Articles / certificate
Creates the LLC on the public record. Filed with the state. Does not set ownership percentages.
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Choose whether you need the public state filing, the internal operating agreement, or a partnership, joint-venture, or DBA form.
Start with the job, then choose a state only when the next page is state-specific.
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These documents can sit in the same business launch, but each performs a different legal job.
Creates the LLC on the public record. Filed with the state. Does not set ownership percentages.
Go to the LLC hub →Sets ownership, voting, and management. Usually not filed. Member-managed and manager-managed are different packets.
Go to the LLC hub →Use these when you are not forming an LLC. A partnership is ongoing; a joint venture is usually one project.
View partnership forms →Need a bill of sale, lease, or deed instead? Those live in neighboring categories, not in Business Ventures.
Browse all form categories →Articles of organization or a certificate of formation are the public filing that creates the LLC. An operating agreement is a separate internal contract for ownership, voting, and management. Most customers need both.
Choose member-managed if every owner will help run the company. Choose manager-managed if appointed managers will run daily operations and some or all members will stay more passive. The formation document should match that choice when the state asks for a management election.
Choose the state where you want to form the LLC, or whose law will govern the operating agreement. That can differ from where you live. Forming in one state and operating in another often also requires a later foreign-qualification filing.
No. These pages sell prepared documents, support, and lifetime updates if we replace a form. You file with the state yourself and pay the state’s fee separately.
Use a partnership agreement for an ongoing co-owned business. Use a joint venture agreement for one defined project that is meant to end when the work is done.
A DBA is only a registered trade name. It does not create a separate legal entity or provide limited liability. Form an LLC if you want entity-level protection, then add a DBA only if you will operate under a different public name.