where can I find certificates of registration for companies (U.S.)?

Question

A new law here in a 'european' country requires our company to re-register and requires documents from all our members. I'm having problems finding what I need for US registered companies. One type of document I'm trying to find via internet (as it takes a long time to get them from the companies themselves) is the official company registration document which states the company's name, date of incorporation, contact details, board members, company number, official signature etc....
I would really appreciate it if you could point me in the direction of where I could get this off the Internet (it should be a public document after all)...

or as I believe they are called in the US, certificates of incorporation?

Answer 1

If it is a publicly held company in the U.S., you can obtain that information from SEC filings. You can follow the link below to access the SEC EDGAR database.

If it is not publicly held, you need to contact the Secretary of State's office for the state in which the company is incorporated. The ability to obtain copies of articles of incorporation on-line may vary from state to state. In CA for example, you can order (but not view) such documents on-line.

Answer 2

Certificates of incorporation are filed with the respective Secretaries of State. Check the source box for a handy link that lists all of them.

Hope that helps!