Domestic or foreign LLC's, nonprofits, and for-profit corporations that plan to transact business within the boundaries of Iowa must register with our office. Additionally, these businesses must file the appropriate documents for the type of entity they are registered under.
Sole proprietorships, partnerships and other select business structures are not required to register with the Iowa Secretary of State.
Credit Card payments and Accounts Receivable payments may be made through the website.
All other payments (cash, check) must be directed to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, First Floor, Lucas Building 321 E. 12th St. Des Moines, IA 50319.
The Secretary of State’s office does not handle licenses and permits. Visit https://www.iowa.gov/business/licenses-and-permits for more information.
A UCC-3 (Uniform Commercial Code-3 statement) is a legal filing used to make any changes to a current UCC-1 filing. In short, a UCC-3 is considered an amendment filing.
With Fast Track Filing, you can amend a UCC-1 filing in a few ways:
1. Termination: This filing extinguishes the UCC-1 before its five-year term ends. Most times, this filing is performed when a loan has been paid.
2. Assignment: This filing transfers the rights in the UCC-1 from one secured party to another. The rights can be “full” or “partial.”
The taxes your business has to pay depends on a variety of factors, including the type of business structure you formed (LLC, Corporation, Nonprofit, etc.). The U.S. Small Business Administration provides a starting guide for paying taxes, which can be found here. You can also visit https://tax.iowa.gov/businesses for information localized to Iowa.
A UCC-1 (Uniform Commercial Code-1 statement) is a legal notice filed by a creditor to declare its right to seize certain assets of a debtor who defaults on a loan. When one files a UCC-1 statement through the Secretary of State, it tells the public that specific property has been pledged as security for an existing debt.
A business is considered “domestic” when it conducts business in the state it was formed. A business is considered “foreign” when it originated in another state but would like to conduct business in Iowa. All businesses outside of Iowa must register their foreign entity with the Iowa Secretary of State before they can do business in Iowa.
Your filing fee will depend on what document you will file. For a complete, up-to-date list of fees visit the Iowa Secretary of State's website by clicking here.
An electronic signature or e-signature is a legally binding method to recieve consent or approval on electronic documents or forms. Since many business transactions are now being done over the web, electronic signatures were developed as a secure way for signatories to approve the terms of a document. Some common methods involve checking a box or typing your name into a blank field.
A registered agent is an individual or entity designated to receive legal documents on behalf of your business. An owner or employee of a company may act as the registered agent so long as the individual resides in Iowa, has attained the age of 18 years and has an office within the boundaries of the State of Iowa.