If you're incorporating as a C-Corp or S-Corp, chances are you have to create corporate bylaws. Most states require you to memorialize your bylaws and, even in the states where there is no such requirement, having bylaws is a great idea. After all, corporate bylaws define your business' structure, roles, and specifies how your company will conduct its affairs.
Creating and following your own bylaws is also a key ingredient of corporate compliance. Along with keeping meeting minutes and regularly filing taxes, following your bylaws allows you to create unique rules and keep your business debts and assets separate from your personal ones.
Check our chart below to find out if your state requires you to create bylaws for your corporation:
| State | Bylaws Required? |
| Alabama | Yes |
| Alaska | No |
| Arizona | Yes |
| Arkansas | Yes |
| California | No |
| Colorado | No |
| Connecticut | Yes |
| Delaware | Yes |
| District of Columbia (DC) | Yes |
| Florida | Yes |
| Georgia | Yes |
| Hawaii | Yes |
| Idaho | Yes |
| Illinois | Yes |
| Indiana | Yes |
| Iowa | Yes |
| Kansas | No |
| Kentucky | Yes |
| Louisiana | No |
| Maine | Yes |
| Maryland | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Yes |
| Michigan | No |
| Minnesota | No |
| Mississippi | Yes |
| Missouri | No |
| Montana | Yes |
| Nebraska | Yes |
| Nevada | No |
| New Hampshire | Yes |
| New Jersey | Yes |
| New Mexico | Yes |
| New York | Yes |
| North Carolina | Yes |
| North Dakota | No |
| Ohio | No |
| Oklahoma | Yes |
| Oregon | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | No |
| Rhode Island | No |
| South Carolina | Yes |
| South Dakota | Yes |
| Tennessee | Yes |
| Texas | Yes |
| Utah | No |
| Vermont | Yes |
| Virgnia | Yes |
| Washington | Yes |
| West Virginia | Yes |
| Wisconsin | No |
| Wyoming | Yes |
Keep in mind that you do not actually need to file these bylaws in any state. Simply create them, keep them with your records, and, by all means, follow them. You can visit our Corporate Compliance Center or our Incorporation Learning Center for more information.
This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please ask a lawyer.
