How to Amend Your Company's Articles of Incorporation

Every corporation is allowed to make amendments tofor filing articles of amendment and therein spell out
its articles of incorporation whenever it wants to addthings such as name of the corporation, text of all
or change provisions that are required or allowed in theamendments adopted, and in case the amendment
articles of incorporation and to even delete a provisionmeans exchanging, reclassifying or canceling issued
that is not needed in the articles of incorporation. Toshares, then provisions to implement the amendment
determine whether any provisions are in fact requiredshall also be given, if they are not contained in the
or even permitted in the articles of incorporation, theamendments. In addition, the corporation must provide
corporation needs to look at the effective date ofthe date on which each amendment was adopted.
amendment.In other cases, the corporation can make amendments
The board of directors of a corporation is authorizedto its articles of incorporation without the board of
to adopt one or several amendments to the articles ofdirectors or shareholders taking action, though only
incorporation of the corporation, unless otherwisewhen the plan is to reorganize the corporation which
stated or provided in the articles of incorporation. Inhas been ordered or decreed by any court of the land
fact, there may, under certain circumstances, be nounder federal statue, though only when the articles of
need to have any shareholder action. However, underincorporation after having been amended contain only
certain circumstances, the amendments to the articlesprovisions permitted or required by RCW 23B.02.020.
of incorporation may be amended by the board ofThe effect of making amendments to the articles of
directors and also the shareholder.incorporation is that such amendment(s) won't affect a
Sometimes, the corporation may not have issuedcause of action that exists against or even in favor of
shares and so its board of directors or incorporators, inthe corporation, or to any proceeding to which the
case initial directors have still not been named in thecorporation is a party, or the existing rights of persons
articles of incorporation and are not as yet elected,who are not shareholders of the corporation. Also,
can still adopt one or several amendments to thewhen an amendment results in a change to the name
articles of incorporation. Nevertheless, when aof the corporation it does not abate a proceeding
corporation is making amendments to its articles ofbrought by or against the corporation in its previous
incorporation, it must deliver to the secretary of statename.