“Articles of Incorporation” are a core charter document filed with the Secretary of State of the corresponding state of Incorporation, which establishes the formation and existence of a Corporation. This charter is referred to as the Articles of Incorporation in some states, such as California, and Certificate of Incorporation in other states, such as Delaware.

The Articles of Incorporation identify basic foundational information about the Corporation, including the corporate name, the name and address of its Agent for Service of Process, the number of Authorized Shares, a description of the type(s) of Capital Stock to be issued, and, in some cases, its corporate governance structure (i.e., Board of Directors and Bylaws). The Articles of Incorporation will expand greatly to document the rights, privileges, and preferences of Preferred Stock.