Articles of incorporation shall be signed in triplicate by each of the incorporators and acknowledged by them, if natural persons, and, if associations, by the president and secretary of each such association, before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments, and shall state:

(a) The name of the association which shall be distinguishable upon the records of the Commission from the name of any association or corporation, whether issuing shares or not issuing shares, limited liability company, business trust or limited partnership existing under the laws of this Commonwealth, or the name of any foreign corporation, whether issuing shares or not issuing shares, limited liability company, business trust or limited partnership authorized to transact business in this Commonwealth, or any corporate, limited liability company, business trust or limited partnership name reserved or registered as provided by law;

(b) The address of its initial registered office (including both (i) the post-office address with street and number, if any, and (ii) the name of the county or city in which it is located) and the name of its initial registered agent at such address and that the agent is either (i) an individual who is a resident of Virginia and either a director of the corporation or a member of the Virginia State Bar or (ii) a domestic or foreign stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company or registered limited liability partnership authorized to transact business in this Commonwealth;

(c) Its purposes;

(d) Whether organized with or without capital stock; and if organized with capital stock, a description thereof in accordance with the requirements of § 13.1-619;

(e) If organized without capital stock, whether the property rights and interests of each member are equal or unequal; if unequal, the rule by which such rights and interests shall be determined;

(f) The maximum number of directors, not less than five, who are to manage the affairs of the association;

(g) The number of directors constituting the initial board of directors and the names and addresses of the persons who are to serve as the initial directors;

(h) If the duration of a corporation is not to be perpetual, the period of its duration;

(i) The articles may also contain any other provisions, consistent with law for regulating the association's business or the conduct of its affairs, the establishment of election districts, the election of delegates to represent the members residing therein and the election of directors to represent such election districts, either directly or indirectly by said delegates, for voting by proxy or mail ballot and the issuance, retirement and transfer of membership certificates and stock.

Code 1950, § 13-257; 1956, c. 428; 1958, c. 564; 2001, cc. 517, 541; 2003, c. 592.