Disclaimer

1. General Informational Disclaimer

The information on secretary-of-states.org/ is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. The Site explains publicly available rules and processes related to US Secretary of State offices and adjacent state and federal records services — including business entity searches, business formation, annual reports, UCC filings, notary commissions, apostille services, state trademark registration, charitable solicitation, elections, and related topics. We compile this information from official sources, but the Site is not itself an authoritative source.

The use of any information on this Site is at your own risk. Before relying on a guide — particularly before submitting a filing, paying a state fee, making a business decision with legal or tax consequences, or making a representation to a third party — you should independently confirm the information with the relevant state office, federal agency, or a qualified licensed professional in your jurisdiction.

2. Not a Government Agency

secretary-of-states.org/ is privately operated and editorially independent. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or formally connected to any of the following bodies:

• Any United States Secretary of State office (federal or state)
• The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)
• Any state government, agency, board, or department
• The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or US Department of the Treasury
• The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
• The General Services Administration (GSA) or SAM.gov
• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Any state, federal, or local court
• Any state bar association or licensing board

References on the Site to government agencies, statutes, regulations, fee schedules, or contact details are provided for the convenience of readers and to point them to the appropriate official source. They do not represent any official communication from those entities. The names, logos, and trademarks of any government body belong to the respective body.

3. No Professional Advice

Information on secretary-of-states.org/ is not, and should not be construed as, professional advice of any kind. The Site does not provide:

If you require professional advice in any of these areas, you should consult a qualified professional licensed in your jurisdiction — an attorney admitted to your state bar, a Certified Public Accountant, an Enrolled Agent, a registered investment adviser, or another appropriate licensed professional. Reliance on information from this Site without independent professional verification is solely at the reader’s risk.

4. Not a Registered Agent or Filing Service

secretary-of-states.org/ does not act as a registered agent for service of process, does not file documents on your behalf with any state or federal office, does not sell business formation packages, does not process payment of state filing fees, and does not provide any service that requires licensure as an agent or filing intermediary.

If you need a registered agent, a filing service, an accountant, or a lawyer, that is a separate decision and we do not benefit from your choice. Our guides explain what these services do and when they may or may not be worth the cost, but the choice of provider is yours.

5. Accuracy and Currency of Information

We invest significant effort in verifying information published on secretary-of-states.org/. Every guide is checked against official sources before publication, and we maintain ongoing review cycles to catch outdated information. However, several factors can cause information to become inaccurate after publication.

5.1 Common Reasons Information May Be Outdated

• States revise filing fee schedules on different annual cycles, often without prior notice
• Online portals migrate to new URLs or new vendors
• Form numbers and titles change as state legislatures revise statutes
• Annual report deadlines and grace periods can be modified by statute or by the Secretary of State office
• Elected Secretaries of State turn over every two to four years, sometimes leading to administrative reorganization
• State legislatures pass amendments that take effect on irregular dates
• Federal agencies (IRS, USPTO, SEC, SAM.gov) update procedures, fees, and portals
• NASS guidance documents are updated periodically

5.2 No Representations or Warranties of Accuracy

We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of any information on the Site for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk.

6. State-by-State Variations

Secretary of State responsibilities and procedures vary substantially across the United States. A statement that is true in Delaware may not be true in California. Examples that catch readers off guard:

• Some states (Delaware, Nevada, Wyoming) do not require disclosure of LLC member identities; others (California, New York) do
• Annual report deadlines range from anniversary-based to fixed calendar dates, with grace periods that vary widely
• Filing fees for the same document type can range from under $50 to over $500 depending on the state
• UCC filings sit with the Secretary of State in most states but with the county in a few
• DBA / fictitious name filings are sometimes a Secretary of State function and sometimes a county clerk function
• Notary commissions are issued by the Secretary of State in most states but by other agencies in a few
• Charitable solicitation registration may be a Secretary of State, Attorney General, or separate Charity office function depending on the state
• Election administration is a Secretary of State function in most states, but several states use a State Board of Elections instead

Our guides flag state-by-state differences clearly, but the authoritative source is always the relevant state office. If a guide on this Site disagrees with a current statement on the state’s official .gov page, the state’s page wins.

7. Business and Filing Decisions

Decisions about whether to form an entity, what type of entity to form, where to form it, who should be a registered agent, and how to handle ongoing compliance have legal, tax, and operational consequences that can extend for years. These decisions should not be made on the basis of a website article — including ours — without independent professional advice tailored to your specific situation.

8. Public Records Disclaimer

Business entity searches, UCC filings, and many other Secretary of State records are public records under state law. Information available through state business search portals reflects what was filed with the state by the entity itself or by its agents. We do not vouch for the accuracy, completeness, or current validity of any information returned by a state portal.

In particular:

• Entity status (active, inactive, dissolved, suspended) reflects the state’s records as of the date of the search and may not reflect later changes
• Registered agent information may be out of date if the entity has not filed a current annual report
• Officer and director listings may be incomplete or out of date
• UCC search results depend on accurate searching and may miss filings under variant debtor names
• Public records are not a substitute for actual due diligence in commercial or legal contexts

If a record is materially important to a transaction or legal matter, please obtain a certified copy directly from the state office and consider commissioning a formal search through a licensed search firm or attorney.

9. External Links Disclaimer

The Site contains links to external websites operated by third parties — typically state Secretary of State offices, NASS, the IRS, USPTO, SEC EDGAR, SAM.gov, the FTC, Cornell Legal Information Institute, and similar authorities. These links are provided for convenience and informational purposes. We do not control, monitor, or endorse the content of external sites, and the inclusion of a link does not imply approval of the destination’s views or accuracy.

When you click an outbound link:

• You leave secretary-of-states.org/ and that destination's terms and privacy practices apply
• We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or availability of the external page
• We are not responsible for any harm, loss, or inconvenience arising from your use of the external page
• External pages may change, be removed, or contain content that differs from what we described in our guide

If you find a broken or hijacked outbound link on our Site, please email info@secretary-of-states.org so we can investigate and replace it.

10. No Warranty

The Site and all content on it are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to:

• Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
• Warranties that the Site will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components
• Warranties that any defects will be corrected
• Warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or timeliness of any information on the Site

The Site may contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies, and we expressly disclaim any obligation to ensure that the Site is current at all times. Use of the Site is at your sole risk.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall secretary-of-states.org/, its operators, contributors, or affiliates be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages arising out of or in connection with your access to, use of, or reliance on the Site or any information on it. This includes, without limitation:

• Filing fees, late fees, or penalties resulting from reliance on this Site
• Loss of good standing, suspension, dissolution, or administrative termination of an entity
• Tax penalties, interest, or back-taxes arising from any decision informed by this Site
• Damages arising from a UCC search or filing
• Damages arising from reliance on a public records search result
• Loss of business or commercial opportunity
• Damages arising from third-party content or links accessed through the Site

Nothing in this Disclaimer limits or excludes any liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.

12. Advertising and Affiliate Disclosure

secretary-of-states.org/ displays third-party advertisements served primarily through Google AdSense. Ads are clearly distinguishable from editorial content. Advertising revenue is what allows the Site to remain free to readers and to fund the verification work behind every guide.

From time to time, the Site may include affiliate links to products or services that are genuinely useful to readers. When an affiliate link is used, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase. Affiliate relationships do not influence which states, agencies, or processes we describe in our editorial guides.

13. Trademarks and Third-Party Names

Names, logos, and trademarks of state agencies, federal agencies, and product brands referenced on this Site are the property of their respective owners. References to such trademarks are made for identification and informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement of the Site by the trademark owner or vice versa.

If you are a trademark owner and believe a reference on this Site is inaccurate or misleading, please contact us at info@secretary-of-states.org with the subject line “Trademark Concern” and we will review promptly.

14. Fair Use of Public Information

Information on this Site, including statutory rules, fee structures, and procedural guidance, is compiled from publicly available sources. We summarize and reorganize public information for the educational benefit of readers under principles of fair use. Where a quote from an official source is necessary, we attribute the source and link to it directly. Information from public records remains in the public domain.

15. Changes to This Disclaimer

We may update this Disclaimer from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable law. The “Last Updated” date at the top of the page indicates when the most recent revision was made. Continued use of the Site after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated Disclaimer.