A certificate of incorporation is a legal document/license relating to the establishment of a company or corporation. It serves the purpose of proving that the company or corporation has been formed. It is issued by the state government, or in some states, by a non-governmental entity/corporation. Its definition may vary in different jurisdictions. In the United States, a certificate of incorporation is usually used as an alternative description of a corporation’s articles of incorporation. In the state of New York, the term is used for “articles of incorporation.” The certificate of incorporation, or articles of incorporation, form a major constituent part of the constitutional documents of the corporation.
[Last updated in July of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]
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