Corporate Seals

A History of Corporate Seals

In old common law, people used a wax seal on official documents to give them a formality that it would not otherwise have. The seal gave these documents a special status. We call these corporate seals today.

Who Uses a Corporate Seal?

A corporation would use a corporate seal. And what's that? A corporation is a legal entity that exists separately from its owners. It is created when someone completes the articles of incorporation (usually called a charter or certificate of incorporation). These charters are then filed with the secretary of state, some fees are paid and bam! You have yourself a corporation. That means you can own property, enter into a contract and conduct business under the corporation's name.

By Lisa Sharp