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Oregon Secretary of State Corporation Division

Articles of Incorporation Form Instructions

The instructions are listed in numerical order to align with the form. They supplement the instructions on the form itself.

Select the appropriate business type:

BUSINESS CORPORATION (Complete all items but # 7. Optional items are 7, 8, 10, and 11.)

or

PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION (Complete all items. Optional items are 8, 10, and 11.)

  1. NAME OF CORPORATION: The entity identifier is necessary. Common abbreviations are “INC” and “CO”, and a period is optional. The name of a corporation must be written in the alphabet used to write the English language and may include Arabic and Roman numerals and incidental punctuation.
  2. PRINCIPAL OFFICE: The principal office may not be a PO Box, a commercial mail receiving agency, a mail forwarding business, or a virtual office.
  3. REGISTERED AGENT: An individual or a registered business with an Oregon street address who has agreed to accept legal documents on behalf of the corporation. The corporation cannot be its own Registered Agent.
  4. REGISTERED AGENT’S PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ADDRESS: This Oregon street address must be suitable for personal delivery of legal papers to the Registered Agent. The registered office may not be a PO Box, commercial mail receiving agency, a mail forwarding business, or a virtual office.
  5. ADDRESS WHERE THE DIVISION MAY MAIL NOTICES: An address where renewal notices will be mailed. Other types of mail will also be delivered to this publicly available address.
  6. NUMBER OF SHARES: Enter the number of shares the company will have authority to issue.
  7. IF RENDERING A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL SERVICE …: Describe briefly. (Professional Corporation only)
  8. OPTIONAL PROVISIONS: Any provisions beyond the first two require a separate attachment. BENEFIT COMPANY: Check this box only if the requirements of ORS 60.750 – 60.770 are clearly understood and agreed to.
    INDEMNIFICATION: Check this box to elect the provisions of ORS 58.185 or 60.387 – 60.414. SEE ATTACHED: Check this box if attaching a page with additional provisions. (These are rare.)
  9. WHO IS FORMING THIS BUSINESS? (INCORPORATORS): Address(es) may be business or mailing address(es).
  10. INITIAL PRESIDENT: This is required by most banks to set up a business account. Address may be a business or mailing address.
  11. INITIAL SECRETARY: This is required by most banks to set up a business account. Address may be a business or mailing address.
  12. INDIVIDUAL WITH DIRECT KNOWLEDGE: Any authorized representative who knows what the business does. The address may be a business or mailing address.
  13. EXECUTION/SIGNATURE OF EACH PERSON WHO IS FORMING THIS BUSINESS: This legal declaration must be signed. If another form is generated, this exact wording must be used.

Download the form:  Articles of Incorporation - Business/Professional