A record filed with the secretary of state must meet specified filing requirements, and the secretary of state has several filing-administration powers.
To be filed by the secretary of state pursuant to this chapter, a record must be received by the secretary of state, comply with this chapter, and satisfy the following: The filing of the record must be required or permitted by this chapter; The record must be physically delivered in written form unless and to the extent the secretary of state permits or requires electronic delivery of the record; The words in the record must be in English, and numbers must be in Arabic or Roman numerals, but the name of an entity need not be in English if written in English letters, or Arabic or Roman numerals; The record must be signed by a person authorized or required under this chapter to sign the record; and The record must state the name and capacity, if any, of each individual who signed it, either on behalf of the individual or the person authorized or required to sign the record, but need not contain a seal, attestation, acknowledgment, or verification. If law other than this chapter prohibits the disclosure by the secretary of state of information contained in a record delivered to the secretary of state for filing, then the secretary of state must file the record if the record otherwise complies with this chapter but may redact the information. When a record is delivered to the secretary of state for filing, any fee required under this chapter and any fee, tax, interest, or penalty required to be paid under this chapter or law other than this chapter must be paid in a manner permitted by the secretary of state or by that law. The secretary of state may require that a record delivered in written form be accompanied by an exact or conformed copy. The secretary of state may provide forms for filings required or permitted to be made by this chapter and may, by rule, require their use. The secretary of state may require that a cover sheet for a filing be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state. The secretary of state may promulgate appropriate rules establishing acceptable methods for execution of any document to be filed with the secretary of state.