Certified Copies of Corporate Documents

A Certified Copy is an official corporate document issued from the Delaware Secretary of State that certifies the authenticity of documents on file with the Delaware Division of Corporations.

Certified Copies of Delaware corporate documents include the name of the document being certified and the date the document was filed. It is executed with the Secretary of State’s signature and the official state seal. This corporate document is then affixed to the filing that is being certified.

It’s important to note that a regular copy is simply a photocopy or digital printout of a document. A certified copy is an official copy that is validated and certified by a government authority, meaning it carries the same legal weight as the original.

How to order certified copies:

You have two options for ordering a Certified Copy of a Delaware corporate document through Harvard Business Services:

1. CALL US! This is the most efficient method of ordering.
   Reach us at (800) 345-2677, extension 6911 during our normal business hours.
    
2. Alternatively, email your request to: info@delawareinc.com
   • Use subject line: Request Certified Copy of Documents
   • Please include the full name of your company

In order to provide a custom quote and verify details, we do not offer an online ordering system for this service. Our team will provide a fast, friendly response to help get your order processed quickly.

Which corporate documents are available?

You may request a Certified Copy of any documents filed with the Secretary of State, such as:

• Certificate of Formation*
• Certificate of Incorporation*
• Certificate of Amendment
• Annual Report
• Certificate of Authority
• Certificate of Dissolution
• Certificate of Cancellation
• Change of Agent
• Certificate of Conversion
• Certificate of Merger

*The state of Delaware utilizes the terms Certificate of Formation and Certificate of Incorporation; however, these are considered the same document as Articles of Organization and Articles of Incorporation, as they may be called in other states.

When do you need a Certified Copy?

There are several reasons you might require a Certified Copy of one or more of your Delaware company’s documents, such as:

• You want to open a business bank account
• You want to apply for a loan
• You wish to meet with potential investors
• You need to prove your legal standing ahead of a merger or acquisition
• You apply for Foreign Qualification in states such as Arizona, Illinois, Nevada or Virginia
• You have lost your original copies
• You would like back-up copies

Additional Considerations

When ordering a Certified Copy, you are ordering the certification of the original corporate document on file with the state. Any changes filed with Delaware after that particular filing would not be reflected in these documents.

Certified copies are generally valid within a certain timeframe (e.g., within 60 or 90 days of the request) to ensure that the information is current.

For example, if your company filed a name change and then ordered a Certified Copy of the Certificate of Formation, the Certificate of Formation would include the original name, not the updated name. You could then order a Certified Copy of the Certificate of Amendment to show the updated name, if necessary.

Since the cost to acquire a Certified Copy varies from document to document (and sometime even by the number of pages), contact our office and list the Delaware corporate documents you'd like to put in order to get a quote.

A Certified Copy is not the same as a Certificate of Good Standing. A Certificate of Good Standing declares that your company is in good standing with the state as of a specific date, meaning it is in full compliance and has paid its annual Franchise Tax Fee.

These documents are crucial for situations involving legal verification, business expansion, financing, and several other corporate transactions. If you would like to order a Certified Copy of any of your Delaware company’s documents or have questions about the process, please click below: