New Mexico Articles of Incorporation

What Are New Mexico Articles of Incorporation?

Preparing and filing your articles of incorporation is the first step in starting your business corporation. Approval of this document secures your corporate name and creates the legal entity of the corporation. Only after this approval can the corporation apply for tax IDs, obtain business licenses, sign contracts, and otherwise conduct business.

Incorporating provides many important benefits:

• Limits the liability of directors, officers, and shareholders
• Fulfills statutory requirements to register your business name
• Provides governance and adds credibility

Fast Facts

For Domestic Corporations:

Agency:	New Mexico Secretary of State - Business Services Division
Form:	Articles of Incorporation
Filing Method:	Mail or in-person.
Agency Fee:	The filing fee is a minimum of $100 and maximum of $1,000. The fee is dependent on the number of authorized shares. For the first 100,000 shares the fee will be $100. Thereafter, the fee will increase by $1 per 1,000 shares not to exceed $1,000.
Turnaround:	~2 months
Law:	NM Stat. § 53-12-1 et seq.

Other Helpful New Mexico Facts

As you are preparing to incorporate, keep in mind the following requirements specific to New Mexico.

New Mexico Directors

• Number: One or more required.
• Qualifications: None.
• Quorum: A majority, unless a greater number is fixed in the articles of incorporation or bylaws.

New Mexico Officers

• As stated in the bylaws, but a minimum of one. One person may hold multiple offices. One officer is required to be responsible for maintaining corporate records.

New Mexico Bylaws

• Required: Yes.

New Mexico Annual Shareholder Meeting

• Required: Yes.
• Action by written consent:

New Mexico Shareholders

• Qualifications: N/A
• Stock Certificate: Not required.
• Voting Trusts Allowed: Yes.