The company itself · A term for founders abroad
What is a certificate of formation?
Delaware's name for the document that creates an LLC, the equivalent of Articles of Organization in other states.
Checked against the IRS's instructions and the states' own rules. Reviewed by Saais Patel, compliance reviewer.
Term 18 of 105 in the glossary, filed under C.Delaware Division of Corporations: fee schedule
Certificate of Formation, for a founder abroad.
Delaware calls an LLC's founding document a Certificate of Formation. It costs $110 to file and names the company and its registered agent, not the owners. Delaware reviews it in two to three weeks, or sooner if you pay for its expedited service.
Other states call the same document Articles of Organization. A corporation's equivalent is a Certificate of Incorporation, which also sets how many shares it can issue.
Sources: Delaware Division of Corporations: fee schedule.
Read next · guide · 8 minHow to start a US LLC as a non-resident (2026)What founders ask next.
- Is a certificate of formation the same as articles of organization?
- Yes. They're two states' names for the document that creates an LLC; Delaware uses the first, Wyoming the second.
- Does a Delaware certificate of formation show the owners?
- No. It names the company and its registered agent.
03 · See also
- The company itselfArticles of OrganizationThe document filed with a state to create an LLC; Delaware and some other states call it a Certificate of Formation.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
- The company itselfC-CorporationA US corporation taxed on its own profit, which issues stock and is what US investors' paperwork assumes; usually formed in Delaware.Read the term
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