Iowa Articles of Incorporation - Business Corporation
IOWA ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION — BUSINESS CORPORATION
The undersigned incorporator(s) submit these Articles of Incorporation to the Iowa Secretary of State under Iowa Code chapter 490.
Article 1 — Corporate name
The name of the corporation is [FULL CORPORATE NAME WITH INC., CORP., CO., LTD., OR OTHER PERMITTED DESIGNATOR].
Article 2 — Authorized shares
The corporation is authorized to issue [NUMBER] shares of Common Stock, constituting one class. Each issued Common share has one vote on matters submitted to shareholders and the same rights as every other Common share. This class has full voting rights and the right to receive the corporation’s net assets on dissolution, subject to applicable law.
Article 3 — Initial registered office and agent
Iowa street address of initial registered office: [STREET, CITY, IOWA ZIP]
Mailing address of initial registered office: [MAILING ADDRESS, CITY, STATE ZIP]
Initial registered agent at that office: [FULL LEGAL NAME]
The registered agent’s business office is the registered office stated above.
Article 4 — Incorporator(s)
| Incorporator name | Address |
|---|---|
| [FULL LEGAL NAME] | [STREET OR MAILING ADDRESS, CITY, STATE ZIP] |
| [ADDITIONAL INCORPORATOR, IF ANY] | [ADDRESS] |
Execution
The incorporator(s) sign these Articles for filing with the Iowa Secretary of State.
| Incorporator signature | Printed name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| ______________________________ | [NAME] | [__/__/____] |
| ______________________________ | [NAME, IF ANY] | [__/__/____] |
Filing note
File the signed Articles with the Iowa Secretary of State and pay the applicable filing fee. The corporation begins when the Secretary files the Articles unless a permitted delayed effective date is stated in the filing. This document does not create the corporation by signature alone.
Sources and references
- Iowa Code 2026, chapter 490, especially §§ 490.120, .121, .201–.203, .401, .501, and .601.
- Iowa Secretary of State business-entity forms and fees.
About this template
- Last updated
- October 27, 2026
- Citations checked
- October 27, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Iowa
- Category
- Corporate & Business
Legal authority
- Iowa Code § 490.120(6)(b)
- Iowa Code § 490.121(2)
- Iowa Code § 490.201
- Iowa Code § 490.202(1)
- Iowa Code § 490.203(1)
- Iowa Code § 490.401(1)(a)
- Iowa Code § 490.501(1)(b)(1)
- Iowa Code § 490.601(2)(a)
Corporate documents govern how a company makes decisions, records them, and handles disputes between owners, directors, and officers. Proper corporate paperwork is what lets a business take advantage of limited liability, pass clean audits, and survive an acquisition or investor review. Skipping formalities like written resolutions and signed consents is one of the fastest ways for a business owner to lose personal asset protection.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on October 27, 2026.
Iowa Code § 490.120(6)(b) (checked October 27, 2026): "If directors have not been selected or the corporation has not been formed, by an incorporator."
Iowa Code § 490.121(2) (checked October 27, 2026): "The secretary of state may prescribe and furnish on request forms for other documents required or permitted to be filed pursuant to this chapter but their use is not mandatory."
Iowa Code § 490.201 (checked October 27, 2026): "One or more persons may act as the incorporator or incorporators of a corporation by delivering articles of incorporation to the secretary of state for filing."
Iowa Code § 490.202(1) (checked October 27, 2026): "The articles of incorporation must set forth all of the following:"
Draft your Iowa Articles of Incorporation - Business Corporation in the editor
Answer a few questions, let the AI editor draft each section from your answers, review it, and download Word and PDF. $99 one time, or $249 per month for every document and every Ezel app.