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By-Laws of Corporation

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BY-LAWS OF

ARTICLE I. NAME AND LOCATION

SECTION 1. The name of this corporation shall be .

SECTION 2. The Principal and registered office of the corporation in the State of shall be . The corporation may have such other offices, either within or without the State of as the Board of Directors may designate or as the business of the corporation may require from time to time.

ARTICLE II. SHAREHOLDERS

SECTION 1. Annual Meeting. The annual meeting of the shareholders shall be held on the first tuesday of the month of in each year, beginning with the year at the time designated by the Board of Directors, for the purpose of electing Directors and for the transaction of such other business as may come before the meeting. If the day fixed for the annual meeting shall be a legal holiday in the State of , such meeting shall be held on the next succeeding business day. If the election of Directors shall not be held on the day designated herein for any annual meeting of the shareholders, or at any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors shall cause the election to be held at a special meeting of the shareholders as soon thereafter as convenient.

SECTION 2. Special Meeting. Special meetings of the shareholders, for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute, may be called by resolution of the Board of Directors or by the President at the request of the holders of not less than a majority of all the outstanding shares of the corporation entitled to vote on any issue proposed to be considered at the meeting, provided said shareholders sign, date and deliver to the corporate secretary one or more written demands for the meeting describing the purpose or purposes for which it is to be held. Only business within the purpose or purposes described in the meeting notice required by Article II, Section 5 of these By-Laws may be conducted at a special shareholders meeting. In addition, such meeting may be held at any time without call or notice upon unanimous consent of shareholders.

SECTION 3. Place of Meeting. The Board of Directors may designate any place, either within or without the State of unless otherwise prescribed by statute as the place of meeting for any annual meeting or for any special meeting of shareholders. A waiver of notice signed by all shareholders entitled to vote at a meeting may designate any place, either within or without the State of , unless otherwise prescribed by statute, as the place for the holding of such meeting. If no designation is made, or if a special meeting be otherwise called, the place of meeting shall be the principal office of the corporation in the State of .

SECTION 4. Notice of Meeting. Written or printed notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting shall be delivered not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting, either personally or by mail, by or at the direction of the President, or the Secretary, or the officer or persons calling the meeting, to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting.

SECTION 5. Closing of Transfer Books or Fixing of Record Date. For the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of shareholders or any adjournment thereof, or shareholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination of shareholders for any other proper purpose, the Board of Directors of the corporation may provide that the stock transfer books shall be closed for a stated period but not to exceed, in any case, seventy (70) days.

SECTION 6. Shareholders' List. After fixing a record date, the officer or agent having charge of the share ledger of the corporation shall prepare an alphabetical list of all persons entitled to notice and to represent shares at such meeting, or any adjournment thereof, and said list shall be arranged by voting group and shall show the address of and the number of shares held by each shareholder or representative.

SECTION 7. Quorum. A majority of the outstanding shares of the corporation entitled to vote, represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of shareholders.

SECTION 8. Proxies. At all meetings of shareholders, a shareholder may vote by proxy executed in writing by the shareholder or by his duly authorized attorney-in-fact.

SECTION 9. Voting of Shares. Subject to the provisions of Section 12 of this Article II, each outstanding share entitled to vote shall be entitled to one vote upon each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of shareholders.

SECTION 10. Voting of Share by Certain Holders. Shares standing in the name of another corporation may be voted by such officer, agent or proxy as the By-Laws of such corporation may preserve, or, in the absence of such provision, as the Board of Directors of such corporation may determine.

SECTION 11. Informal Action by Shareholders. Unless otherwise provided by law, any action required to be taken at a meeting of the shareholders, or any other action which may be taken at a meeting of the shareholders, may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by all of the shareholders entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof.

SECTION 12. Cumulative Voting. Unless otherwise provided by law, at each election for Directors every shareholder entitled to vote, in person or by proxy, shall have the right to vote at such election the number of shares owned by him for as many persons as there are Directors to be elected.

ARTICLE III. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SECTION 1. General Powers. The business and affairs of the corporation shall be managed by its Board of Directors except as otherwise herein provided.

SECTION 2. Number, Tenure and Qualifications. The number of Directors of the corporation shall be ( ). Each Director shall hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified.

SECTION 3. Regular Meetings. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held without other notice than this By-Law immediately after, and at the same place as the annual meeting of shareholders.

SECTION 4. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the President or any Director.

SECTION 5. Notice. Notice of any special meeting shall be given at least five (5) days previously thereto by notice personally given or mailed to each Director at his business address, or by telegram.

SECTION 6. Quorum. A majority of the number of Directors fixed by Section 2 of this Article III shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 7. Manner of Acting. The act of the majority of the Directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 8. Compensation. By resolution of the Board of Directors, the Directors may be paid their expenses, if any, of attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 9. Presumption of Assent. A Director of the corporation who is present at a meeting of the Board of Directors at which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent shall be entered in the minutes.

SECTION 10. Informal Action by Board of Directors. Unless otherwise provided by law, any action required to be taken at a meeting of the Directors may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing shall be signed by each director.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

SECTION 1. Number. The officers of the corporation shall be a President and a Secretary-Treasurer, each of whom shall be elected by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2. Election and Term of Office. The officers of the corporation to be elected by the Board of Directors shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held after each annual meeting of the shareholders.

SECTION 3. Removal. Any officer or agent elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed by the Board of Directors whenever in its judgment, the best interest of the corporation would be served thereby.

SECTION 4. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, may be filled by the Board of Directors for the unexpired portion of the term.

SECTION 5. President. The President shall be the principal executive officer of the corporation and shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the corporation.

SECTION 6. Vice-President. The Board of Directors may determine when there is a need for a Vice-President or Vice-Presidents.

SECTION 7. Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep the minutes of the shareholders and of the Board of Directors meetings and perform other duties incident to the office.

SECTION 8. Salaries. The salaries, compensation and other benefits, if any, of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE V. CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

SECTION 1. Contracts. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation.

SECTION 2. Loans. No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the corporation and no evidence of indebtedness shall be issued in its name unless authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 3. Checks, Drafts, etc. All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money shall be signed by such officer or officers, agent or agents of the corporation as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4. Deposits. All funds of the corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may select.

ARTICLE VI. CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES AND THEIR TRANSFER

SECTION 1. Certificates for Shares. Certificates representing shares of the corporation shall be in such form as shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2. Transfer of Shares. Transfer of shares of the corporation shall be made only on the stock transfer books of the corporation by the holder of record thereof or by his legal representative.

ARTICLE VII. FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the corporation shall begin on the 1st day of January and end on the 31st day of December in each year.

ARTICLE VIII. DIVIDENDS
The Board of Directors may from time to time declare, and the corporation may pay dividends on its outstanding shares in the manner and upon the terms and conditions provided by law and its Articles of Incorporation.

ARTICLE IX. SEAL
The Board of Directors shall provide a corporate seal which shall be circular in form and shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation and the state of incorporation and the words "Corporate Seal."

ARTICLE X. WAIVER OF NOTICE
Unless otherwise provided by law, whenever any notice is required to be given to any shareholder or Director of the corporation under the provisions of these By-Laws or under the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be equivalent to the giving of such notice.

ARTICLE XI. ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS; BOARD SIGNATURES
These By-Laws may be altered, amended or repealed and new By-Laws may be adopted by a majority vote of the Board of Directors at any annual Board of Directors meeting or at any special Board of Directors meeting when the proposed amendment has been set out in the notice of such meeting.

ARTICLE XII. ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ADOPTION OR AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
As described in ARTICLE XI, above, the individual members of the Board of Directors shall provide their dated signature below, in order for each to record his or her understanding and belief that these By-Laws have been properly adopted, altered, amended or repealed per the within-described voting procedures, and are binding upon the Corporation.

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What the By-Laws of Corporation Are and why they matter

The By-Laws of Corporation are the internal rules that govern a corporation’s management, board procedures, officer roles, shareholder meetings, voting protocols, and corporate governance processes. They are adopted by the board at the organization meeting and guide day-to-day operations, dispute resolution, and decision authority. Although bylaws are usually kept with corporate records and not filed with the Secretary of State, they are essential evidence of corporate procedure and may be required by banks, investors, or auditors when verifying authority or compliance.

Why clear, tailored bylaws protect the company and stakeholders

Well-drafted bylaws reduce internal disputes, clarify roles and voting mechanics, and provide a defensible record of corporate governance.

Why clear, tailored bylaws protect the company and stakeholders

Who typically prepares and relies on corporate bylaws

Keep the bylaws accessible to officers and the corporate secretary as part of the minute book and corporate record set.

  • Founders and incorporators who set initial governance structure and officer appointments.
  • Corporate counsel and company secretaries who ensure bylaws comply with state law and corporate policy.
  • Banks, investors, and auditors who request bylaws to verify authority and governance during due diligence.

Typical signatories and officials for bylaws

Board Chair

The board chair or president often signs an attestation to adopt the bylaws and preside over the organizational meeting; the statement documents board approval and effective date and becomes part of corporate records.

Corporate Secretary

The corporate secretary signs and stores the bylaws in the minute book, certifies copies for banks or third parties, and maintains amendment histories and versions for legal and audit purposes.

Core sections to include in professional bylaws

A comprehensive set of bylaws typically covers corporate purpose, board composition, director and officer duties, meeting procedures, voting rules, committees, indemnification, amendment procedures, and recordkeeping.

Corporate Purpose

A concise statement of permitted business activities and any restrictions on corporate powers; avoid overly broad or vague language that conflicts with charter provisions.

Board Structure

Number of directors, staggered terms if used, vacancy filling procedures, and removal/expulsion rules that align with state corporate law and the articles of incorporation.

Meetings & Notice

Rules for notice, quorum, special meetings, proxy or remote participation, and written consent consistent with applicable state statutes and ESIGN/UETA considerations.

Officers and Duties

Titles, appointment process, duties, delegation authority, and succession planning for officers such as president, treasurer, and secretary.

Voting Rules

Shareholder voting thresholds, director election methods, supermajority requirements, and procedures for contested elections or tie votes.

Amendment Process

How bylaws can be amended by the board or shareholders, required notice, and voting thresholds necessary to adopt changes.

Step-by-step: adopt and record the bylaws

Follow a defined sequence to adopt, sign, and store bylaws so corporate acts remain valid and auditable.

  • 01
    Draft: Prepare bylaws consistent with articles of incorporation and state law.
  • 02
    Board Review: Circulate draft to directors and counsel for review before the organizational meeting.
  • 03
    Adopt: Hold the organizational board meeting and record formal resolution adopting the bylaws.
  • 04
    Record: Sign attestation, file in the minute book, and provide certified copies to banks or stakeholders as required.

How to configure an online bylaws workflow

Set up a repeatable digital workflow for review, signature, and record retention to reduce manual steps and maintain an audit trail.

Field Configuration
Signature Blocks Assign roles for board chair and corporate secretary; require date fields.
Approval Order Set sequential signing: incorporator, directors, officers.
Authentication Use email plus optional SMS or SSO for signer verification.
Retention Settings Enable PDF export, certificate-of-completion, and secure storage on execution.

Digital signing and integrations for corporate bylaws

Ensure the chosen platform meets applicable compliance needs (for example, HIPAA or 21 CFR Part 11 if documents touch those regulated workflows) and preserves a tamper-evident record.

  • Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace integration supported.
  • File Formats: Accepts PDF, DOCX, and exports in ISO-compatible formats.
  • Authentication: Supports email, SMS, and SSO-based signer verification.

Typical eSigning flow for adopting bylaws online

The signing process should capture intent, attribution, and an audit trail while keeping the document version-controlled.

  • Upload Document: Add the finalized bylaws draft to the signing platform.
  • Place Fields: Insert signature, name, and date fields for each signer.
  • Invite Signers: Send secure signing links or use role-based routing.
  • Capture Audit: Platform records IP, timestamps, and authentication events.

Essential information fields to include in bylaws records

Corporate Name: Exact legal entity name.
Principal Address: Full street address.
Registered Agent: Name and contact details.
Director List: Names and terms.
Adoption Date: Effective MM/DD/YYYY.
Version History: Amendment dates and summaries.

Common legal risks from deficient bylaws

Invalid Acts: Corporate acts may be challenged.
Piercing Risk: Poor separateness increases liability risk.
Tax Exposure: Incorrect records can affect tax positions.
Contract Disputes: Authority questions can void agreements.
Regulatory Fines: Noncompliance may trigger penalties.
Investor Distrust: Missing governance deters financing.

Timing and key deadlines for adopting and updating bylaws

While bylaws are internal, certain corporate actions and updates should follow predictable timing to maintain governance discipline.

Initial Adoption Timing:

Adopt at the organizational board meeting immediately after incorporation.

Annual Review Requirement:

Review bylaws annually or at each fiscal year start to align with governance changes.

Amendment Notice:

Provide required notice periods to directors or shareholders before amendments, per the bylaws.

Recordkeeping Deadline:

File signed attestation and place in minute book immediately after adoption.

Special Circumstance Updates:

Update promptly after mergers, major financing, or regulatory changes.

Practical tips for accurate, efficient bylaw preparation

Apply clear drafting and version control rules to reduce ambiguity and streamline future amendments.

Standardize Names and Dates
Use the exact legal entity name and MM/DD/YYYY date format throughout; inconsistent naming creates banking delays and legal uncertainty.
Keep Amendment Log
Record each amendment with date, authorizing resolution, and a short summary to maintain an auditable history for regulators and auditors.
Cross-Check with Charter
Ensure bylaws do not conflict with the articles of incorporation or state corporate statutes to avoid invalid provisions.
Use Clear Voting Rules
Specify quorum, voting thresholds, proxy allowances, and remote participation rules so tallies and legitimacy are unambiguous.

Real-world examples of online execution for corporate documents

Companies use online signing to speed governance approvals and centralize records while preserving compliance and audit trails.

Optica Ventures (COO)

The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers.

  • Board approvals completed remotely in hours rather than days.
  • Centralized signed bylaws in the minute book removed repeated requests for certified copies and improved audit readiness.

Tech Data (CEO)

Tech Data uses online signing to improve customer and internal service while increasing speed to revenue.

  • Organizational resolutions executed with secure audit trails.
  • The legal and finance teams receive certified PDFs immediately, reducing administrative bottlenecks for corporate actions.

How bylaws differ from other core entity documents

Compare bylaws to articles of incorporation and operating agreements to choose the right provisions for governance and public filing.

Criteria Bylaws Articles of Incorporation Operating Agreement
Primary Purpose internal governance public charter member governance
Public Filing
Typical Content procedures and roles name, purpose, shares member rights, capital
Amendment Authority board/shareholders filing through state members/contract

Frequently asked questions about By-Laws of Corporation

Answers to common questions about adopting, signing, and storing corporate bylaws, with practical guidance for compliance and recordkeeping.


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