Form a company
You prepare the formation, the owner signs it, adds any remaining details and pays, and we file it with the state.
| Step | Who | How |
|---|---|---|
| Check the state | You or your agent | GET /states/{code} and POST /formations/quote |
| Prepare | You or your agent | POST /formations and PATCH /formations/{id} |
| Review and sign | The owner | review_url, in their browser |
| Add details and pay | The owner | review_url, then order.order_url for anything left |
| File | OpenFile | GET /orders/{id} shows status and file_number |
Prepare it
curl -X POST https://api.joinopenfile.com/v1/formations \
-H 'content-type: application/json' \
-d '{"entity":"llc","state":"WY","name":"Northwind","package":"pro","contact":{"name":"Sam Lee","email":"sam@example.com"}}'The response has id, token, review_url, issues and quote. Keep the token. Send more answers with PATCH, and when ready is true, send the owner review_url.
What only the owner can do
- Sign. The authorization lets us file for them, so an agent can't sign it. The API refuses
signature, and no route takes one. - Give a Social Security number or ITIN. These go only on their order page, and the API refuses them.
- Confirm their registered agent. OpenFile doesn't offer one yet, so the owner names their own and confirms they agreed to serve.
- Start anything that recurs. The API refuses recurring add-ons.
Ask, don't infer
Answers you don't send stay missing, and issues lists them, so a default never passes for a fact. Don't pick the state, company type or package for someone.
Don't tell them a name is available. We search the state's records before filing, and backup_name is used if the first choice is taken.
Fees
quote lists every line, with the state's marked government. Our processing fee varies by state and is a line of its own, so quote from quote, not from the state's fee alone. On GET /states/{code}, verified false means the fee is an estimate, so say so. plus names costs quoted later, like newspaper publication.
The rush add-on is our expedited filing. Its price varies by state, and Premium includes it. expedite is separate: it pays for the state's own faster processing, where the state offers one.
After signing
get_formation returns order with its own token. Read GET /orders/{id} with that token: owner_steps lists what the owner still has to do, and note is any message from staff.
The owner orders add-ons, like annual reports, from their dashboard. GET /services lists them. A filing add-on starts once the owner finishes its form and it's paid.
Common questions
Can an agent form a company on its own?
No. It prepares the draft and sends the owner review_url. The owner checks it and signs.
Who is the registered agent?
The owner names their own: themselves if they live in the state, or a company they hire. We don't offer one yet.
How do I follow an order?
Call get_formation until it shows an order, then get_order.