How to File Iowa's Certificate of Organization
Iowa calls its articles of organization a Certificate of Organization. What goes on it, what is filed with it and what it costs, read from Iowa government sources.
The short answer. To form an LLC in Iowa, you file the Certificate of Organization with the Iowa Secretary of State. The state filing fee is $50. Of the 15 items this page tracks, the form requires 6, asks for 1 only in some cases, makes 2 optional and leaves out 5, and 1 is not checked yet.
The Iowa Certificate of Organization at a Glance
| What Iowa calls it | Certificate of Organization |
| State filing fee | $50 |
| Processing time | Check with the Iowa Secretary of State |
| Where to file | Iowa Secretary of State |
| File online | Upload a completed document online (no fill-in form), open the upload service |
| Blank form | Not linked here |
| Law that sets its contents | Iowa Code § 489.201 |
| Filed with it or right after | Nothing else |
Read from an Iowa government source, last checked September 23, 2026. The filing fee and processing time come from our Iowa cost record. See the sources.
What Goes on Iowa's Certificate of Organization
Each row is one of the 15 items this page tracks, with what Iowa's Certificate of Organization asks for. "Not on the form" means we checked and found no place for it on the Certificate of Organization. "Not checked" means we have not confirmed it either way.
| Item | On the form |
|---|---|
| LLC name | Required |
| Registered agent's name | Required |
| Registered office address | Required |
| Principal office address | Required |
| Mailing address | Required |
| Organizer's name | Required |
| Members' names | Not on the form |
| Managers' names | Not on the form |
| Member-managed or manager-managed | Not on the form |
| Business purpose | Only for a professional LLC, which must state the profession or professions it is organized to practice. |
| Duration | Optional |
| Effective date | Optional |
| County | Not on the form |
| Email address | Not checked |
| Registered agent's consent | Not on the form |
The registered agent rows are covered in more depth in Iowa's registered agent requirements, and the steps before and after this filing are in how to start an LLC in Iowa.
What the LLC's Name Must Include
The LLC's name must include an LLC ending. Accepted endings include "Limited Liability Company", "Limited Company", "Limited Liability Co.", "Ltd. Liability Company", "Ltd. Liability Co.", "Limited Co.", "Ltd. Company", "Ltd. Co.", "L.L.C.", "LLC", "L.C." and "LC", and the law allows others as well.
Rule: Iowa Code § 489.112(1); § 489.1103.
File These With It or Right After
Nothing else has to be filed with it.
Draft Your Certificate of Organization
The generator below starts with Iowa selected and drafts the document from what you enter. Check the draft against what the Iowa Secretary of State asks for before you upload it.
MyStateLLC.com is not a law firm, not an attorney, and not a document preparation service. This is a self-service tool: it formats information you enter into a state template, and no one at MyStateLLC reviews, corrects, or files it for you. This tool and the document it generates are informational and are not legal, financial, or tax advice, and are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. MyStateLLC cannot give legal advice, does not prepare or file documents itself, and communications with MyStateLLC are not privileged. Using this tool does not create an attorney-client relationship. LLC laws vary by state and this document is not reviewed by anyone before you file it. Consult a licensed attorney or CPA in your state before you sign or file it.
Where are you forming your LLC?
After It Is Approved
| Certified copy of the filed Certificate of Organization | See note below |
| Changing it later (Amendment to Certificate of Organization) | $50 |
Where these fees come from: the sources.
Professional LLCs in Iowa
In Iowa, a professional LLC is formed with the same Certificate of Organization. Also required: The certificate must state the profession or professions the LLC is organized to practice, and the name must use a professional ending such as "PLLC" or "P.L.C.". Your profession's licensing board may have requirements of its own, so check with it before you file.
Worth Knowing in Iowa
Iowa does not publish a fill-in form for this filing. You draft your own Certificate of Organization that states what Iowa Code 489.201 requires, and online filers upload it as a PDF. A certified copy costs $5 for the certificate plus $1 per page copied.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.201.pdfIowa Code 489.201 Formation; certificate of organization
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.112.pdfIowa Code 489.112 Permitted names
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.122.pdfIowa Code 489.122 Fees
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.115.pdfIowa Code 489.115 Registered agent
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.207.pdfIowa Code 489.207 Effective date and time
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.1102.pdfIowa Code 489.1102 Professional LLC purposes
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.212.pdfIowa Code 489.212 Biennial report
- sos.iowa.gov/businesses/business-entity-forms-and-feesIowa SOS Business Entity Forms and Fees
- help.sos.iowa.gov/how-do-i-form-llcFast Track Filing: How do I form an Iowa Limited Liability Company (LLC)?
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/489.1103.pdfIowa Code 489.1103, Professional limited liability company name
The rows and fees on this page were read from the Iowa government sources above, not from a formation service, and anything we could not confirm there is marked Not checked. See our editorial policy for how these are verified and corrected.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. It reports what each state's filing office publishes about the document that forms an LLC, with the sources this page cites. It cannot tell you what your own filing needs: fees and forms change between our reviews, several occupations cannot use an ordinary LLC at all and must use a professional entity or a separate professional form, and your city or county may require a registration of its own. Confirm the current fee and form with the filing office named on this page before you send anything.
Edmond Hui · Founder, MyStateLLC
Edmond Hui is a software engineer and serial entrepreneur based in New York who has founded multiple online businesses across e-commerce, media, and information publishing. Before transitioning into tech, he spent years as a commercial real estate professional closing deals totaling over 100,000 square feet, giving him firsthand experience with business formation and entity structuring. He built MyStateLLC to provide the free, state-specific LLC guidance he wished existed when forming his own companies.