The New York Certificate of Incorporation is a legal document that is filed with the New York Department of State to create a corporation in New York State. The Certificate of Incorporation serves as the official record of the corporation's formation and is required to legally exist as a corporation in the state. It includes basic information about the corporation such as its name, purpose, address, registered agent, capital structure, and the names and addresses of its initial directors. There are two types of New York Certificates of Incorporation: the Standard Certificate of Incorporation, which is the most common type, and the Professional Service Corporation Certificate of Incorporation, which is used for professional service corporations such as law firms, accounting firms, and medical practices.