What Is a NY Application for Authority? (Sample + Guide)
A NY Application for Authority is the multi-page form an LLC formed outside New York files with the New York Department of State to register to do business here. New York's form is DOS-1361-f-a, the filing fee is $250, and the filed application lists, among other things, the LLC's office address (the office its home jurisdiction requires, or its principal office) and the official in its home jurisdiction with whom its formation documents were filed. It is not the one-page filing receipt the state sends back afterwards, even though that receipt's "Document Type" line reads "Application of Authority."
If someone has asked you for your "Application for Authority" and you're not sure which PDF that is, this guide shows what the application looks like, how to tell it apart from the receipt in under a minute, and where to find a copy.
What Does an Application for Authority Look Like?
Here is what a filed Application for Authority looks like. The statements are the Department of State's own wording from form DOS-1361-f-a (Rev. 12/22), abridged. The LLC, its people, its addresses and every number are fictional; the Delaware filing office in SEVENTH is the real one.
Sample Only — Not a Real Filing
This is a recreation for educational purposes. The stamp line at the top imitates the line the Department of State prints on the copies it supplies; it is not a real filing number or DOS ID. A copy you saved yourself before filing will not carry that line at all.
Three things give it away as the application: it runs several pages, its statements are numbered FIRST, SECOND and so on (FIRST through SEVENTH on the standard form), and they close with a signature and the signer's capacity (member, manager or authorized person). The blank form is on the Department of State's Application for Authority page.
What Is a NY Application for Authority?
An LLC formed in another state (Delaware, New Jersey, Wyoming and so on) is a foreign LLC in New York. Under Section 802 of the NY Limited Liability Company Law, it registers by filing an application for authority:
NY LLC Law §802(a), verbatim
"Before doing business in this state, a foreign limited liability company shall apply for authority to do business in this state by submitting to the department of state (i) a certificate of existence … and (ii) an application for authority as a foreign limited liability company …"
The Department of State's standard form for that application is DOS-1361-f-a. In order, it asks for the LLC's name, its home jurisdiction and formation date, a New York county, a mailing address for legal papers sent through the Secretary of State, the LLC's office address in its home jurisdiction (or its principal office), a statement that it exists there, and the officer in its home jurisdiction with whom its Articles of Organization were filed. The Department of State's own page lists the filing fee as $250.
This guide is about the document itself. Whether a particular company is "doing business" in New York and has to file one is a fact-specific question this page doesn't answer; a New York-licensed attorney can advise on a specific company's facts, and our foreign LLC publication guide covers the general rule.
The Application for Authority at a Glance
Is It the Same as a "Certificate of Authority"?
Some websites call a foreign LLC's New York registration a "Certificate of Authority." New York's statute and its form both call the document you file an Application for Authority, and what the state sends back is a filing receipt. Separately, New York's Department of Taxation and Finance issues a sales tax Certificate of Authority, which is an entirely different document for a different agency.
Application for Authority vs. Filing Receipt
It's an easy mix-up to make, and one we see from foreign LLC owners. When New York accepts the application, the Department of State issues a filing receipt: a one-page confirmation with the LLC's name, DOS ID, filing date and fees. On a foreign LLC's receipt, the "Document Type" line names the document that was filed, and it reads "APPLICATION OF AUTHORITY."
The filing receipt names the Application for Authority on its Document Type line. That's why owners send it when asked for the application, but it is the state's confirmation that the application was filed, not the application itself.
Here is a sample receipt for the same fictional filing as the application above:
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS, STATE RECORDS AND UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE
FILING RECEIPT
| ENTITY NAME : | SAMPLE HOLDINGS LLC |
| DOCUMENT TYPE : | APPLICATION OF AUTHORITY |
| ENTITY TYPE : | FOREIGN LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY |
| DOS ID : | 9990001 |
| FILE DATE : | 03/12/2026 |
| FILE NUMBER : | 260312999001 |
| TRANSACTION NUMBER : | 20260312999001-4567891 |
| EXISTENCE DATE : | 03/12/2026 |
| DURATION/DISSOLUTION : | PERPETUAL |
| COUNTY : | ALBANY |
| SERVICE OF PROCESS ADDRESS : | THE LLC 123 SAMPLE STREET ALBANY, NY, 12207, USA |
| ELECTRONIC SERVICE OF PROCESS | |
| EMAIL ADDRESS : | JANE.SAMPLE@EXAMPLE.COM |
| FILER : | JANE SAMPLE SAMPLE HOLDINGS LLC, 123 SAMPLE STREET ALBANY, NY, 12207, USA |
You may verify this document online at : http://ecorp.dos.ny.gov
AUTHENTICATION NUMBER : 999900012346
| TOTAL FEES: | $250.00 | TOTAL PAYMENTS RECEIVED: | $250.00 |
| FILING FEE: | $250.00 | CASH: | $0.00 |
| CERTIFICATE OF STATUS: | $0.00 | CHECK/MONEY ORDER: | $0.00 |
| CERTIFIED COPY: | $0.00 | CREDIT CARD: | $250.00 |
| COPY REQUEST: | $0.00 | DRAWDOWN ACCOUNT: | $0.00 |
| EXPEDITED HANDLING: | $0.00 | REFUND DUE: | $0.00 |
Side by side:
| Application for Authority | Filing Receipt | |
|---|---|---|
| Who prepares it | The LLC, or its filing service | NY Department of State |
| When it exists | Before filing (and as filed) | After the filing is accepted |
| Length | Several pages | One page |
| Title at the top | "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY OF …" | "FILING RECEIPT" |
| Numbered statements (FIRST, SECOND …) | Yes | No |
| Home-jurisdiction office (or principal office) address | Yes (item FIFTH on the standard form) | No |
| Home-state officer who holds the Articles | Yes (item SEVENTH on the standard form) | No |
| Signature and signer's capacity | Yes | No |
| DOS ID, authentication number, fee table | No | Yes |
| "Filer" details | On the form's last page | Near the bottom of the receipt |
For a domestic (New York-formed) LLC, the same receipt reads "ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION" on that line instead. Our guide to the NY filing receipt walks through every field on it.
How to Tell Which Document You Have
Open the PDF and check these five things. If most of them point the same way, you have your answer.
- The first line of the title. "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY OF" means the application; "FILING RECEIPT" means the receipt.
- The page count. The application runs several pages; the receipt is a single page (sometimes behind a one-page cover letter from the Department of State).
- Numbered statements. Paragraphs starting FIRST, SECOND, THIRD and so on belong to the application.
- A signature. The application is signed and says whether the signer is a member, manager or authorized person. The receipt has no signature.
- A fee table and an authentication number. Those belong to the receipt, along with a line inviting you to verify the document online.
One file can hold both
Filing services sometimes send everything as one PDF: a cover letter, the receipt, the application and the home-state certificate of existence. Scroll the whole file. If pages of numbered statements (FIRST, SECOND and so on) are in there, you have the application.
Does New York Send Back a Copy of the Application?
In our experience handling foreign LLC publications, only if a copy was ordered along with the filing. Then the copy comes attached to the Department of State's filing email. Otherwise the reply to the filer contains the filing receipt (sometimes with a cover letter), not a copy of the application that was filed. So the only copies of the application most owners have are the ones they, or the service that filed for them, saved before or at the time of filing.
That is why so many owners only have the receipt, and why it's worth knowing the other places a copy can turn up.
Where to Find Your Copy of the Application for Authority
- The Department of State's filing email. If a plain or certified copy was ordered along with the filing, it is attached to that email, next to the filing receipt. We've seen it named "Plain Copy.pdf".
- Your own files. If you filled in the form yourself, search your computer and email for the PDF you completed or the scan you mailed. File names vary; try "authority", "qualification", "plain copy" or your LLC's name.
- Your filing service or registered agent. If a formation service, registered agent or law firm filed for you, the filed application is often in your account dashboard or in the email they sent when the filing was done.
- Your attorney or accountant. Professionals who handle filings for clients typically keep a copy of what they submitted.
- The Department of State. Anyone can order a copy of a filed document, as described next.
A copy you saved before filing won't carry the state's stamp line. For our publication work, that copy is enough as long as it is the version that was actually submitted; anyone else asking for the application may have their own requirements.
How to Get a Copy from the NY Department of State
The Department of State sells copies of documents on file. Its copies page lists the fees as a "$5 fee for a plain copy of a document" and a "$10 fee for a certified copy of a document."
- Online: the same page says copies "can now be ordered online."
- By email: "The Division of Corporations will accept written requests for copies by email."
- By mail or hand delivery to the Division of Corporations in Albany.
- Not by phone or fax: "copies of documents cannot be ordered over the telephone," and "We do not provide copies by fax."
Electronic copies are available for entities formed or authorized in New York on or after July 30, 1990, per the same page. The Department of State does not publish a standard turnaround time for copies, so we don't quote one here.
Can't find your application? You don't have to.
Publish with us and, if you can't find yours, we request a copy from the Department of State and word your notice from it.
Get StartedWhy Your Publication Notice Needs It
After filing, a foreign LLC has a publication requirement. Section 802(b) ties that requirement directly to the application:
NY LLC Law §802(b)(i), verbatim
"Within one hundred twenty days after the filing of the application for authority with the department of state, a copy of the same or a notice containing the substance thereof shall be published once in each week for six successive weeks, in two newspapers of the county within this state in which the office of the foreign limited liability company is located, one newspaper to be printed weekly and one newspaper to be printed daily, to be designated by the county clerk."
Two of the items the notice must include come from the application, and the filing receipt carries neither of them:
- Item (7): "the address of the office required to be maintained in the jurisdiction of its organization by the laws of that jurisdiction or, if not so required, of the principal office of the foreign limited liability company" (item FIFTH on the form)
- Item (8): "the name and address of the authorized officer in its jurisdiction of organization where a copy of its certificate of organization is filed …" (item SEVENTH on the form)
That is why a publication service asks for the application itself: so the notice states those items as the LLC actually filed them. For what each field means, including why item FIFTH is an either/or, see our field-by-field guide to DOS-1361-f-a. For the rest of the notice, see what a publication notice must contain.
Foreign professional LLCs (PLLCs) file a different form, DOS-1369-f-a, under Section 1306; our foreign PLLC guide covers that path.
How LLC Publishers Uses Your Application for Authority
When you order foreign LLC publication from us, we ask for a copy of your filed Application for Authority and word your notice from it, so the office address and filing officer in the newspapers match what you filed. A photo, scan or PDF is fine.
If you can't find your copy, you don't need to track it down. Tell us (if your order page has already told you we're getting it, you don't need to), and we'll request a copy from the New York Department of State, word your notice from it, and share it with you on your order page for your records.
From there, we handle the rest of the process for one flat price: your county's rate of $395–$1,795, plus the $500 foreign-LLC add-on. That covers confirming the county clerk's designated newspapers, placing both six-week notices, collecting the affidavits, and filing your Certificate of Publication with the Department of State. The whole process typically takes about 8–10 weeks; the newspapers and the State set their own pace, so that is an estimate. Section 802(b) starts the 120-day window on the date the application was filed. Our service is backed by a money-back guarantee.
How We Maintain This Data
The form wording on this page is quoted from DOS-1361-f-a (Rev. 12/22), the statute from Section 802 as published by the New York State Senate, and the copy fees from the Department of State's copies page. This article was last reviewed on October 1, 2026. If the Department of State changes the form, its fees or its copy process, we update this guide.
Foreign LLC? We handle your New York publication.
Send us your Application for Authority, or let us get it from the state. One flat price, money-back guarantee.
Get StartedFAQ
Is the filing receipt the same as the Application for Authority?
No. The Application for Authority is the multi-page form the LLC files. The filing receipt is the one-page confirmation the Department of State issues after accepting it. The receipt has a DOS ID, an authentication number and a fee table; the application has numbered statements (FIRST, SECOND and so on) and a signature. See the side-by-side comparison in this guide.
Why does my filing receipt say “Application of Authority”?
Because the receipt's "Document Type" line names the document that was filed. On a domestic LLC's receipt that line reads "Articles of Organization"; on a foreign LLC's receipt it reads "Application of Authority." The receipt is confirming that the application was filed; it is not a copy of it.
Does New York send back a copy of my Application for Authority?
In our experience, only if a copy was ordered along with the filing; then it comes attached to the Department of State's filing email (we've seen it named "Plain Copy.pdf"). Otherwise the reply contains the filing receipt, sometimes with a cover letter, but not the application itself. Your copy is the one you or your filing service kept, or one ordered from the Department of State.
How much does a copy of the Application for Authority cost?
The Department of State lists a $5 fee for a plain copy of a document and a $10 fee for a certified copy. Copies can be ordered online, by email or by mail, but not by phone or fax. If you're publishing with LLC Publishers, we request the copy for you, and the State's copy fee is included in our price.
Is the Application for Authority the same as a Certificate of Authority?
People use "Certificate of Authority" loosely for a foreign LLC's New York registration, but New York's statute and form call the filed document an Application for Authority. Don't confuse either with the sales tax Certificate of Authority issued by the NY Department of Taxation and Finance, which is a separate document.
I used a formation service. Where is my application?
Check your account dashboard and the emails the service sent when your New York registration was completed; filed documents are usually stored there. If the service only gave you the filing receipt, ask them for the filed application, or order a copy from the Department of State.
Does it have to be a certified copy?
For publication with LLC Publishers, no: a photo, scan or PDF of the filed application is enough for us to word your notice. A certified copy is something some other institutions ask for; check with whoever is requesting it.
What is DOS-1361-f-a?
It's the form number of the Department of State's standard Application for Authority for a foreign limited liability company, filed under Section 802 of the NY LLC Law. The form's own notes say you're not required to use it and may draft your own, so some filed applications look different from the sample above. A filing service's version may add an item, such as a registered agent, and renumber the ones after it.
Key Takeaways
- A NY Application for Authority is the multi-page form (DOS-1361-f-a) a foreign LLC files with the Department of State under Section 802; the filing fee is $250
- The filing receipt is the one-page confirmation the state sends back; its "Document Type" line reads "Application of Authority," which is why the two are so often mixed up
- The application has numbered statements (FIRST, SECOND and so on) and a signature; the receipt has a DOS ID, an authentication number and a fee table
- In our experience, New York sends back a copy of the application only if one was ordered with the filing, so most owners' copy is the one they or their filing service kept
- Anyone can order a copy from the Department of State: $5 plain, $10 certified, online, by email or by mail
- Your publication notice includes the office address and filing officer from the application, which the receipt doesn't carry
- Publishing with LLC Publishers and can't find yours? We request the copy from the Department of State, word your notice from it, and share a copy with you