Jurisdictions around the world are closing their doors to the public in response to the coronavirus and managing with skeleton crews as part of responsible social distancing measures.
Thanks to the government employees still able to staff offices and online portals, many services remain available in some form – albeit delayed – even though ‘counter services’ are no longer available in most jurisdictions.
Below, we’ve provided information that can be helpful in getting through the next few weeks.
Guides to Jurisdiction Services
We are monitoring developments closely and confirming the information we receive, in order to have a clear and cogent grasp of what filing office services are affected. The following resources, updated as we verify changes and closures, can help give you an idea of what is currently available:
- Domestic State-by-State Guide
Overview of which U.S. state filing offices are open and which corporate (for-profit and nonprofit) and UCC-related filing and search services are available. - International Jurisdictions Guide
Outline of service changes to key international registries affecting corporate filing and retrieval. - Closures Specific to Document Authentication and Legalization
Summary of embassy, consulate, government agency and related closures that may impact obtaining apostilles and other authentication and legalization services.
Note that this information may change quickly as new decisions impact the services that jurisdictions are able to offer.
If available, online corporate filing services are generally accessible on the state’s Secretary of State website, or with a similar agency that administers business services for a given state. (We can also file for you, as we are intimately familiar with where and how states make these services available.)
UCC searching and filing may be available online and electronic (XML) UCC filings can be managed through online portals, like COGENCY GLOBAL’s UCC ProFile system.
Staying Up to Date on Jurisdiction Changes
If you haven’t done so already, I’d encourage you to sign up for our email updates. We are sending out information about key jurisdictions our clients are concerned about to prevent overloading inboxes. You can also check information related to coronavirus in the News & Events area of our website.
At any point, please feel free to reach out with additional questions.
This content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or relied upon, as legal advice.
