{
  "$schema": "https://govschema.org/spec/v0.2/govschema.schema.json",
  "govschemaVersion": "0.2.0",
  "id": "us/ca/sos/corporation-formation-arts-gs",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "title": "California General Stock Corporation Incorporation (Articles of Incorporation, Form ARTS-GS)",
  "description": "Incorporate a general stock corporation in California by filing Articles of Incorporation (Form ARTS-GS) with the California Secretary of State, using the data model of the paper/PDF ARTS-GS form. Form ARTS-GS may only be used for a single class of authorized shares; a corporation needing a multiple-share-class structure must compose its own Articles of Incorporation (out of scope for this document). Covers the initial incorporation filing only: corporate name, business addresses, agent for service of process, authorized shares, and incorporator signature. Filing fee $100 (plus an optional $5 certified-copy fee); fastest channel is online at bizfileOnline.sos.ca.gov, which mirrors this same field set. It does not submit the filing; the live California Secretary of State source is always authoritative (see VERIFICATION.md). Out of scope: bylaws (not filed with the state), the Statement of Information (a separate filing due within 90 days and annually thereafter, Form SI-550), and the federal EIN application (see us/irs/employer-identification-number-ss4). Pairs with us/ca/sos/business-entity-llc-formation, the LLC counterpart from the same authority.",
  "status": "draft",
  "jurisdiction": {
    "country": "US",
    "level": "subnational",
    "subdivision": "US-CA"
  },
  "authority": {
    "name": "California Secretary of State",
    "abbreviation": "SOS",
    "url": "https://www.sos.ca.gov/"
  },
  "process": {
    "type": "registration",
    "language": "en-US"
  },
  "source": {
    "url": "https://bpd.cdn.sos.ca.gov/corp/pdf/articles/arts-gs.pdf",
    "retrievedAt": "2026-07-01",
    "documentRef": "Form ARTS-GS (Rev. 06/2023)"
  },
  "verification": {
    "method": "manual-source-review-v1",
    "lastVerifiedAt": "2026-07-01",
    "verifiedBy": "GovSchema Engineering",
    "nextReviewBy": "2027-01-01",
    "notes": "Source-derived reference schema transcribed field-by-field from the Form ARTS-GS (Rev. 06/2023) PDF (all six numbered items read in full) and cross-checked against the ARTS-GS Instructions (Rev. 06/2019), which supplies the agent-for-service-of-process, authorized-shares, and signature rules not restated on the form itself. Not a time-versioned/edition form: Articles of Incorporation is a one-time initial filing, not filed 'for' a recurring period, so it is authored at the plain (non-edition) registry path per the GSP-0005 §2 coexistence test. Status remains 'draft' pending full independent field-by-field source review. See VERIFICATION.md."
  },
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "fields": [
    {
      "name": "corporationName",
      "label": "Corporate Name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The proposed corporation name exactly as it should appear on Secretary of State records. General corporate name requirements and restrictions apply (see the Secretary of State's name-availability guidance); a name reservation is not required to file this form.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 1",
      "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 200 }
    },
    {
      "name": "principalAddressLine1",
      "label": "Initial street address of corporation",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Must be a physical street address; do not enter a P.O. box or an \"in care of\" address.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2a",
      "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 120 }
    },
    {
      "name": "principalAddressCity",
      "label": "Corporation's initial address — city",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Do not abbreviate the city name.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2a",
      "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 80 }
    },
    {
      "name": "principalAddressState",
      "label": "Corporation's initial address — state",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Two-letter USPS state abbreviation. Unlike item 3b (the individual agent's address, fixed to California), neither the form nor the ARTS-GS Instructions restrict the corporation's own initial address to California.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2a",
      "validation": { "pattern": "^[A-Z]{2}$" }
    },
    {
      "name": "principalAddressZipCode",
      "label": "Corporation's initial address — ZIP code",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "5-digit or ZIP+4 U.S. format, e.g. 95814 or 95814-1234.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2a",
      "validation": { "pattern": "^[0-9]{5}(-[0-9]{4})?$" }
    },
    {
      "name": "mailingAddressLine1",
      "label": "Initial mailing address of corporation, if different from item 2a",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Optional; used for mailing purposes only. Unlike the corporation's initial street address, this may be a P.O. box or an \"in care of\" address.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2b",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 120 }
    },
    {
      "name": "mailingAddressCity",
      "label": "Mailing address — city",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Required when mailingAddressLine1 is given. Do not abbreviate the city name.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2b",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 80 }
    },
    {
      "name": "mailingAddressState",
      "label": "Mailing address — state",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Required when mailingAddressLine1 is given. Two-letter USPS state abbreviation.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2b",
      "validation": { "pattern": "^[A-Z]{2}$" }
    },
    {
      "name": "mailingAddressZipCode",
      "label": "Mailing address — ZIP code",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Required when mailingAddressLine1 is given. 5-digit or ZIP+4 U.S. format.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 2b",
      "validation": { "pattern": "^[0-9]{5}(-[0-9]{4})?$" }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentType",
      "label": "Agent for service of process — type",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": true,
      "description": "The corporation must name an agent for service of process: either an individual (an officer, director, or any other individual who resides in California with a physical California address) OR a registered corporate agent qualified with the Secretary of State — not both. A corporation cannot name itself as agent. If individual, also give agentFirstName/agentLastName/agentStreetAddressLine1/agentCity/agentState/agentZipCode. If corporation, also give agentCorporationName.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3",
      "validation": { "enum": ["individual", "corporation"] }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentFirstName",
      "label": "California agent's first name (if agent is not a corporation)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Personal identifier; handle as sensitive data. Required when agentType is individual. The name and California street address of an individual agent is a public record.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3a",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 80 }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentMiddleName",
      "label": "California agent's middle name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Personal identifier; handle as sensitive data.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3a",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 80 }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentLastName",
      "label": "California agent's last name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Personal identifier; handle as sensitive data. Required when agentType is individual.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3a",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 80 }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentSuffix",
      "label": "California agent's suffix",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "E.g. Jr., Sr., III.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3a",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 10 }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentStreetAddressLine1",
      "label": "California agent's street address (if agent is not a corporation)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Personal identifier; handle as sensitive data. Required when agentType is individual. Must be a physical California street address; do not enter a P.O. box or an \"in care of\" address.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3b",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 120 }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentCity",
      "label": "California agent's address — city",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Required when agentType is individual. Do not abbreviate the city name.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3b",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 80 }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentState",
      "label": "California agent's address — state",
      "type": "enum",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Required when agentType is individual. Fixed to California: the form pre-prints \"CA\" in this field, since an individual agent for service of process must reside in California with a California address.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3b",
      "validation": { "enum": ["CA"] }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentZipCode",
      "label": "California agent's address — ZIP code",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Required when agentType is individual. 5-digit or ZIP+4 U.S. format.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3b",
      "validation": { "pattern": "^[0-9]{5}(-[0-9]{4})?$" }
    },
    {
      "name": "agentCorporationName",
      "label": "California registered corporate agent's name (if agent is a corporation)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,
      "description": "Required when agentType is corporation. Enter the exact name as registered with the Secretary of State. Before designation, the corporation must have a current agent registration certificate on file under Corporations Code section 1505, and advance approval from that corporation must be obtained.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 3c",
      "validation": { "maxLength": 160 }
    },
    {
      "name": "authorizedShares",
      "label": "Total number of shares the corporation is authorized to issue",
      "type": "integer",
      "required": true,
      "description": "This form may be used only for a single class of authorized shares; a corporation needing a multiple-share-class structure must compose its own Articles of Incorporation instead of this form. Must not be left blank or entered as 0 — at least 1 share must be authorized, and any number may be authorized. Before shares are sold or issued, the corporation must separately comply with California securities law.",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 4",
      "validation": { "minimum": 1 }
    },
    {
      "name": "incorporatorName",
      "label": "Type or print name (incorporator signature block)",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "description": "Personal identifier; handle as sensitive data. The printed name of an incorporator signing under the form's certification. Every incorporator must sign; do not include the signer's title. Only one Form ARTS-GS with one set of signatures may be filed; additional incorporators sign on an attached page (out of scope for this flat field set — see GSP-0009).",
      "sourceRef": "Form ARTS-GS item 6",
      "validation": { "minLength": 1, "maxLength": 160 }
    }
  ],
  "steps": [
    {
      "id": "corporate_name",
      "title": "Corporate name",
      "fields": ["corporationName"],
      "next": "addresses"
    },
    {
      "id": "addresses",
      "title": "Business addresses",
      "fields": [
        "principalAddressLine1", "principalAddressCity", "principalAddressState", "principalAddressZipCode",
        "mailingAddressLine1", "mailingAddressCity", "mailingAddressState", "mailingAddressZipCode"
      ],
      "next": "agent_for_service_of_process"
    },
    {
      "id": "agent_for_service_of_process",
      "title": "Agent for service of process",
      "fields": [
        "agentType",
        "agentFirstName", "agentMiddleName", "agentLastName", "agentSuffix",
        "agentStreetAddressLine1", "agentCity", "agentState", "agentZipCode",
        "agentCorporationName"
      ],
      "next": "shares"
    },
    {
      "id": "shares",
      "title": "Authorized shares",
      "fields": ["authorizedShares"],
      "next": "signature"
    },
    {
      "id": "signature",
      "title": "Incorporator signature",
      "fields": ["incorporatorName"]
    }
  ]
}