Exactly what to do
- Your regulator is usually the Attorney General or Secretary of State; find it in the NASCO directory. On the same .gov page, read the exemption list before filing anything: some states exempt small organizations under a revenue threshold or certain charity types. Mind the cliff, though: outgrow the threshold mid-year and the registration duty starts.
- The filing runs on paperwork you already have: articles, EIN, bylaws, officer list, and later your 990. If an exemption fits, many states still want a one-time exemption filing to claim it, confirm in writing on the regulator's own page, never assume.
- Log the registration number and renewal date the day the approval arrives, and chain the renewal to your 990 cycle (most states key on it). Missing a renewal can mean penalties and losing the right to fundraise in that state.
Questions people actually ask
We're incorporated and tax-exempt. Why a third registration?
Three different layers answer three different questions. Incorporation creates the legal entity (state corporate law). 501(c)(3) makes donations deductible (federal tax law). Solicitation registration licenses the ACT of asking residents for money (state consumer-protection law). Each has its own filing, its own renewal, and its own penalties.
What counts as "soliciting"?
Any ask directed at a state's residents: mail, email, events, grant applications in some states, and your website's donate button. It's the ask that triggers the duty, not the receipt; registering before the first campaign is the clean path.
