What is a Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation?

The Delaware Certificate of Formation is the document you receive from the state of Delaware once your LLC is filed and approved by the Delaware Secretary of State, Division of Corporations. 

Called the "Articles of Organization" in many other states, the Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation is akin to a birth certificate for your newly-created Delaware LLC. This LLC formation document should not be confused with a Certificate of Incorporation, which is what a corporation (as opposed to an LLC) receives when filed.

Your approved and original LLC Certificate of Formation, which will be emailed to you, is a black and white document with a time-stamp and date-stamp in the corner that indicates it has been approved by the Delaware Secretary of State.

Certificate of Formation Requirements

This Certificate of Formation is the only document you are required to file in order to create a Delaware LLC. The Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation remains on file with the Delaware Secretary of State, and is required to contain only three items:

• the name of the Delaware LLC
• the address of the Delaware LLC's registered office
• the name and address of the Delaware Registered Agent

The ownership, operation and management of the LLC are set forth in the company's LLC Operating Agreement, which is not required to be filed with the state and can therefore be changed without the company ever having to pay a fee to file an amendment.

Should I Add Information to my Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation?

You can, if you so desire, elect to add additional information to your Delaware LLC's Certificate of Formation. This is a personal choice with advantages and disadvantages. 

Some people want the LLC's members' names listed on the Certificate, or the titles of the LLC's members, or perhaps the physical business address. These people typically feel more secure in knowing their name has been filed with the state as a member of the LLC, in case a dispute over ownership should arise at any point.

One of the disadvantages of listing extra information on the LLC formation documents is that in order to make any changes, an amendment must be filed with the state. Not surprisingly, the state charges a hefty fee to file an amendment; the thought of this superfluous fee is unappealing to many clients, which is why most people choose not to list any additional information on their Certificate of Formation.

If you are preparing your own Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation, your name will be listed on the Certificate as the Delaware LLC's authorized person, this is why many people opt to have us act as their Delaware Registered Agent.

We can prepare the Delaware LLC Certificate of Formation for you, which allows you to take full advantage of the privacy offered by the Delaware LLC Act. Form your Delaware LLC and have our team serve as your Delaware Registered Agent today.

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