(a) The Secretary of State, upon request and payment of the requisite fee, shall furnish to any person a certificate of existence for a corporation if the writings filed in the office of the Secretary of State show that the corporation has been incorporated under the laws of this state. A certificate of existence shall reflect only the information on file with the Secretary of State. A certificate of existence must state:

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 10A-2A-1.21

  • certificate of incorporation: as used in this chapter is synonymous to the term "certificate of formation" used in Chapter 1. See Alabama Code 10A-2A-1.40
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(1) the corporation’s name;
(2) that the corporation was incorporated under the laws of this state, the date of incorporation, and the filing office in which the certificate of incorporation was filed;
(3) whether the corporation has delivered to the Secretary of State for filing a certificate of dissolution;
(4) whether the corporation has delivered to the Secretary of State for filing a certificate of reinstatement; and
(5) other facts of record in the office of the Secretary of State that are specified by the person requesting the certificate.
(b) The Secretary of State, upon request and payment of the requisite fee, shall furnish to any person a certificate of registration for a foreign corporation if the writings filed in the office of the Secretary of State show that the Secretary of State has filed an application for registration for authority to transact business in this state and the registration has not been revoked, withdrawn, or terminated. A certificate of registration must state:

(1) the foreign corporation’s name and any alternate name adopted for use in this state;
(2) that the foreign corporation is authorized to transact business in this state;
(3) that the Secretary of State has not revoked the foreign corporation’s registration;
(4) that the foreign corporation has not filed with the Secretary of State a certificate of withdrawal or otherwise terminated its registration; and
(5) other facts of record in the office of the Secretary of State that are specified by the person requesting the certificate.
(c) Subject to any qualification stated in the certificate, a certificate of existence or certificate of registration issued by the Secretary of State is conclusive evidence that the corporation is in existence or the foreign corporation is authorized to transact business in this state.
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