How to Incorporate in Oregon

Incorporating in Oregon is a relatively simple matter of submitting articles of incorporation to the Oregon Secretary of State, Corporate Division and paying the required fee. But you must include certain information in your articles of incorporation, and you must know how and where to submit the documents. 

What to Include in Your Oregon Articles of Incorporation 

Articles of incorporation for-profit corporations in Oregon must include the following information:

• The name of your corporation: It must contain the word corporation, company, incorporated, limited, or an abbreviated form of one of these words, and it must be sufficiently different from any other business name in the state. You can check your name's availability with at the Oregon Secretary of State's website and reserve it for up to 120 days if you're not quite ready to incorporate yet. 
• Information about shares of stock: Detail the number of shares of stock which the corporation has the authority to issue and the par value of that stock. You may designate more than one class of stock.
• The name, street address and contact information of your registered agent: This is the individual who will be responsible for sending and receiving corporate documents and correspondence on behalf of the business. The registered agent's address must be publicly available -- don't use your home address if you want to maintain your privacy. 
• The name and complete address of each incorporator, including city, state and zip code. Your incorporator is the individual who files the articles of incorporation and any other official documents required by the state. His duties are completed when the business is officially incorporated.

Incorporating in Oregon

You can complete and submit your articles of incorporation online by registering with the Oregon Secretary of State on its website, or you can access an Oregon articles of incorporation form, fill in the necessary information online, then print it out and send it to:

Oregon Secretary of State, Corporate Division, 255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151, Salem OR 97310-1327.

If you have questions, call 503-986-2200.

Oregon charges a nonrefundable processing fee of $100 for articles of incorporation. You can get a confirmation copy of your paperwork for an additional $5. Send a check when you mail in your form or arrange for an electronic transfer of the funds online. 

How to incorporate a business includes information on how to incorporate in every U.S. state. This information is unique to incorporating in Oregon. Some states require different forms. Read your state's website before you submit documents or fees. Your best source for additional information is usually your state's Secretary of State website, or you can consult with a local legal professional. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is not intended to be, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice. The author makes no claims about the completeness or accuracy of this information; states change regulations, fees and names of documents, and this article may not have the most up-to-date information regarding incorporation in a specific state. Your situation may be more complex and require additional information.