What Is a NY Application for Authority? Westchester Guide
The NY Application for Authority (form DOS-1361-f-a, $250 to file) is how an LLC organized outside New York applies to the New York Department of State for authority to do business in the state. It is a signed set of numbered statements about the LLC, several pages long. New York LLC Law §802(b) provides that "a copy of the same or a notice containing the substance thereof shall be published" in two newspapers "of the county within this state in which the office of the foreign limited liability company is located", designated by the county clerk. For an LLC whose office is in Westchester, those are newspapers designated by the Westchester County Clerk. That is why we draft your Westchester notice from the application itself, not from the single-page filing receipt the state sends back.
We wrote this for owners of a foreign LLC (formed in Delaware, New Jersey, Wyoming or any state other than New York) whose New York office is in Westchester County. If we have requested your Application for Authority and you cannot tell which PDF it is, compare yours with the two samples below.
What Is a NY Application for Authority?
An LLC is "foreign" in New York when it was formed under another state's law. Before such an LLC does business here, Section 802 of the New York Limited Liability Company Law requires it to apply 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 …"
That application is the document this page is about. It is prepared by the LLC (or its filing service), signed, and filed with the New York Department of State, which lists the filing fee as $250. Whether a particular LLC is "doing business" in New York, and so has to file, depends on its facts; a New York-licensed attorney can answer that for a specific company. This page covers the document itself.
A New York-formed LLC files Articles of Organization instead and publishes under Section 206. A foreign LLC publishes under Section 802, and the steps in Westchester are otherwise the same process.
What Does an Application for Authority Look Like?
Below is a filled-in sample for a made-up Delaware LLC with its New York office in Westchester County. The statement text is copied, abridged, from the Department of State's form DOS-1361-f-a (Rev. 12/22). The LLC, its people, its addresses and every number are invented; the Delaware filing office in SEVENTH is the real one.
Sample Only, Not a Real Filing
We built this sample to teach, not to file. The stamp line across the top mimics the line the Department of State adds to copies it sends out, and its filing number and DOS ID are fake. A copy you kept from before filing will not have that line.
Four marks of the real thing: more than one page, paragraphs labeled FIRST, SECOND, THIRD and onward (through SEVENTH on the standard form), the New York county written in at statement THIRD, and a signature with the signer's role at the end.
Is the Filing Receipt the Same as the Application for Authority?
No, though it is an easy mix-up and we see it on foreign LLC orders. Once the Department of State accepts an application, it sends back a single-page filing receipt. Its "Document Type" line identifies what was filed, and for a foreign LLC the words there are "APPLICATION OF AUTHORITY". Owners read that line, reasonably take the receipt for the application, and upload it.
And here is a sample of the receipt New York issues for a filing like that same made-up one:
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 : | WESTCHESTER |
| SERVICE OF PROCESS ADDRESS : | THE LLC 123 SAMPLE STREET WHITE PLAINS, NY, 10601, USA |
| ELECTRONIC SERVICE OF PROCESS | |
| EMAIL ADDRESS : | JANE.SAMPLE@EXAMPLE.COM |
| FILER : | JANE SAMPLE SAMPLE HOLDINGS LLC, 123 SAMPLE STREET WHITE PLAINS, NY, 10601, 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 |
| Application for Authority | Filing Receipt | |
|---|---|---|
| Written by | The LLC, or whoever filed for it | The NY Department of State |
| Length | Several pages | A single page, sometimes after a cover letter |
| Heading | "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY OF …" | "FILING RECEIPT" |
| Statements labeled FIRST, SECOND, THIRD … | Yes | No |
| Address of the office in the state of formation (or principal office) | Yes | No |
| Officer in the state of formation where its formation certificate is filed | Yes | No |
| DOS ID, authentication number, fee table | No | Yes |
| Signed | Yes | No |
| Names Westchester as the county | Yes (statement THIRD) | Yes (COUNTY line) |
On a New York LLC's receipt, that same line says "ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION" instead. Our filing receipt guide walks through every field on it.
How to Tell Which Document You Have
Open the PDF before you upload it and check these five things:
- The heading. A document headed "APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY OF" is the application. One headed "FILING RECEIPT" is the receipt.
- How many pages. A single page points to the receipt; several pages point to the application.
- FIRST, SECOND, THIRD. Paragraphs labeled this way appear only in the application.
- Who signed it. The application ends with a signature and the signer's role (member, manager or authorized person). The receipt has no signature block.
- Fees and an authentication number. If you see these, you are looking at the receipt.
One PDF Can Hold Both
Many filing services bundle everything into a single PDF, with a cover letter, the receipt, the application and a certificate from the state of formation one after another. Page through to the end before deciding. If any pages carry the FIRST, SECOND, THIRD statements, the application is in there, and that whole file is fine to upload.
What Your Westchester Notice Takes from the Application
Under Section 802(b), a foreign LLC publishes in the county where its New York office is located, and the county clerk designates the newspapers:
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."
For a Westchester LLC, that means two newspapers designated by the Westchester County Clerk (see which Westchester newspapers are designated), and a 120-day deadline that runs from the date the application was filed (if it has passed, see what to do about a missed deadline). Two of the items the notice must state come only from the application:
| Notice item under §802(b) | Where it is on the application | On the filing receipt? |
|---|---|---|
| (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" | Statement FIFTH (one of two boxes ticked) | No |
| (8) "the name and address of the authorized officer in its jurisdiction of organization where a copy of its certificate of organization is filed …" | Statement SEVENTH | No |
| The New York county | Statement THIRD | Yes (the COUNTY line) |
That is why we ask for the application itself: so the office address and the home-state officer in your Westchester newspapers match what your LLC actually filed. A filing service's version of the form sometimes adds a statement, so the numbers can shift by one; the wording is what matters.
Where to Find a Copy of Your Application for Authority
- The filing email from the Department of State. In our experience, the state returns the application only if a copy was ordered at the time of filing. In that case it arrives in the same email as the receipt, and the attachments we have seen call it "Plain Copy.pdf".
- Your computer and inbox. If you prepared the form yourself, look for the finished PDF or the scan you sent. Searches for "authority", "qualification", "plain copy" or the LLC's name usually turn it up.
- Whoever filed for you. Formation services, registered agents and law firms often keep the filed application in your online account, or attached to their "your filing is complete" email.
- Your attorney or accountant. If they handled the filing, they usually kept a copy.
For your Westchester notice, we need the version that was actually filed, and a phone photo, scan or PDF of it works. A certified copy is not necessary.
How to Order a Copy from the NY Department of State
The Department of State sells copies of the documents filed with its Division of Corporations, and an Application for Authority is one of them. Its copies page lists a "$5 fee for a plain copy of a document" and a "$10 fee for a certified copy of a document".
- Online: "Copies of documents filed with the Division of Corporations at the NYS Department of State 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 office in Albany.
- Not by phone or fax: "copies of documents cannot be ordered over the telephone", and "We do not provide copies by fax."
The same page says electronic copies are available for entities formed or authorized in New York on or after July 30, 1990, and it lists paid expedited handling. It does not publish a standard turnaround time, so we do not quote one.
If You Cannot Find It, We Get It for You
Publishing with us and the application is nowhere to be found? You can stop searching. Upload whatever you do have, or simply tell us it is missing. We then order a copy from the New York Department of State, draft your Westchester notice from that copy, and share the copy with you on your order page to keep with the LLC's records. If yours turns up later, feel free to send it anyway. From there, publication takes about the same time as for any Westchester LLC.
One Flat Price, Foreign LLCs Included
Our fee is $385 for every Westchester LLC, foreign LLCs included. It covers the two designated newspapers, the six weeks of publication, the affidavits, and the Certificate of Publication filing with the Department of State. See our pricing and what is included in the price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the filing receipt the same as the Application for Authority?
No. The application is what the LLC itself signs and files: several pages of numbered statements. The filing receipt is what the Department of State issues afterward to confirm it accepted the filing: a single page with a DOS ID, an authentication number and a fee table.
Why does my filing receipt say "Application of Authority"?
The "Document Type" line on a receipt identifies the filing it confirms. A foreign LLC's receipt says "Application of Authority" there, where a New York LLC's says "Articles of Organization". The receipt is proof the application was filed, not a copy of the application.
Does New York send back a copy of my Application for Authority?
In our experience, only when a copy was ordered at the time of filing, in which case it is attached to the Department of State's filing email. If none was ordered, look for the copy you or your filing service kept, or order one from the Department of State.
How much does a copy of the Application for Authority cost?
A plain copy is $5 and a certified copy is $10, according to the Department of State's copies page. Requests go in online, by email or by mail; phone and fax are not accepted. Customers publishing their Westchester notice with us can leave the request to us; the State's copy fee is included in our $385.
Does my Application for Authority have to be a certified copy?
Not for publishing your Westchester notice with us. We draft the notice from any readable photo, scan or PDF of the filed application. A bank or another agency may want a certified copy for its own purposes; ask them what they accept.
Is an Application for Authority the same as a Certificate of Authority?
No. "Application for Authority" is the name Section 802 and form DOS-1361-f-a use for the LLC's filing with the Department of State. A sales tax Certificate of Authority from the NY Department of Taxation and Finance is a separate document for a different agency.
Which county does my Application for Authority show?
Statement THIRD names "the county within New York State in which the office of the foreign limited liability company is to be located", as filed. Section 802(b) ties publication to the county "in which the office of the foreign limited liability company is located." If the LLC later changed its county with the Department of State, the application still shows the county it was originally filed with. The filing receipt's COUNTY line shows the county as filed, so it is a quick way to check.
What is DOS-1361-f-a?
DOS-1361-f-a is the form number the Department of State gives its fill-in Application for Authority for foreign limited liability companies. Its instructions state that using it is optional, which is why an application prepared by a filing service or law firm may be laid out differently from our sample. Foreign professional LLCs (PLLCs) use a different form, DOS-1369-f-a.
Foreign LLC in Westchester? We Handle It for $385
Send us your Application for Authority, or let us get it from the state. Designated newspapers, affidavits and the state filing, one flat fee.
Start Your PublicationKey Takeaways
- Foreign LLCs apply for authority to do business in New York with the Application for Authority (form DOS-1361-f-a, $250 to file), as Section 802 requires
- The state's single-page filing receipt says "Application of Authority" on its "Document Type" line, so owners often mistake it for the application
- Two items in a Westchester notice, the office address in the state of formation (or principal office) and the officer there where the formation certificate is filed, appear only on the application
- In our experience, New York sends the application back only if a copy was ordered at filing; the Department of State otherwise sells copies at $5 plain or $10 certified
- Cannot find yours while publishing with us? We order a copy from the Department of State, draft your Westchester notice from it, and share the copy with you on your order page
Related Resources
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Disclaimer
The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we strive for accuracy, laws and procedures may change. For specific legal questions about your LLC, consult with a qualified attorney. Westchester County LLC Publication provides publication services and administrative filing assistance — we are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice.