To find Articles of Incorporation in California, search the corporation by name or entity number on the Secretary of State’s free bizfile portal at bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov, then download the PDF from the entity’s filing history.1California Secretary of State. Search | California Secretary of State – bizfile Online The search itself is free and takes a couple of minutes. If you need a copy with the Secretary of State’s seal for a bank, court, or government agency, you can order a certified version online or by mail for a small fee.
What the Articles Actually Contain
California law requires every set of articles to include the corporation’s legal name, its stated business purpose, the name and address of the initial agent for service of process, and the number and type of authorized shares.2California Legislative Information. California Corporations Code 200 Initial directors may be named, but that isn’t always required.
One thing the articles won’t show you: current management. For today’s officers and directors, you want the corporation’s most recent Statement of Information, a separate filing on the same bizfile detail page. The articles are a formation snapshot, not a running roster.
What to Have Ready Before You Search
The fastest lookup is by entity number. Older California corporations have a 7-digit number, sometimes prefixed with the letter “C.” Corporations registered since late 2025 receive a 12-character ID starting with “B.”3California Secretary of State. bizfile When you search by number on bizfile, drop the “C” prefix for older entities but keep the “B” for newer ones. You can often find the number on old tax returns, bank paperwork, or any official letter the corporation received from the state.
Without a number, search by the corporation’s exact legal name. Be precise. California has millions of registered entities and many share similar names. Also confirm you’re looking for a corporation rather than an LLC, since the two appear as separate entity types in the results and are governed by different statutes.
Search results carry a status label. “Active” means the corporation is in good standing. “Suspended” or “Forfeited” means it has lost authority to do business in California, usually for unpaid taxes or unfiled returns.4Franchise Tax Board. My Business Is Suspended “Dissolved” or “Surrendered” means it wound down. You can retrieve the articles regardless of status; the label only tells you whether the business is currently operating.
Running the Free Search on bizfile
Go to bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov and type the entity name or number into the search bar. The portal runs a keyword search, so partial names return multiple matches, and you can filter by status to narrow the list.1California Secretary of State. Search | California Secretary of State – bizfile Online Click through to the correct entity’s detail page.
The detail page shows the corporation’s filing history: the original Articles of Incorporation, any amendments, and Statements of Information. Each filing has a link to download a free, uncertified PDF, and those PDFs are scanned images of the actual documents on file, so the text appears exactly as submitted.1California Secretary of State. Search | California Secretary of State – bizfile Online Save them locally for due diligence, internal review, or your own records at no cost.
Amendments and Restated Articles
The current structure of a corporation may look nothing like what was filed on day one. Name changes, share increases, and purpose amendments each appear as separate filings on the entity’s detail page. If the corporation has filed restated articles, that single document supersedes the original and consolidates every prior amendment into one text.5CA.gov. Restated Articles of Incorporation of California Stock Corporations
When reviewing the history, check the dates. If a “Restated Articles” filing exists, start there rather than stitching together the original and every amendment that followed. If none exists, read the amendments in chronological order. All of these are free PDFs on the same bizfile page.
Ordering a Certified Copy
Free PDFs work for background research, but banks, courts, and government agencies often require a certified copy carrying the Secretary of State’s official seal. California charges $5 for the certification, plus $1 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page.6California Secretary of State. Business Entities Fee Schedule A typical two or three page set of articles runs roughly $7 to $8.
You can order online through bizfile or by mailing the Business Entities Records Order Form to the Sacramento office.7California Secretary of State. Business Entities Records Request The form asks for the entity name, entity number (recommended), and which documents you want; check the “Certified” box next to the document type. If mailing, include a check or money order payable to the Secretary of State.8CA.gov. Business Entities Records – Order Form
You can also hand-deliver the form to the Sacramento office at 1500 11th Street, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding state holidays. Drop-off requests receive priority over mail but carry a non-refundable $10 special handling fee per entity.8CA.gov. Business Entities Records – Order Form All certified copy processing happens in Sacramento; the Los Angeles office does not handle these requests.
Processing Times and Expedited Service
Standard processing times shift with request volume, and the Secretary of State’s site publishes current processing dates that tend to slow near the end of the fiscal and calendar years.9California Secretary of State. Current Processing Dates Check that page before you submit so you know what to expect.
If you need the document faster, California offers two expedited tiers, both available online or by drop-off at the Sacramento office:
- 24-hour service costs $350 and guarantees a response within 24 hours of submission, excluding weekends and holidays.
- Same-day service costs $750; submit by 9:30 a.m. to receive the response by 4:00 p.m. the same day.
These fees are on top of the standard copy and certification charges.10California Secretary of State. Service Options
Apostille for Use Abroad
If you need the certified copy recognized in a foreign country, you’ll also need an apostille from the Secretary of State. The apostille confirms the authenticity of the certification seal for countries party to the Hague Apostille Convention. The fee is $20 per apostille. In-person requests at the Sacramento or Los Angeles office add a $6 special handling fee for each public official’s signature being authenticated. Include a cover sheet identifying the country where the document will be used, and submit an original certified copy; photocopies are not accepted.11California Secretary of State. Request an Apostille
When the Records Aren’t Online
The bizfile portal holds a large volume of filings, but very old corporate records may not be digitized. If you’re researching a corporation formed decades ago and nothing appears in the search, the California State Archives may hold the physical records. The Archives Research Room in Sacramento is open to the public 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. If you can’t visit, staff will perform limited research by phone at 916-653-2246 or by email at Reference@sos.ca.gov, generally responding within three to five business days, plus mailing time for photocopies.12California Secretary of State. California State Archives The Archives doesn’t offer rush service, so build in extra time if the records are time-sensitive.