How to File Articles of Amendment

“Articles of Amendment” is the name of a document submitted to the state to officially update information in a company’s formation documents.

When first registering a business with the state, LLCs and corporations file paperwork commonly called “Articles of Organization” or “Articles of Incorporation.” This paperwork includes basic information about your company, such as its name and contact information. If this information changes over time, the state must be notified—often by filing Articles of Amendment.

Not all states use Articles of Amendment for adding to or changing the contents of your original articles. Some states instead require you to restate your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation. Some states also require other forms or filings for certain changes, such as appointing a new registered agent.

Certain changes to your company’s information nearly always require amending or restating your articles. If you are changing your business name, business purpose or duration (how long your company will exist), your articles will need to be either amended or restated. Changes to shares (such as reclassifying shares) usually requires an amendment or restatement as well.

Other changes to your company’s information may or may not require an amendment or restatement. In Colorado, for instance, you can’t use an amendment to change your registered agent information or principal office address. Instead, you have to submit specific state-provided forms.

In many states, you can choose whether to amend your articles or submit a different form for certain changes. For small changes, like a new principal office, it can often be cheaper to file other forms and avoid amending or restating. For instance, Maryland charges $100 for an amendment but only $25 to file a Change of Principal Office form.

To amend your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation, the first step is determining the correct form needed. It’s important to ensure you don’t need to restate your articles (or can’t just submit a cheaper filing, such as a “change registered agent” form). States normally provide the forms you need, but if not, we have a free LLC Articles of Amendment template you can download or use as a model.

Typically, Articles of Amendment include the following information:

• Entity name and state

• Date of amendment

• Article number being amended

• Statement that the article cited is being amended

• Amendment

• Statement that other sections of the articles remain in full force and effect

• Signatures

After completing the correct form, it’s simply a matter of submitting your amendment and the filing fee to the appropriate state agency. Not sure where to submit your filing or how much it will cost? Check out the state-by-state requirements below.

For step-by-step instructions on how to amend Articles of Organization for your LLC, click the state name below:

Amend Articles of Organization

For step-by-step instructions on how to amend Articles of Incorporation for your corporation, click the state name below:

Amend Articles of Incorporation