To get a copy of your Articles of Organization in New York, order it from the Department of State’s Division of Corporations. Requests go through an online portal, email, fax, mail, or in person at the Albany office. A plain copy is $5 per document; a certified copy is $10. Expedited processing is available for an added fee.1Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents2Department of State. Fee Schedules
What You Need Before You Request
Every request requires the LLC’s exact legal name and its Department of State (DOS) ID number. If you don’t have the DOS ID, look it up for free through the Department of State’s Corporation and Business Entity Database at dos.ny.gov.3Department of State. Corporation and Business Entity Search Database Choose a search type, enter the name, and use the matching options (begins with, contains) to narrow the results. The DOS ID appears next to the entity name and status.
For written requests (email, fax, and mail), include the LLC’s exact name, its DOS ID number or exact formation date, which document you want, whether the copy should be plain or certified, whether you want routine or expedited processing, and where to send it.1Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents
Five Ways to Request a Copy
Online
The fastest option. The Department of State’s online ordering portal covers documents filed on or after July 30, 1990, and returns the copy as a PDF by email acknowledgment.1Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents LLCs formed before that date have to use one of the other methods.
Send the written request together with a completed Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form to dos.sm.corp.NYSDeptofStateCopyUnit@dos.ny.gov. The authorization form is on the Department of State’s website.1Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents
Fax
Fax the written request and the authorization form to (518) 473-1654.1Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents
Send the written 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 orders should be made payable to “Department of State.” Card payments require the completed Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form.1Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents
In Person
Hand-deliver the request and payment to the 6th Floor Customer Service Counter at the same Albany address. The counter is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.1Department of State. Copies of Corporation or Business Entity Documents
Fees and Expedited Processing
A plain copy is $5 per document and a certified copy is $10 per document. Accepted payment methods are money order (payable to “Department of State”), MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. Personal and business checks are not listed as accepted payment.2Department of State. Fee Schedules
Three expedited tiers are available for an added per-document fee on top of the base copy fee:2Department of State. Fee Schedules
- 24-hour processing: $25
- Same-day processing: $75
- Two-hour processing: $150
A certified copy with same-day processing would run $85 in total ($10 plus $75).
Certified Copy or Plain Copy
A plain copy is a reproduction of the document. A certified copy carries an official seal or stamp from the Department of State confirming it’s a true and complete copy of the original on file.
For most everyday purposes, a plain copy is enough. Banks typically accept a plain copy when you open a business account, and it’s fine for internal recordkeeping or showing a vendor that your LLC exists. Certified copies come in when the stakes are higher: registering to do business in another state, submitting documents in court, or meeting a government agency’s specific demand for certified records. If you aren’t sure, ask whoever is requesting the document. Ordering certified when you only needed plain costs an extra $5; ordering plain when you needed certified means starting over.
When Your Copy Arrives
Check that the LLC name, formation date, and other details match your records. If you ordered a certified copy, confirm the seal or authentication stamp is on the document.
Common uses include opening a business bank account, applying for state or local licenses and permits, registering to do business in another state, and giving proof of legal formation to lenders or business partners. Mail and in-person requests are returned by first-class mail through the U.S. Postal Service; for overnight delivery, include a prepaid shipping label with the request.