I filed my LLC papers with the state online a few weeks ago and got the approval email. Thought that was it. Opened a business checking account application and the bank is asking for a certified copy of the Articles of Organization, not just the printout from the state website. Nobody told me this step existed. Do I really have to order something else from the state, and will it delay the account opening by much?
LLC filing
I started a Maine LLC and didn't realize the bank needed certified documents
Certified copies usually come from the same state office you filed with. There's normally a small fee and a request form on the Secretary of State site. The plain printout is fine for your own records but banks want the raised seal version.
How long ago did you file? Some banks will take the stamped acknowledgment if it's recent and you explain the certified copy is in transit.
Filed about three weeks back. The approval email came through quickly, maybe two days. I just assumed that email plus the portal download was enough.
Three weeks is long enough that ordering the certified copy now is worth it. In my experience the state turns those around in under a week if you pay for the expedited option, and standard mail can take closer to two.
Banks vary a lot on this. One credit credit union near me accepted a printed copy with the state filing number visible. The bigger bank wanted the certified one and would not budge.
Also check whether they want the certified copy of just the Articles or also the annual report or a certificate of good standing. Some account opening checklists lump them together.
I ran into the same thing when I formed my LLC. The state portal made it look like the PDF was the official document cuz it had a watermark. It is not the same as a certified copy with the seal.
Ask thhe bank if they will accept an electronic certified copy. Maine offers some documents digitally now and that can save you the mailing wait.
I did not know digital certified copies were a thing. I will call the branch and ask specifically about that before I pay for expedited shipping.
One more thing, make sure the certified copy matches the exact legal name and address on your EIN confirmation. If the bank sees a mismatch they will send you back to the state.
This is a common gap. The state filing process and the bank account process are separate and neither one tells you about the other's requirements ngl.
Do not order the certified copy from a third party service that charges a markup. Go straight to the Secretary of State page and use their form. The services just add cost and time.
Agreed on going direct. I have seen people pay forty dllars for a copy that costs ten from the state.
If the bank is a small local one, sometimes the branch manager can override the certified copy requiremnet for a new account. Worth asking in person rather than through the online application.