The Division of Corporations, State Records, and Uniform Commercial Code is the part of the New York Department of State that officially forms and records business entities in the state. If you are starting an LLC, corporation, or limited partnership anywhere on Long Island, this is where the paperwork is filed.
Through its online filing system and New York Business Express, the division accepts Articles of Organization for LLCs, Certificates of Incorporation, assumed name certificates for LLCs and corporations, and later changes like amendments and dissolutions. Its free Corporation and Business Entity Database lets anyone check whether a business name is already taken or look up an existing company.
Anyone forming an LLC or corporation in New York will deal with this office, usually at the very start of the business.
Filing fees apply, starting at $200 for an LLC’s Articles of Organization, and faster processing costs extra. New LLCs also face a publication requirement: notices must run in two newspapers in the county where the LLC is located, followed by a Certificate of Publication filing with the state. On Long Island, those newspaper costs can add several hundred dollars or more.
For Long Island founders, checking name availability in the state database is a smart first step before paying for a logo or website.