Incorporation case files contain at a minimum the original articles of incorporation and any subsequent amendments to foreign and domestic corporations. Some files also contain notices to pay licensing fees and taxes, oaths of office for corporate officers, annual reports, correspondence, or other miscellaneous documents. Case files are created during the length of a corporation's duration. This series ended in 1961 when registration of corporations was transferred to state government and the Division of Corporations was created. Articles of incorporation constitute a contract between the state and corporation, between corporation and stockholders, and between the stockholders and state.
Case files are numerical by case number, with the number assigned approximately by date.
The number sequence of the case files, however, has been maintained. Researchers should consult the index to ensure finding all related records since companies may have more than one case file. An alphabetical corporation name index is available online and at the research center. The case files from 1872 through 1899 were flattened, filed in acid free folders, and stored in acid free boxes for permanent storage. Because numbers were not assigned strictly chronologically, some lower numbered cases filed after 1900 are also included.