How to Get a Copy of a Certificate of Incorporation in NY

To get a copy of a Certificate of Incorporation in NY, send a written request to the New York Department of State’s Division of Corporations with your corporation’s exact legal name and DOS ID number. A plain copy is $5 and a certified copy is $10, and you can submit the request by mail, fax, email, or through the Department’s online ordering system.

Look Up Your Corporation First

Before you send anything, pull your corporation’s exact legal name and Department of State (DOS) ID number from the state’s Corporation and Business Entity Database.1Department of State. Corporation and Business Entity Database The search results list the entity name, DOS ID number, filing date, county, and current status. Many corporations share similar names, so the ID number is what pinpoints your record and prevents the request from being bounced back or delayed.

Plain Copy or Certified Copy

You have to tell the Department which one you want. A plain copy is a straight reproduction of the document on file, fine for internal records or general reference. A certified copy carries the Department of State’s official seal and signature, which is what gives it legal weight.2Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents Banks opening a corporate account, lenders extending business credit, courts, and foreign authorities typically want the certified version. If there is any chance the document will be used in a formal transaction, pay the extra $5 and get it certified.

What It Costs

Under New York Executive Law Section 96, the Department charges a flat per-document fee, regardless of how many pages the certificate runs:3New York State Senate. New York Executive Law Section 96

  • Plain copy: $5 per document
  • Certified copy: $10 per document

Routine requests are worked in the order received and can take several business days or longer during busy periods. If you need the copy faster, three expedited tiers are available for a surcharge added on top of the copy fee:4Department of State. Expedited Handling Services for Division of Corporations

  • 24-hour processing: $25 (excludes weekends and holidays)
  • Same-day processing: $75 (request must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. on a business day)
  • Two-hour processing: $150 (request must be hand-delivered or faxed by 2:30 p.m. on a business day)

So a certified copy with same-day handling runs $85 total. Payment is by money order payable to “Department of State,” or by MasterCard, Visa, or American Express.2Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents To pay by card on a mailed, faxed, or emailed request, include a completed and signed Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form.5New York State Department of State. Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form

How to Submit the Request

Four channels are available: mail or hand delivery, fax, email, and online ordering. Whichever one you use, your written request should state the exact corporate name, the DOS ID number or exact date of formation, which documents you want, whether you want plain or certified copies, whether you want routine or expedited processing, and the address where the copies should be sent.2Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents

Mail or Hand Delivery

Send the request and payment to:

New York State Department of State
Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code
99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor
Albany, NY 12231

Money order payable to “Department of State,” or include the signed card authorization form.

Fax

Fax the written request and signed Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form to (518) 473-1654. Faxed requests have to be paid by credit or debit card; money orders cannot be submitted by fax.6Department of State. Faxed Filings/Other Service Requests Fax is also the route for two-hour expedited processing if you are not appearing in person.

Email

Email the written request and signed card authorization form to dos.sm.corp.NYSDeptofStateCopyUnit@dos.ny.gov. Payment must be by credit or debit card.2Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents

Online

The Department’s website lets you order copies directly, with an entity search, document type and quantity selection, and a confirmation number for tracking. One important limit: electronic copies are only available for entities formed or authorized in New York on or after July 30, 1990.2Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents Older corporations have to use mail, fax, or email.

How You’ll Receive the Copy

Completed copies go back by first-class mail to the address on your request. Online orders for entities formed after July 30, 1990 may come as an electronic copy delivered to the email address you provided. If the Division cannot fill the request, for example because the filing is not on record or the name and ID number do not match, it sends a notice explaining why.

A Certificate of Status Is Not the Same Document

When a bank or lender asks for “proof the corporation exists,” they sometimes want a Certificate of Status rather than a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation, and the two are not interchangeable. The copy shows what you filed when the corporation was formed. A Certificate of Status (also called a Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Existence) is a separate document the Department issues to confirm the corporation currently exists and is in compliance. It costs $25 and must be requested in writing; it cannot be ordered online or by phone.7Department of State. Certificate of Status Banks commonly want a recent one, often issued within the last 30 to 60 days, because a copy of the original incorporation document cannot show current status on its own.

If You Need the Copy for Use Abroad

A certified copy on its own is not enough for most foreign authorities. You will likely need an apostille (for countries in the 1961 Hague Convention) or a certificate of authentication (for countries that are not) attached to it.8U.S. Department of State (Travel.State.Gov). Preparing your Document for an Apostille Certificate For New York documents, that comes from the New York Department of State’s Apostille and Authentication Unit, not the federal government. The fee is $10 per document, with return by first-class mail unless you supply a prepaid overnight label.9Department of State. Apostille or Certificate of Authentication You have to get the certified copy first and then submit it for the apostille, so build both processing times into any deadline.