How long does it take to complete a filing with the Corporations Division?
The Division completes most filings such as articles of incorporation, amendments, mergers or dissolutions within two business days of receipt. If you choose to visit the office in person the filings can often be completed while you wait. In any event, the effective date of a filing is the date it is received by the BCS Division. Obviously if a post-effective date is specified in the document the filing is effective on that date. Franchise tax and annual reports are generally processed in two to three weeks; these can also be filed online and are updated nightly.
Many filings of articles of incorporation, amendments, mergers or dissolutions are completed within five to seven business days of receipt by the Division. Workload issues will sometimes result in a longer turnaround time, perhaps up to 12 business days. In particular, anticipate lengthier turnarounds in late December through January when the greatest volume is received. Large numbers of filings are also typically received at the end of each quarter, late March, late June and late September.
