The company itself · A term for founders abroad
What are articles of organization?
The document filed with a state to create an LLC; Delaware and some other states call it a Certificate of Formation.
Checked against the IRS's instructions and the states' own rules. Reviewed by Saais Patel, compliance reviewer.
Term 8 of 105 in the glossary, filed under A.Wyoming Secretary of State: business filing fees
Articles of Organization, for a founder abroad.
The articles name the company, its registered agent and the person filing them. In Wyoming and Delaware they don't name the members or managers, which is why owners there aren't on the public record. Once the state approves the articles, the company exists, and the stamped copy is the first document in your documents.
Wyoming charges $102.40 to file them online and approves them the same day it is filed. Delaware calls the same document a Certificate of Formation. The rules among the owners don't go in the articles; they go in the operating agreement.
Sources: Wyoming Secretary of State: business filing fees; Wyoming Secretary of State: business FAQs.
Read next · guide · 8 minHow to start a US LLC as a non-resident (2026)What founders ask next.
- Are articles of organization the same as an operating agreement?
- No. The articles are filed with the state and create the company. The operating agreement is a private contract among the owners and isn't filed anywhere.
- Do the articles list the owners?
- Not in Wyoming or Delaware, where they name the company, its agent and the person filing. Some other states ask for members or managers.
- Can I change my articles later?
- Yes, by filing an amendment with the state. Amending your articles says what needs one and what doesn't.
03 · See also
- The company itselfCertificate of FormationDelaware's name for the document that creates an LLC, the equivalent of Articles of Organization in other states.Read the term
- The company itselfOperating AgreementThe private contract among an LLC's members that sets ownership, management and what happens when someone leaves; it isn't filed with the state.Read the term
- The company itselfRegistered agentThe person or company with a street address in the state who receives legal papers and state notices for a company during business hours.Read the term
- The company itselfLLCA US company whose owners aren't personally liable for its debts, and whose profit is taxed once, to the owners, unless it elects otherwise.Read the term
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