any confusion later on down the line.

Step 3: Filling Out the Form

Once you have found and gathered all the necessary information it is time to actually fill out the Articles of Organization form. You are either able to mail to the Secretary of State, as long as you have also included a check for the specified filing fee, or many states now let you file the form online. Usually, the latter is the easier and quicker method.

One thing to remember is that you have to sign to form, as it must contain the signature of an authorized representative of the company.

Once you have filed the form, the Secretary of State will review the articles, and may either accept or reject them. If your articles are rejected, although it could be for any number of reasons, chances are it will be an issue with your proposed name. When they have been accepted and filed, then your LLC becomes a legal business entity.

Download The Articles of Organization Template

Form your LLC Today with ZenBusiness — hassle-free and quick. Only $49 + state fees.

Of course, it would be fairly difficult to start from scratch and create the Certificate of Organization yourself. Luckily, there are some pre-made templates which we got ready for you to download.

You can download the Articles of Organization form by clicking here.

Best Services to Help With Your LLC & Articles of Organization

Although it is possible to create and file your Articles of Organization yourself, the process can be a little confusing and time-consuming for some. If this is the case, there are plenty of companies out there that offer to do the service for you. Some are better than others, two of the best are Zenbusiness and Incfile.

#1: Zenbusiness

Pros

Zenbusiness gives everything new business owners need to get their business registered and up and running. The process is quick and straightforward.
Compared to many of their competitors, Zenbusiness is one of the most affordable services out there, with a very cheap basic package. If you want a little more than the basic package, they have a straightforward pricing model with various levels of service.
They offer a variety of add-on services such as business credit cards and web hosting to help keep everything all in one place.
Thanks to the series of alerts, you’ll never miss a filing date again. This is a service that not every company provides, so you’ll always stay on top of deadlines.

Cons

It is not the cheapest service out there, so if budget is your biggest factor, it may be better to look elsewhere.

$0 + State Fees

Go to ZenBusiness.com

Rating: 4.8/5
Review count: 4830+

Form an LLC today with ZenBusiness for only $0 + State fees. They Have 98% customer satisfaction rating and over 4830+ verified reviews.

#2: Incfile

Pros

Incfile is the cheapest LLC formation service on the market, with their most basic package being completely free of charge.
There are over 12,000 5 star reviews online for Incfile, so the company must be doing something right.
Even with the basic package, you get a full year of registered agent service, that would otherwise be charged at $199.
The company is easy to use and deal with, with all documents prepared quickly and efficiently.

Cons

Although the customer support is not bad, it can be a little slower than its competitors at times.
The add ons and up sales can be a little pushy and annoying, with some of them being more pricey than other competitors.

$0+State Fees

Go to IncFile.com

Rating: 4.8/5
Review count: 3900+

Form an LLC today with IncFile starting from $0 + state fees. They Have 97% customer satisfaction rating and over 3900+ verified reviews. Here’s a full review of IncFile.

FAQs About LLC Articles of Organization

Are all LLC formation requirements the same in all states?

No, all states tend to have a different process when it comes to forming an LLC. It is worth looking up the different requirements for each state before starting the process.

How much will it cost to file my Articles of Organization?

All states charge a fee for filing, but in each state what you get charged will be different. Usually, the filing cost is somewhere better $50 and $200. In some states, this fee can be as high as £500 or more. If you wish to expedite the process, then this will incur an additional fee.

How do I file my Articles of Organization?

Most states will have you file your Articles of Organization with the LLC’s state’s Security of State office. Once this has been done and approved, you will either get the articles back with a stamp on them, or some states will give you a Certificate of Organization to show it has been filed.

How long will it take to get a response from the Secretary of State?

This is something else that can vary dramatically depending on what state you file your Articles of Organization with, but many will take several weeks to get back to you. If you want to speed up the process, some will offer an expedited option, which means that yours will be prioritized over other forms that have not been expedited.

Why do I need to file Articles of Organization?

Articles of Organization must be filed as they will give the Secretary of State all the information they need about a potential new company to either reject or approve it becoming a legal business entity. Once they have been approved, the business is authorized to conduct business.

How do I get started with Articles of Organization?

There are several different ways you can create your Articles of Organization. The easiest method is to use an LLC formation service, such as Zenbusiness or Incfile, to do all the work for you. Alternatively, you can create the document yourself. There are many Articles of Organization templates available online for you to download and use (click here to download our template). Simply follow the questions and guidance to create a professional and legal document. Just ensure that you are complying with the specific state requirements.