Forming a corporation or nonprofit in Arizona isn't the end of your paperwork journey. You'll need to submit an Arizona Annual Report annually, including a separate Certificate of Disclosure, as required by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).
This report ensures that public records are current with your entity's address, statutory agent, and leadership details. Staying current keeps you in good standing, which banks, vendors, and regulators check regularly.
If your business is registered with the Arizona Corporation Commission, an annual report is required to maintain good standing. The ACC uses this filing to verify who owns and manages your entity, where to send official notices, and whether your company remains active.
Arizona casts a wide net for required filers:
These entities get a free pass from annual reporting:
The ACC accepts submissions from business owners, officers, directors, or partners. Your registered agent can file on your behalf, as can professionals like attorneys, accountants, or authorized compliance services.
Most entities prefer the online approach due to its convenience, but mail or in-person options are also available.
To file online, do the following:
If you prefer an alternative method, Arizona provides a paper filing option. You can download the necessary form from the Arizona Corporation Commission's website or use a form provided by the state. After completing the form, mail it along with your payment to the Arizona Corporation Commission. For LLPs and LLLPs, filing by mail or in person is required.
Standard processing takes approximately 13-15 business days. If you're in a hurry, expedited options are available for an additional fee, allowing you to choose the processing speed that matches your timeline.
Arizona keeps its filing calendar simple on paper but frustrating in practice. Corporations and nonprofits follow anniversary schedules, while partnerships face a hard seasonal window. You need to know which category you fall into to avoid penalties or administrative dissolution.
Domestic and foreign corporations can file up to six months early, but the state won't budge once that date arrives.
Filing your annual report with the Arizona Corporation Commission involves several fees depending on the entity and the filing method chosen:
Expedited processing is available for all filings with the Arizona Corporation Commission for an additional fee.
Start with the basics that every entity needs:
These fields appear first and must match what's already on file. The form then branches by entity type:
Arizona also requires a Certificate of Disclosure. Here, you confirm whether the entity or its principals have faced felony convictions, SEC bars, or comparable state enforcement actions. If something in your organization's history changed since last year, you must disclose it. Otherwise, the report gets rejected for "incomplete disclosure" even if every other field is perfect.
Signatures finish the job. eCorp accepts electronic signatures from authorized officers, directors, partners, or your registered agent. Paper reports still need wet ink, as the ACC returns unsigned forms without review.
For missed filings, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) applies escalating penalties that can grow into serious legal and financial problems. This includes:
Reinstatement is possible but costly. To reinstate a corporation, you must file every overdue report, pay all accumulated late fees, and add a $100 reinstatement fee. The ACC allows reinstatement for up to six years after dissolution, but processing can take several weeks, leaving you in limbo.
FAQs about Arizona’s annual report
Can I file my annual report early?
Yes. You can submit a corporation or nonprofit report up to six months before the anniversary date shown in the Arizona Corporation Commission's database. Early filing is logged for the current year only, so next year's deadline stays the same.
Is it possible to request more time?
If your anniversary date is approaching and you need additional time, you can file an Annual Report Extension Request. The request, submitted before the original due date, extends the deadline up to six months. You must pay the annual registration fee when requesting the extension. Once the ACC grants the extension, the new date appears in your entity record, and late-fee accrual stops until that revised deadline.
I spotted an error after submitting—now what?
File a separate amendment through eCorp to correct directors, addresses, or share data. The ACC treats amendments as stand-alone filings, so you'll pay the normal amendment fee and reference the original report number. Fixing mistakes quickly prevents rejection of future filings and maintains your good-standing status.
How long will the ACC take to process my report, and can I speed it up?
Standard processing takes about 13–15 business days. If you need faster service, you can add expedited processing for an extra $35 and reduce the turnaround to roughly a week. Same-day or two-hour options exist for higher fees, but most businesses find the basic tier sufficient.
How do I obtain a Certificate of Good Standing?
After your report processes, return to eCorp, select "Order Documents," and request a Certificate of Good Standing. The system verifies that all reports are current and no fees are outstanding, then generates a downloadable PDF for a fee.
Arizona's filing rules create a tracking challenge, as corporations face individual anniversary deadlines, while partnerships have a single window from January to April. When managing multiple entities, this mixed system can make it easy to miss deadlines and incur unnecessary monthly penalties.
Discern takes this burden off your hands by automatically calculating each entity's correct due date and sending reminders before deadlines. The platform pre-fills ACC forms with your existing director, officer, and statutory agent information, then handles direct filing to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
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