Certificate of Incorporation - General Form

The proper form and necessary content of a certificate of incorporation depend largely on the requirements of individual state statutes, which in many instances designate the appropriate form and content. While the certificate must stay within the limitations imposed by the various statutes and by the policies and interpretations of the responsible state officials and agencies, the certificate may usually be drafted so as to meet the business needs of the proposed corporation. In many states, official forms are provided; in some of these jurisdictions, use of such forms is mandatory. Although in some jurisdictions, the secretary of state's printed forms are not required to be used, it is wise to use the language found in the forms since much of the language found in them is required.