Nonprofit 501(c)(3) Requirements by State
State-by-state nonprofit corporation formation requirements for a 501(c)(3) path: articles fee, filing channel, director minimum, articles-language pattern, and registered-agent requirement across all 51 U.S. jurisdictions.
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| State | Articles Fee | Filing Method | Director Minimum | Required 501c3 Language | Registered Agent Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKchecked 2026-09-12 | $50.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | No IRS-specific state language; filer supplies IRS clauses | Required |
| ALchecked 2026-09-12 | $200.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 1 director | No IRS-specific state language; filer supplies IRS clauses | Required |
| ARchecked 2026-09-12 | $50.00 | See source note | Unknown* | Unknown* | Unknown* |
| AZchecked 2026-09-12 | $40.00 | Paper/mail available | 1 director | No IRS-specific state language; filer supplies IRS clauses | Required |
| CAchecked 2026-09-12 | $30.00 | Online Only via bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov | 1 director | Unknown* | Required |
| COchecked 2026-09-12 | $50.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 1 director | No IRS-specific state language; filer supplies IRS clauses | Required |
| CTchecked 2026-09-12 | $50.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | No IRS-specific state language; filer supplies IRS clauses | Required |
| DCchecked 2026-09-14 | $80.00 | web, mail, walk-in | 3 directors | Unknown* | Required |
| DEchecked 2026-09-12 | $109.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 1 director | No IRS-specific state language; filer supplies IRS clauses | Required |
| FLchecked 2026-09-11 | $70.00 | Online and paper/mail available | Board must consist of one or more individuals (three or more if the corporation is exempt under IRC 501(c)(3)) per s.… | s. 617.0202(1) requires name, principal/mailing address, purposes, director election method, any power limits, registered… | Required |
| GAchecked 2026-09-12 | $110.00 | Online and paper/mail available | Unknown* | No purpose/dissolution clause required by state law | Unknown* |
| HIchecked 2026-09-12 | $25.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | No IRS-specific state language; filer supplies IRS clauses | Required |
| IAchecked 2026-09-13 | $20.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 1 director | Iowa's Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act requires even LESS in the articles than a peer state's typical type-statement… | Required |
| IDchecked 2026-09-12 | $30.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Unlike Georgia (where a purpose clause and a dissolution-of-assets clause are both optional), Idaho's own list of what articles… | Required |
| ILchecked 2026-09-13 | $50.00 | Paper/mail available | 3 directors | State REQUIRES a specific-purpose clause drawn from the 103.05 authorized-purposes list (805 ILCS 105/102.10(a)(2)) — that list… | Required |
| INchecked 2026-09-13 | $20.00 | Paper/mail available | 3 directors | Indiana's Nonprofit Corporation Act does NOT require IRS-501(c)(3)-style purpose or dissolution boilerplate in the articles of… | Required |
| KSchecked 2026-09-13 | $20.00 | Online and paper/mail available | Kansas sets the LOW floor: a board of one or more directors, each a natural person, is the default for every KGCC… | Kansas's own Articles of Incorporation content requirements (K.S.A. 17-6002(a)) list a name, registered office/agent, a purpose… | Required |
| KYchecked 2026-09-13 | $8.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Unlike Georgia (where the purpose clause itself is optional), Kentucky's Articles of Incorporation statute makes stating a… | Required |
| LAchecked 2026-09-12 | $75.00 | See source note | 12 directors | R.S. 12:203(B) lists 12 mandatory contents of the articles. Item (2) permits a purpose clause as generic as "any lawful activity… | Required |
| MAchecked 2026-09-13 | $35.00 | Online and paper/mail available | Unlike Kentucky (flat 3-director statutory floor) or many other states in this corpus, Massachusetts chapter 180 does… | Massachusetts requires a purpose statement (section 3: the articles "shall specify the purposes for which the corporation is… | Optional / not mandatory |
| MDchecked 2026-09-13 | $150.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 1 director | Unlike Kentucky and Georgia, Maryland's SDAT publishes a SEPARATE, dedicated 'Articles of Incorporation for a Tax-Exempt… | Required |
| MEchecked 2026-09-13 | $40.00 | See source note | 3 directors | Maine's articles-of-incorporation content statute (13-B M.R.S. §403(1)) requires the articles to state whether the corporation… | Required |
| MIchecked 2026-09-13 | $20.00 | See source note | 3 directors | Michigan's articles-of-incorporation content statute (MCL 450.2202) requires a specific, non-boilerplate statement of the… | Required |
| MNchecked 2026-09-13 | $70.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Minnesota's own standard nonprofit Articles of Incorporation form explicitly cannot be used, as-is, by an organization seeking… | Optional / not mandatory |
| MOchecked 2026-09-13 | $25.00 | See source note | 3 directors | Missouri's articles-of-incorporation content section (§355.096.2) MANDATES: (1) one of two classification statements — 'This… | Required |
| MSchecked 2026-09-13 | $50.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Unknown* | Registered-agent maintenance is a continuing obligation under the Nonprofit Corporation Act, not… |
| MTchecked 2026-09-13 | $20.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Unlike other states in this corpus that decline to supply IRS-conforming language at all, Montana's Secretary of State publishes… | Required |
| NCchecked 2026-09-13 | $60.00 | See source note | 1 director | NC's 'must set forth' list for nonprofit Articles of Incorporation (§55A-2-02(a)) requires a dissolution-asset-distribution… | Required |
| NDchecked 2026-09-13 | $40.00 | See source note | 3 directors | N.D.C.C. § 10-33-06(1)'s mandatory article content (name, registered agent, principal office, incorporator names/addresses,… | Required |
| NEchecked 2026-09-13 | $30.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Nebraska's articles-of-incorporation statute does not supply or require any specific 501(c)(3)-conforming boilerplate language.… | Required |
| NHchecked 2026-09-13 | $25.00 | Paper/mail available | 5 directors | RSA 292:2 requires Articles of Agreement to state (II) 'the object for which the corporation is established' and (III)… | Optional / not mandatory |
| NJchecked 2026-09-13 | $50.00 | See source note | 3 directors | NJ's Title 15A does not supply or require 501(c)(3)-conforming boilerplate. It DOES require every certificate to state the… | Required |
| NMchecked 2026-09-13 | $25.00 | See source note | 53-8-18(A) sets a single, flat floor for every nonprofit corporation regardless of charitable status: 'not less than… | 53-8-31(A)(3) requires only 'the purpose for which the corporation is organized'; 53-8-4 defines permissible purposes… | Required |
| NVchecked 2026-09-13 | $50.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 1 director | Unknown* | Required |
| NYchecked 2026-09-13 | $75.00 | Paper/mail available | 3 directors | State content fixed by N-PCL § 402(a); IRS 501(c)(3) purpose/dissolution clauses are optional (DOS-1511-f Paragraph NINTH) and… | Secretary of State designation mandatory (N-PCL § 304, § 402(a)(6)); additional in-state… |
| OHchecked 2026-09-13 | $99.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | ORC 1702.04(A)(3) mandates only "the purpose or purposes for which the corporation is formed" -- no restriction to an enumerated… | Required |
| OKchecked 2026-09-13 | $25.00 | See source note | 1 director | Unlike most sibling states in this corpus, Oklahoma's REQUIRED-LANGUAGE mechanism is not merely "defer to the IRS" -- 18 O.S. §… | Required |
| ORchecked 2026-09-13 | $50.00 | Paper/mail available | Oregon's director-count floor is CLASSIFICATION-DEPENDENT: a mutual benefit or religious corporation needs only 1 or… | ORS 65.047(1)(g) makes a dissolution-asset-distribution provision a MANDATORY articles item for every nonprofit corporation, but… | Unknown* |
| PAchecked 2026-09-13 | $125.00 | online at file.dos.pa.gov, or by mail/in person to the Bureau of Corporations… | PA requires 1+ directors (natural persons, 18+, no PA-residency or membership requirement) -- defaulting to 3 if… | PA's Nonprofit Corporation Law does NOT supply or require 501(c)(3)-conforming boilerplate, and -- unlike several sibling states… | Registered office required; named agent not required |
| RIchecked 2026-09-13 | $35.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Rhode Island's own list of what articles of incorporation "shall set forth" (§7-6-34(a)) requires a purpose clause (bare — "the… | Required |
| SCchecked 2026-09-13 | $25.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Dissolution provision required; IRS boilerplate not prescribed | Required |
| SDchecked 2026-09-13 | $30.00 | See source note | 3 directors | S.D.C.L. § 47-22-6's ten mandatory article recitals contain no 501(c)(3)-specific language requirement, no mandatory… | Unknown* |
| TNchecked 2026-09-13 | Unknown* | Unknown* | Unknown* | Unknown* | Unknown* |
| TXchecked 2026-09-11 | $25.00 | Online and paper/mail available | ≥3 directors; President + Secretary required | Filer-supplied via Article 5 free-text / Supplemental Provisions | Required |
| UTchecked 2026-09-13 | $59.00 to file Articles of Incorporation for a domestic nonprofit corporation… | Online and paper/mail available | 16 directors | COUNSEL DISCIPLINE 1 (verbatim only, no synthesized specimen clause): 16-6a-202(1)(g) makes SOME dissolution-of-assets provision… | Required |
| VAchecked 2026-09-14 | $75.00 | Online and paper/mail available | A Virginia nonstock board must have one or more individual directors; director residency and membership are not… | No purpose/dissolution clause required by state law | Required |
| VTchecked 2026-09-14 | $155.00 | Online available | A Vermont nonprofit board must have at least three individual directors. Unless articles or bylaws provide otherwise,… | Vermont's state articles requirements include a public-benefit or mutual-benefit statement and dissolution asset-distribution… | Required |
| WAchecked 2026-09-14 | Washington nonprofit articles of incorporation are filed with the Secretary of… | Online available | A Washington nonprofit board generally has one or more directors, but a corporation with IRS public-charity status or… | Washington articles must state the corporation's purposes and distribution of assets on dissolution. The Secretary page states… | Required |
| WIchecked 2026-09-14 | $35.00 | Online and paper/mail available | A Wisconsin Chapter 181 corporation must have a board of at least three individual directors; default officers are… | Unknown* | Required |
| WVchecked 2026-09-14 | $25.00 | Online and paper/mail available | A West Virginia nonprofit board must have at least three individual directors. Officer titles come from the bylaws or… | West Virginia's Secretary form publishes a non-profit IRS attachment with 501(c)(3) purpose and dissolution language; this cell… | Optional / not mandatory |
| WYchecked 2026-09-11 | $50.00 | Online and paper/mail available | 3 directors | Dissolution provision required; IRS boilerplate not prescribed | Required |
A visible asterisk marks a source-corpus caveat.
What this matrix covers
Each row is a U.S. jurisdiction: the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. The table transcludes the nonprofit T1 corpus for articles filing fee, filing method, director minimum, state-law 501(c)(3) articles-language pattern, and registered-agent requirement. It does not include federal Form 1023 review, charitable-solicitation registration, or recurring compliance filings.
Nonprofit corporation definitions
State nonprofit statutes do not use one uniform definition. Some define a nonprofit corporation directly; others define the chapter's operative term, such as corporation, nonstock corporation, public benefit corporation, or a state-specific equivalent.
| State | Definition pattern |
|---|---|
| AKchecked 2026-09-12 | AS 10.20.920(9): a "nonprofit corporation" is a corporation no part of whose income or profit is distributed to its members, directors, or officers; (5) defines… |
| ALchecked 2026-09-12 | Chapter 3A's definitions section (10A-3A-1.02) does not define a plain, atomic 'nonprofit corporation' term. It instead defines the two operative sub-categories directly by… |
| ARchecked 2026-09-12 | Unknown* |
| AZchecked 2026-09-12 | Unlike Delaware's substitution-mechanism approach, Arizona's Nonprofit Corporation Act directly defines 'corporation' to mean the nonprofit entity: §10-3140(14). |
| CAchecked 2026-09-12 | Corp. Code §5130(b)(1): the statutory purpose statement declaring the corporation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation not organized for private gain |
| COchecked 2026-09-12 | Colorado's Nonprofit Corporation Act directly defines the term within its own Part 4 (§7-121-401(26)): a nonprofit corporation is an entity, not foreign, incorporated under or… |
| CTchecked 2026-09-12 | Like Arizona (and unlike Delaware's nested nonstock/nonprofit-nonstock definitions), Connecticut's Nonstock Corporation Act directly defines 'corporation'/'domestic corporation'… |
| DCchecked 2026-09-14 | D.C. defines a domestic nonprofit corporation as a corporation incorporated under or subject to Chapter 4 that is not a foreign corporation. |
| DEchecked 2026-09-12 | Delaware's Title 8 has no defined term 'nonprofit corporation'; the operative statutory analog is 'nonprofit nonstock corporation' (§114(d)(3)), nested inside the broader… |
| FLchecked 2026-09-11 | s. 617.01401(20), F.S.: a nonprofit corporation is one no part of whose income or profit is distributable to its members, directors, or officers, except as otherwise provided in… |
| GAchecked 2026-09-12 | Unknown* |
| HIchecked 2026-09-12 | Hawaii's Chapter 414D directly defines the bare term ‘corporation’ to mean the nonprofit entity: ‘Corporation’ means a nonprofit corporation unless otherwise specified (§414D-14)… |
| IAchecked 2026-09-13 | IC 504.141(6): a nonprofit “corporation” under the Act is one of three statutory types -- public benefit, mutual benefit, or religious. |
| IDchecked 2026-09-12 | Like AZ/CT/GA earlier in this corpus, Idaho does not nest a 'nonprofit corporation' definition inside a general corporate-code term — the whole of Chapter 30 is… |
| ILchecked 2026-09-13 | 805 ILCS 105/101.80(m): "Not-for-profit corporation" means a corporation subject to this Act and organized solely for one or more of the purposes authorized by Section 103.05 of… |
| INchecked 2026-09-13 | IC 23-17-2-7: a nonprofit “corporation” under the Act is one of three statutory types -- public benefit, mutual benefit, or religious -- and excludes foreign corporations. |
| KSchecked 2026-09-13 | Kansas has no single defined term 'nonprofit corporation.' The operative concept is built from K.S.A. 17-6014(d)'s 'nonstock corporation' / 'nonprofit nonstock corporation' pair… |
| KYchecked 2026-09-13 | Kentucky defines 'nonprofit corporation' by a behavioral non-distribution test (KRS 273.161(4)) -- similar in structure to Connecticut's approach noted earlier in this corpus,… |
| LAchecked 2026-09-12 | Unlike Arizona/Connecticut/Georgia/Idaho earlier in this corpus (which nest 'nonprofit corporation' inside a broader unified code or leave it undefined), Louisiana defines… |
| MAchecked 2026-09-13 | Massachusetts defines a chapter-180 "corporation" structurally -- by reference to the enumerated purposes of section 4 -- rather than through a behavioral non-distribution test… |
| MDchecked 2026-09-13 | Maryland's corporate statute does not use 'nonprofit corporation' as an operative defined term (contrast Kentucky's behavioral non-distribution-of-profit test). The operative… |
| MEchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike Idaho/Arizona/Connecticut/Georgia earlier in this corpus (no standalone definition), Maine's Nonprofit Corporation Act directly defines the term: 'Nonprofit corporation'… |
| MIchecked 2026-09-13 | Statutory definition of "nonprofit corporation" under MCL 450.2108(2); "corporation" or "domestic corporation" is separately defined at MCL 450.2106(2) as a nonprofit corporation… |
| MNchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike Idaho/Arizona/Connecticut/Georgia earlier in this corpus, where no 'nonprofit corporation' term is defined at all, Minnesota's chapter DOES define 'Corporation' (317A.011… |
| MOchecked 2026-09-13 | Missouri's Nonprofit Corporation Act (RSMo Ch.355, current short title per §355.001) defines no standalone 'nonprofit corporation' term anywhere in its complete 35-term §355.066… |
| MSchecked 2026-09-13 | Mississippi's statutory nonprofit-corporation definition is a straightforward non-distribution test (no assets/income/profit to members, directors, or officers), codified at… |
| MTchecked 2026-09-13 | Montana's chapter defines 'Corporation' (35-2-114(7)) simply as a public benefit corporation, mutual benefit corporation, or religious corporation -- i.e., the definition is a… |
| NCchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike Idaho/Arizona/Connecticut/Georgia earlier in this corpus (none of which define 'nonprofit corporation' as a standalone term), North Carolina's Chapter 55A DOES define… |
| NDchecked 2026-09-13 | N.D.C.C. § 10-33-01(9) defines "Corporation" directly: "a corporation, other than a foreign corporation, that is incorporated under or governed by this chapter" -- a… |
| NEchecked 2026-09-13 | Nebraska does not define 'nonprofit corporation' as a single freestanding term; instead the Act defines the three classification subtypes that every corporation must choose… |
| NHchecked 2026-09-13 | Like several other states in this corpus, New Hampshire does not define 'nonprofit corporation' as a standalone term. RSA 292 is scoped entirely by its purposes clause (RSA… |
| NJchecked 2026-09-13 | NJ's Title 15A defines "Corporation" or "domestic corporation" directly: "a nonprofit corporation incorporated under this act, or existing on its effective date and organized… |
| NMchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike several states in this corpus that scope their nonprofit chapter only by an enumerated-purposes clause, New Mexico's 53-8-2(C) supplies a direct, dictionary-style… |
| NVchecked 2026-09-13 | Nevada's Chapter 82 defines 'corporation' at NRS 82.016 purely circularly -- 'a corporation organized or governed by this chapter' -- with no substantive test (no… |
| NYchecked 2026-09-13 | N-PCL §102(a)(5): 'Corporation'/'domestic corporation' means one formed exclusively for a non-pecuniary purpose permitted under the chapter, no part of whose assets/income/profit… |
| OHchecked 2026-09-13 | ORC 1702.01(C) defines "nonprofit corporation" directly, by the classic non-distribution constraint: a domestic or foreign corporation formed otherwise than for pecuniary… |
| OKchecked 2026-09-13 | 18 O.S. § 1004.1(D) supplies Oklahoma's operative definitions: a "nonstock corporation" is "any corporation organized under the Oklahoma General Corporation Act that is not… |
| ORchecked 2026-09-13 | ORS 65.001(33) defines "Nonprofit corporation" simply as the union of the three subtypes: a mutual benefit, public benefit, or religious corporation. There is no separate… |
| PAchecked 2026-09-13 | PA's statutory definition of 'nonprofit corporation' (15 Pa.C.S. Sec.5103) is a cross-reference: a domestic not-for-profit corporation NOT excluded by Sec.5102. Sec.5102's own… |
| RIchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike Arizona/Connecticut/Georgia/Idaho earlier in this corpus — none of which nest a standalone "nonprofit corporation" definition — Rhode Island's §7-6-2(14) DOES define the… |
| SCchecked 2026-09-13 | SC has no standalone 'nonprofit corporation' defined term; Section 33-31-140(7) instead defines 'Corporation' as public benefit, mutual benefit, or religious corporation (this… |
| SDchecked 2026-09-13 | S.D.C.L. § 47-22-1(8) defines "Nonprofit corporation" directly and substantively: "a corporation no part of the income or profit of which is distributable to its members,… |
| TNchecked 2026-09-13 | Unknown* |
| TXchecked 2026-09-11 | BOC §22.001(5): a nonprofit corporation is one no part of whose income is distributable to a member, director, or officer, except as provided by §22.054 |
| UTchecked 2026-09-13 | 16-6a-102(34) defines '"Nonprofit corporation" or "domestic nonprofit corporation"' purely by cross-reference to the chapter ('is incorporated under or subject to this chapter')… |
| VAchecked 2026-09-14 | Virginia defines a Chapter 10 domestic nonstock corporation as a corporation not authorized to issue shares; the Act also bars stock issuance and dividends. |
| VTchecked 2026-09-14 | Title 11B defines a corporation as a public benefit or mutual benefit corporation; foreign corporations are out-of-state corporations that would be nonprofit corporations if… |
| WAchecked 2026-09-14 | Washington defines a nonprofit corporation as a domestic nonprofit corporation under chapter 24.03A, permits lawful nonprofit purposes, and prohibits dividends or asset… |
| WIchecked 2026-09-14 | Wisconsin Chapter 181 defines its domestic corporation vehicle as a nonstock corporation, including a nonprofit corporation, and defines distributions separately. |
| WVchecked 2026-09-14 | West Virginia defines a nonprofit corporation by the prohibition on distributions to members, directors, or officers; the domestic corporate vehicle has no capital stock or shares. |
| WYchecked 2026-09-11 | WY has no standalone 'nonprofit corporation' defined term; W.S. 17-19-140(a)(vii) instead defines 'Corporation' as public benefit, mutual benefit, or religious corporation (the… |
Nonprofit subtype overview
Several states use the model-act categories of public benefit, mutual benefit, and religious corporations. Others use a single nonprofit vehicle, a nonstock corporation framework, or a state-specific subtype scheme.
| State | Subtype pattern |
|---|---|
| AKchecked 2026-09-12 | Alaska has one unified nonprofit-corporation type (AS 10.20); it does not use the Model Act's public/mutual/religious tripartite classification. Religious corporations organize… |
| ALchecked 2026-09-12 | No public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious classification exists. Chapter 3A instead gives every nonprofit corporation a broad default purpose (any lawful activity) unless… |
| ARchecked 2026-09-12 | Unknown* |
| AZchecked 2026-09-12 | Arizona's general nonprofit vehicle is the Ch.24-40 'corporation.' Two named regulatory subtypes exist within the Act (private foundation, religious corporation); 'corporation… |
| CAchecked 2026-09-12 | Three nonprofit subtypes under Division 2: Public Benefit (§5110 et seq., public or charitable purposes), Mutual Benefit (§7110 et seq., any lawful purpose except… |
| COchecked 2026-09-12 | No CA-style public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious three-way split exists in Colorado's Nonprofit Corporation Act. Two named, Colorado-specific subtypes/adjacent forms surfaced… |
| CTchecked 2026-09-12 | Unknown* |
| DCchecked 2026-09-14 | D.C. defines charitable, membership, nonmembership, and religious nonprofit-corporation terms; nonprofit corporations are not required to have members. |
| DEchecked 2026-09-12 | DE nonprofits are 'nonstock corporations'; the specific 501(c)(3)-qualifying term is 'charitable nonstock corporation' (a nonprofit nonstock corporation with no membership… |
| FLchecked 2026-09-11 | Ch. 617 permits membership (one or more classes) or non-member corporations (s. 617.0601). No separate filing types; the chapter contains special provisions for 501(c)(3)-exempt… |
| GAchecked 2026-09-12 | Unknown* |
| HIchecked 2026-09-12 | Hawaii's real nonprofit-subtype axis is the statutorily-defined ‘public benefit corporation’ (§414D-14) — a 501(c)(3)-exempt or public/charitable-purpose corporation with a… |
| IAchecked 2026-09-13 | Iowa recognizes the same three nonprofit-corporation subtypes as the Revised Model Act -- public benefit, mutual benefit, religious -- but classifies them AUTOMATICALLY by a… |
| IDchecked 2026-09-12 | Idaho does not adopt a general public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious classification — confirmed by a complete read of the Act's 20-term definitions list, which contains neither… |
| ILchecked 2026-09-13 | No public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious classification exists; instead 805 ILCS 105/103.05(a) authorizes 36 enumerated-or-similar purposes (charitable through… |
| INchecked 2026-09-13 | Indiana recognizes three nonprofit-corporation subtypes, one of which must be declared in the articles of incorporation: public benefit, mutual benefit, and religious corporation… |
| KSchecked 2026-09-13 | Kansas builds its nonprofit taxonomy bottom-up from a single statutory subsection rather than from named entity categories: 'nonstock corporation' (no capital stock) contains… |
| KYchecked 2026-09-13 | Kentucky does not adopt a public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious taxonomy -- KRS 273.167 instead lists a broad, non-exclusive set of lawful purposes (charitable, benevolent,… |
| LAchecked 2026-09-12 | Louisiana does not adopt a general public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious classification -- confirmed by a complete read of the Chapter's 31-term definitions list (R.S. 12:201),… |
| MAchecked 2026-09-13 | Massachusetts does not adopt a public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious taxonomy. Section 4 instead lists 14 discrete purpose categories a chapter-180 corporation may be formed… |
| MDchecked 2026-09-13 | Unknown* |
| MEchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike Idaho earlier in this corpus (no public/mutual/religious classification at all), Maine's Nonprofit Corporation Act builds its entire governance and… |
| MIchecked 2026-09-13 | Michigan's Nonprofit Corporation Act classifies corporations along two independent axes -- capital structure (stock vs. nonstock) and, for nonstock corporations, internal… |
| MNchecked 2026-09-13 | Minnesota does not adopt a public-benefit/mutual-benefit classification within chapter 317A — instead, section 317A.051 excludes cooperative associations and (public or private)… |
| MOchecked 2026-09-13 | Missouri's Nonprofit Corporation Act uses exactly TWO classification types, not three — every domestic nonprofit corporation is either a public benefit corporation or a mutual… |
| MSchecked 2026-09-13 | No formal corporate-subtype scheme; the two real cuts in Mississippi law are the chapter-title-level 'religious societies' distinction (general-provisions level, not… |
| MTchecked 2026-09-13 | Montana's nonprofit Act requires every domestic corporation to be designated, in its articles of incorporation, as one of exactly three types: a public benefit corporation, a… |
| NCchecked 2026-09-13 | NC does not adopt a general public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious 3-way classification — confirmed by a complete read of §55A-1-40's 36 defined terms (neither term appears) and… |
| NDchecked 2026-09-13 | North Dakota has NO subtype classification system. Section 10-33-01's full 38-item Definitions list contains no public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious (or equivalent) category,… |
| NEchecked 2026-09-13 | Nebraska requires every nonprofit corporation's articles to declare itself as ONE of three types — public benefit, mutual benefit, or religious (§ 21-1921(a)(2)) — a structural… |
| NHchecked 2026-09-13 | New Hampshire's RSA 292 is unusually subtype-rich compared to other states processed in this corpus: beyond the base 'voluntary corporation' (which, distinctively, may issue… |
| NJchecked 2026-09-13 | NJ has NO subtype classification system. 15A:1-2's Definitions section defines "Corporation," "Board," "Bylaws," "Certificate of incorporation," "Corporate business entity,"… |
| NMchecked 2026-09-13 | A full read of every section of Article 8 (53-8-1 through 53-8-99) located NO named nonprofit subtypes or carve-out entity classes comparable to New Hampshire's… |
| NVchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike jurisdictions that require every nonprofit corporation's articles to affirmatively designate a type (e.g. public benefit / mutual benefit / religious), Nevada's Chapter 82… |
| NYchecked 2026-09-13 | Charitable vs non-charitable corporation (N-PCL § 201, post-2014 NRA; former Types A-D mapped); member vs no-member (charitable only) under § 601 |
| OHchecked 2026-09-13 | Ohio's ORC 1702 does not define a public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious tri-partite classification the way some states' acts do; a nonprofit corporation is simply one meeting… |
| OKchecked 2026-09-13 | Oklahoma has no public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious classification scheme (unlike model-act states). Its subtype structure instead runs through two independent axes defined… |
| ORchecked 2026-09-13 | Unlike a state with no subtype concept, Oregon's classification is a mandatory, load-bearing articles-of-incorporation element (ORS 65.047(1)(b)): the incorporator must state one… |
| PAchecked 2026-09-13 | PA has no OR-style public/mutual/religious tri-classification. Its actual subtype structure: membership vs. non-membership corporations (and, rarely, nonstock vs. stock-share… |
| RIchecked 2026-09-13 | Rhode Island does not adopt a public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious classification — confirmed by a complete read of the Act's 17-term definitions list (§7-6-2), which contains… |
| SCchecked 2026-09-13 | Three statutory types -- public benefit, mutual benefit, religious (Section 33-31-140(7), 202(a)(2)); articles must state a type and elect member/non-member structure… |
| SDchecked 2026-09-13 | South Dakota has NO subtype classification system. Section 47-22-1's Definitions contain no public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious (or equivalent) category, and section 47-22-4… |
| TNchecked 2026-09-13 | Unknown* |
| TXchecked 2026-09-11 | Member vs. non-member; church-specific carve-outs (no formal public-benefit/mutual-benefit/religious classes) |
| UTchecked 2026-09-13 | Utah nonprofits may, distinctively, issue 'shares' of stock -- 16-6a-202(1)(f) requires articles to state the aggregate authorized shares and class terms IF the corporation will… |
| VAchecked 2026-09-14 | Virginia's current nonprofit formation vehicle is the nonstock corporation; the principal structural election in the sources is whether the corporation has members and any member… |
| VTchecked 2026-09-14 | Vermont Title 11B uses public benefit and mutual benefit corporation classifications. The SoS also identifies membership status as a separate subtype question. |
| WAchecked 2026-09-14 | Washington chapter 24.03A distinguishes charitable, membership, nonmembership, religious, and public-benefit nonprofit corporations; public-benefit designation is tied to current… |
| WIchecked 2026-09-14 | Wisconsin's Chapter 181 formation choice is a nonstock corporation, with the articles stating whether the corporation will have members and whether special distribution authority… |
| WVchecked 2026-09-14 | West Virginia uses the nonprofit corporation vehicle, with membership status stated in the articles. The official sources do not identify a public-benefit, mutual-benefit, or… |
| WYchecked 2026-09-11 | Three statutory types — public benefit, mutual benefit, religious (W.S. 17-19-202(a)(ii), 17-19-1804); articles must elect member or non-member structure (17-19-202(a)(v)) |
Cell caveats
Marked cells retain their source-corpus caveat instead of being promoted to uncaveated values.
| State | Fields | Status | Caveat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AR | Required 501c3 Language | Arkansas official-source route was exhausted in er-2n3k remediation: arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw links current Code access out to LexisNexis, the Lexis target returned a JS/cookie container rather than re-extractable section text, and a direct arkleg section route did not resolve. | source | |
| AR | Director Minimum | Arkansas official-source route was exhausted in er-2n3k remediation: arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw links current Code access out to LexisNexis, the Lexis target returned a JS/cookie container rather than re-extractable section text, and a direct arkleg section route did not resolve. | source | |
| AR | Nonprofit Corporation Definition | Arkansas official-source route was exhausted in er-2n3k remediation: arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw links current Code access out to LexisNexis, the Lexis target returned a JS/cookie container rather than re-extractable section text, and a direct arkleg section route did not resolve. | source | |
| AR | Nonprofit Subtypes | Arkansas official-source route was exhausted in er-2n3k remediation: arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw links current Code access out to LexisNexis, the Lexis target returned a JS/cookie container rather than re-extractable section text, and a direct arkleg section route did not resolve. | source | |
| AR | Registered Agent Requirement | Caveat present. | source | |
| CA | Required 501c3 Language | Caveat present. | source | |
| CT | Nonprofit Subtypes | Caveat present. | source | |
| DC | Required 501c3 Language | Caveat present. | source | |
| GA | Director Minimum | no free .gov-hosted compiled Georgia Code text exists (see governing_statute) | source | |
| GA | Nonprofit Corporation Definition | no free .gov-hosted compiled Georgia Code text exists (see governing_statute) | source | |
| GA | Nonprofit Subtypes | no free .gov-hosted compiled Georgia Code text exists (see governing_statute) | source | |
| GA | Registered Agent Requirement | no free .gov-hosted compiled Georgia Code text exists (see governing_statute) | source | |
| MD | Nonprofit Subtypes | Caveat present. | source | |
| MS | Required 501c3 Language | §79-11-119 not independently fetched (Lexis-gated, no free .gov mirror or recoverable enacting act found this pass); SoS's own guidance is silent on any state-specific articles-language mandate, which is consistent with — but does not independently confirm — a no-mandate reading of the operative statute. | source | |
| NV | Required 501c3 Language | NVSOS's own official nonprofit-corporation formation instructions/form (doc id 6659), which might supply optional IRS-conforming specimen articles language, could not be fetched after repeated retrieval attempts, including a higher-fidelity retry; the statutory finding itself (no 501(c)(3)-specific mandate in NRS 82.086/82.091) does not depend on that document and is independently confirmed. | source | |
| OR | Registered Agent Requirement | Self-service availability (whether the nonprofit corporation may name itself as its own registered agent) is not expressly addressed by ORS 65.111 either way, and no SoS FAQ/guidance page fetched this pass confirms or denies the practice. | source | |
| SD | Registered Agent Requirement | Caveat present. | source | |
| TN | Required 501c3 Language | Tennessee official-source route was exhausted in phase_3 remediation: capitol.tn.gov exposes legislative-process material but no current-code browser, the TN DOR Tennessee Code page routes current-code access to LexisNexis, and forced-rendered Lexis exposes a free-public-access container rather than re-extractable section text. | source | |
| TN | Director Minimum | Tennessee official-source route was exhausted in phase_3 remediation: capitol.tn.gov exposes legislative-process material but no current-code browser, the TN DOR Tennessee Code page routes current-code access to LexisNexis, and forced-rendered Lexis exposes a free-public-access container rather than re-extractable section text. | source | |
| TN | Articles Fee, Filing Method | Tennessee official-source route was exhausted in phase_3 remediation: capitol.tn.gov exposes legislative-process material but no current-code browser, the TN DOR Tennessee Code page routes current-code access to LexisNexis, and forced-rendered Lexis exposes a free-public-access container rather than re-extractable section text. | source | |
| TN | Nonprofit Corporation Definition | Tennessee official-source route was exhausted in phase_3 remediation: capitol.tn.gov exposes legislative-process material but no current-code browser, the TN DOR Tennessee Code page routes current-code access to LexisNexis, and forced-rendered Lexis exposes a free-public-access container rather than re-extractable section text. | source | |
| TN | Nonprofit Subtypes | Tennessee official-source route was exhausted in phase_3 remediation: capitol.tn.gov exposes legislative-process material but no current-code browser, the TN DOR Tennessee Code page routes current-code access to LexisNexis, and forced-rendered Lexis exposes a free-public-access container rather than re-extractable section text. | source | |
| TN | Registered Agent Requirement | Tennessee official-source route was exhausted in phase_3 remediation: capitol.tn.gov exposes legislative-process material but no current-code browser, the TN DOR Tennessee Code page routes current-code access to LexisNexis, and forced-rendered Lexis exposes a free-public-access container rather than re-extractable section text. | source | |
| WI | Required 501c3 Language | Caveat present. | source |
How to read this matrix
Hover a cell to see the underlying cell key, source URL, snapshot hash, quote, and any provenance caveat. Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee retain the Lexis/Justia mirror-source caveat from the source corpus. Typed unknowns would render as caveats, not as values.
Sources
Per-figure citations live in this page's sources.json companion. The page is staged from gov_entities.nonprofit_t1_cellsand inherits the counsel pre-publish gate for customer-facing nonprofit prose. Method notes live at /about/methodology/.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a state formation matrix or a federal 501(c)(3) matrix?
This page covers the state nonprofit corporation layer. Federal exemption recognition, Form 1023/Form 1023-EZ eligibility, and IRS processing data live in the federal nonprofit cells and are outside this state-requirements table.
Does this page give filing advice?
No. It is a transcluded source matrix. It reports what the state sources say and preserves caveats from the T1 corpus; entity-specific formation choices require counsel review.