Articles of Organization Oregon

You can download the Articles of Organization from the Oregon Secretary of State’s website to file by mail OR file online using the Oregon Business Registry.

In order to file your LLC’s Articles of Organization, you will need to fill out the following information:

Your LLC’s name will have to be both creative and legally compliant. 

You will need to make sure that your business name:

• Satisfies Oregon’s naming guidelines
• Is not already taken by another business in Oregon

There are certain guidelines that you will need to follow when naming your LLC:

• LLC names must contain the words Limited Liability Company, Limited Company or the abbreviation L.L.C., LLC, L.C. or LC. 
• Limited may be abbreviated as Ltd. and company may be abbreviated as Co. 
• To be accepted for filing by the Secretary of State, a business name must be sufficiently distinctive from any other registered business name.

For a full list of naming guidelines see the Oregon naming statute.

Check Name Availability:

Do a name search with the Oregon Secretary of State website to check your LLC name’s availability. If you are unsure about what to name your LLC, use our business name generator to brainstorm business names.

Register Your Domain Name:

You’ll want to check that your business name (or something very similar) is available as a web domain.

Choose whether the LLC’s duration will be perpetual or list the date that the LLC plans to dissolve.

List the business’s physical street address. This cannot be a P.O. box.

Your Oregon registered agent can be either an individual or business entity, like a registered agent service.

If it is a business entity, it can be both a domestic entity or a foreign entity, as long as they are registered to do business in Oregon.

When it comes to individuals, keep in mind that they are legally required to be Oregon residents in order to act as your business’s registered agent. 

In this article, make sure to fill the physical address of the registered agent you’ll be using for your Oregon LLC.

List the registered office address. This must be a street address within the state of Oregon.

List the address location where you want notices to be mailed. This can be any address.

Select whether the LLC will be member-managed or manager-managed.

If you’re a licensed professional, you must describe the exact service(s) you are rendering to the public.

If you’d like any optional provisions made in your Articles of Organization, list them here. Check whether these provisions cover benefit companies, indemnification, or another topic.

List the names and addresses of anyone involved in the formation process.

List each member’s name and address.

If applicable, list each manager’s name and address.

List a member or manager (and their address) that has direct knowledge of the operations of the LLC. 

Have each organizer(s) sign, print, and date the articles of organization. Also, include a contact name and telephone number to resolve questions that may arise with the filing of your Articles of Organization.

You can mail this form to:

Secretary of State
Corporation Division
255 Capitol St. NE, Suite 151
Salem, OR 97310

To file online, use the Oregon Business Registry portal. You will need to create an account.

File Online

After you have filed your Articles of Organization, we recommend taking the following steps:

An Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Tax ID Number, can be thought of as your business’s Social Security number. It is used by the IRS to identify your business and ensure that it is operating legitimately. 

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an LLC is required to obtain an EIN if:

That being said, we recommend that all LLCs get an EIN so that they can open a business bank account.

You can apply for an EIN for your LLC by filing Form SS-4.

LLC operating agreements are legal documents that outline the responsibilities, duties, and rights of all members of your LLC. 

Even though state law does not require you to draft an Oregon LLC operating agreement, it is still highly recommended. This is the case even if you operate as a single-member LLC (e.g., to avoid piercing your corporate veil, etc.). 

Recommended: Use our free LLC operating agreement template to create your very own LLC operating agreement quickly.

After you have registered your LLC and applied for your EIN, you will want to ensure that your business remains “legitimate”. You can do this by applying for any local, state, and federal business licenses that you may need.

For a more in-depth overview, see our guide on how to get business licenses in Oregon. 

Now is a good time to build a business website. A business website adds to your credibility, branding, marketing, and customer experience.

Your website can also be a gateway to your other platforms, including your LLC’s social media accounts, online stores, and contact information. 

Recommended Service: Check out the GoDaddy Website Builder to get started. 

Next, you will want to open a separate bank account. This can offer both legal and financial benefits. 

Choosing to open a business bank account can allow you to:

Most premium online banks also come with third-party integrations, including accounting and ecommerce tools. These can help you manage your budget, automatically detract a percentage of your revenue for your LLC taxes, and expedite your online payments. 

Besides the financial benefits, opening a business bank account can allow you maintain your LLC’s corporate veil by separating your personal and business finances.

Recommended: Interested in getting started? See our in-depth review of the best banks for startups and entrepreneurs in 2024.  

When you are just starting your business, you will need to build your business credit from the ground up. The fastest way to do this is by opening net 30 accounts and getting a business credit card:

• First, you will want to open at least five net 30 accounts that report to business credit bureaus. 
• Then, you can apply for an easy-approval business credit card from a company like BILL.

Taking these steps will help you increase your business’s cash flow and build business credit fast, which will be essential when you are applying for higher-end business credit cards and large business loans in the future. 

See our How to Build Business Credit guide for more information. 

You will also likely want to invest in a business phone system. This can go a long way in improving your credibility and can ensure that you have placed yourself in a position that always allows you to provide adequate customer service. 

Most high-end business phone systems will include the following features:

Recommended: Check out our review of the best business phone systems to get started. 

As a business owner, you will also want to consider whether you will benefit from purchasing business insurance. 

This will be highly dependent on your industry, amount of risk, and business operations. It can also depend on the existence — and number — of employees in your LLC.

There are several business insurance policies that you may want to consider, although this can be highly situational. Below we have provided an overview of the most common small business insurance policies:

See our Small Business Insurance article for more information. 

Next, you will want to learn everything you need to know about how LLCs are taxed. This is important because LLCs are a very flexible business entity, and — depending on the situation — can choose to be taxed as:

• Pass-through entities
• C corps
• S corps

Generally speaking, we recommend talking to a professional attorney or law firm if you are in need of the most up-to-date tax advice (e.g., whether you need to pay sales tax, etc.).

Working with an accountant can help you manage all your business expenses and taxes effectively and on time, and ensure you do not face any penalties or back taxes when starting out. 

Need help with accounting? Check out our review of the best accounting software. 

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