How to File Articles of Incorporation in Oregon

Starting your own business can be an exciting step on the road to financial independence. Filing Oregon Articles of Incorporation creates your corporation as a legal entity in the state.

Completing Oregon Articles of Incorporation

The fastest way to complete and file Articles of Incorporation (AOI) is online, and ZenBusiness can take care of this for you if you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused by the process.

Registering a Foreign Corporation

If you’re filing from outside Oregon and wish to do business in the state, you must submit an Application for Authority to Transact Business, as well as a Certificate of Good Standing from the original state of incorporation.

Choose a Name

Your business name represents your company in the minds of potential clients, so think hard about a good one. Keep the following rules in mind:

• The name must be unique. You can use the Secretary of State’s online tool to see if the name you want is available. If you want to reserve a name you’re in love with, ZenBusiness can help you file a name reservation.
• Include the correct designator, meaning that the name must contain the word “Corporation,” “Company,” “Incorporated,” or “Limited” or its respective abbreviation.” Consult the Secretary of State’s website to understand the appropriate designator for your business.
• Your name cannot be misleading. You can’t use words like “law” or “legal” unless you’re opening a law firm. Nor can you use words like “bank,” “investment,” or “trust if you’re not chartering a financial institution.

Fill Out Your Business Address

Your business’s address must be a physical street address within the state of Oregon. You cannot designate a P.O. Box or virtual address. In most cases, your storefront or office building should go here.

Name a Registered Agent

A registered agent is someone empowered to accept official documents from the state’s business formation agency and legal documents on behalf of your business. As with your business address, your registered agent must have a physical address in Oregon. Some first-time business owners partner with commercial registered agents. These are companies experienced with the duties and obligations expected of a registered agent. ZenBusiness can connect you with a registered agent service providing this service in Oregon. Many first-time business owners appreciate how partnering with a commercial agent reduces stress.

Indicate business officials

You must provide the name of the business’s incorporators, as well as its initial officers and directors.

Optional and Supplemental Questions

Though you must provide a physical address for your business and its registered agent, you can also designate a separate mailing address. It’s fine for this address to be a P.O. Box. If you’re forming a business in a field that requires practitioners to hold state licenses, you can form a professional corporation. Nursing homes, veterinarian clinics, and law firms are examples of professional corporations.

File Your Articles of Incorporation

You’re ready to file! The quickest way to file online, but the state also accepts AOIs through the mail. Oregon requires a fee to file your Articles of Incorporation, as well as for many other filings. For the most current fees and methods of payment available, check with the Oregon Secretary of State website.

Now that you’ve filed, you’ll need to make sure your annual reports are filed, permits and licenses are renewed each year, and a host of other things. Take a look at our Worry-Free Compliance service and our business license report and let us take care of the worrying for you.

Conclusion

Forming your own business is an exciting new step. Though it can sometimes be intimidating, ZenBusiness is here to help. You can get assistance filing your Articles of Incorporation with a business formation plan from ZenBusiness.