Articles of Organization
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Articles of Organization. The document that brings an LLC into existence. The corporation equivalent is usually articles of incorporation or a certificate of formation.
Why it matters
It is the filing that creates the entity, and it is public from the moment the state accepts it. It is deliberately thin: name, agent, sometimes the organiser and a purpose clause, and little else.
What to know
- Public and searchable once accepted.
- Distinct from the operating agreement, which governs how the business actually runs, is private, and is not filed with anyone.
- Amendments are separate filings and also public.
- Naming an organiser does not make that person an owner. Formation services routinely appear here.
Filing fees and turnaround, by state
What it costs to file the document that creates the entity, and how long each office takes.
| Jurisdiction | LLC filing fee | Expedited | Typical processing | Official search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $200 | $100 | 3-5 business days | arc-sos.state.al.us |
| Alaska | $250 | $100 | 10-15 business days | commerce.alaska.gov |
| Arizona | $50 | not offered or not published | 14-16 business days | ecorp.azcc.gov |
| Arkansas | $45 | $25 | 3-5 business days | sos.arkansas.gov |
| California | $70 | $350 | 5-7 business days | bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov |
| Colorado | $50 | not offered or not published | Immediate for online filings | coloradosos.gov |
| Connecticut | $120 | not offered or not published | 5-7 business days | service.ct.gov |
| Delaware | $110 | not offered or not published | 3-5 weeks | icis.corp.delaware.gov |
| District of Columbia | $99 | $220 | 4-5 business days | corponline.dcra.dc.gov |
| Florida | $100 | $50 | Processed in the order received | search.sunbiz.org |
| Georgia | $110 | not offered or not published | 7 to 10 business days online, 15 business days paper | ecorp.sos.ga.gov |
| Hawaii | $50 | not offered or not published | Not specified | hbe.ehawaii.gov |
| Idaho | $100 | not offered or not published | 5-7 business days | sosbiz.idaho.gov |
| Illinois | $500 | not offered or not published | 5-10 business days | apps.ilsos.gov |
| Indiana | $95 | $50 | 7-10 business days | bsd.sos.in.gov |
| Iowa | $50 | $25 | 5-10 business days | sos.iowa.gov |
| Kansas | $85 | $40 | within minutes for online filing | kansas.gov |
| Kentucky | $40 | $10 | 4-6 business days | sos.ky.gov |
| Louisiana | $100 | not offered or not published | routine processing (no specific timeframe given) | coraweb.sos.la.gov |
| Maine | $175 | $50 | 35-40 business days | apps1.web.maine.gov |
| Maryland | $100 | not offered or not published | 4-6 weeks (paper), 6-8 weeks (online non-expedited), 3-4 weeks current | egov.maryland.gov |
| Massachusetts | $500 | not offered or not published | 5-10 business days | corp.sec.state.ma.us |
| Michigan | $50 | $50 | 7-10 business days | mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us |
| Minnesota | $155 | not offered or not published | 5-7 business days | mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us |
| Mississippi | $50 | $50 | 3-5 business days | corp.sos.ms.gov |
| Missouri | $50 | not offered or not published | 5-10 business days | bsd.sos.mo.gov |
| Montana | $35 | not offered or not published | 2 weeks | biz.sosmt.gov |
| Nebraska | $100 | $50 | approximately a week for document review | nebraska.gov |
| Nevada | $425 | $125 | 2-3 weeks | esos.nv.gov |
| New Hampshire | $100 | $25 | within 30 days | quickstart.sos.nh.gov |
| New Jersey | $125 | not offered or not published | 3-5 business days | njportal.com |
| New Mexico | $50 | $100 | 1-3 business days | enterprise.sos.nm.gov |
| New York | $200 | not offered or not published | 2-3 weeks | apps.dos.ny.gov |
| North Carolina | $125 | $100 | 5-10 business days | sosnc.gov |
| North Dakota | $135 | $20 | 5-7 business days | firststop.sos.nd.gov |
| Ohio | $99 | $100 | 5-7 business days | businesssearch.ohiosos.gov |
| Oklahoma | $104 | $25 | about 15 minutes | sos.ok.gov |
| Oregon | $100 | $50 | 5-10 business days | sos.oregon.gov |
| Pennsylvania | $125 | $100 | 7-10 business days | file.dos.pa.gov |
| Rhode Island | $150 | $50 | 5-7 business days | business.sos.ri.gov |
| South Carolina | $110 | $50 | 5-7 business days | businessfilings.sc.gov |
| South Dakota | $150 | not offered or not published | normal course of business | sosenterprise.sd.gov |
| Tennessee | $300 | $100 | 5-10 business days | tncab.tnsos.gov |
| Texas | $300 | $25 | 10-12 business days (online SOS Direct), 13-15 business days (online SOS Upload), 4-8 weeks plus mail time (paper) | comptroller.texas.gov |
| Utah | $59 | $75 | 5-7 business days | businessregistration.utah.gov |
| Vermont | $155 | $25 | 7-10 business days for mail filings, less than 1 business day for online filings | bizfilings.vermont.gov |
| Virginia | $100 | $200 | 24 hours online | cis.scc.virginia.gov |
| Washington | $180 | not offered or not published | 5-10 business days | ccfs.sos.wa.gov |
| West Virginia | $130 | not offered or not published | 5-7 business days | apps.sos.wv.gov |
| Wisconsin | $130 | not offered or not published | 5-10 business days | apps.dfi.wi.gov |
| Wyoming | $100 | $100 | Up to 15 business days | wyobiz.wyo.gov |
Common questions
What is included in articles of organization?
The name, the registered agent and address, usually the management structure, and sometimes the members. It is a short document. The detail about how the business actually runs belongs in the operating agreement, which is not filed.
Are articles of organization the same as an operating agreement?
No, and the distinction matters. Articles are filed with the state and are public. The operating agreement is private, is not filed in most states, and is where ownership splits and decision rights actually live.
What do corporations file instead?
Articles of incorporation, which do a similar job for a corporation. Some states use different names again, such as a certificate of formation or a certificate of organization, for the identical filing.
Can articles of organization be amended?
Yes, by filing an amendment and paying a fee. Changing the registered name, the agent or the address is routine. The formation date does not change.
Where you will see it
This term appears on business entity search results and in correspondence from the Secretary of State. If you met it on a search result and are not sure how it applies to a specific business, the record itself usually says more than the summary line does.
You can check a name against all 50 states and the District of Columbia from the search on our home page. Every result links back to the state office that holds the record.
Sources reviewed
The sources below were retrieved and confirmed in August 2026. Filing requirements and fees change with legislative sessions and agency rulemaking; check the state’s own page before acting on anything here. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
- Filing fees and processing times published by each Secretary of State or equivalent business filing office.
- Official business entity search portals for all 51 jurisdictions, each retrieved and confirmed to resolve. The full list appears in the table above.
Related
The other filings and terms that appear on the same record: