Approved Business Verification Documents

All organizations must be able to provide an active and in good standing government issued business license in order to hold an active Merit account. Please find a list of approved licenses and definitions below. 

Types of Business Entities and acceptable documentation:

1. Sole proprietorship: Unincorporated business with one owner or jointly owned by a married couple. 
   1. Local Business Permits/ Documents 
   2. DBA Document 
2. General partnership: Unincorporated business with two or more owners
   1. Local Business Permits/ Documents
   2. DBA Document 
   3. Partnership Agreement
3. Limited partnership: Registered business composed of active, general partners and passive, limited partners
   1. LP State issued business license
4. Limited liability partnership LLP Registered business with limited liability for all partners
   1. LLP State issued business registration
5. Limited liability company LLC Registered business with limited liability for all members
   1. LLC State issued business registration
6. C-corporation: Incorporated business composed of shareholders, directors, and officers
   1. Employee Identification Number (EIN)
   2. Stock Ownership Documents
   3. Share Certificates issued by the Corporation
   4. Additional documents like:
      1. liquor license applications
      2. financial contributions
      3. contract agreements may also be used for smaller businesses without share certificates
7. S-corporation: An incorporated business that is taxed as a pass-through entity
   1. Articles of Incorporation 
8. Professional corporation: Corporate structure for professionals, such as doctors and accountants
9. B-corporation: For-profit corporation that is certified for meeting social and environmental standards
10. Nonprofit: Corporations formed primarily to benefit the public interest rather than earn a profit.
    1. 501 ©(3) – registration: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/state-links 
11. Estate: Separate legal entity created to distribute an individual’s property after death
12. Municipality: Corporate status given to a city or town
13. Cooperative: Private organization owned and controlled by a group of individuals for their own benefit
14. CERTS: Community Emergency Response Teams 
    1. Program Managers, Chiefs, etc register at https://community.fema.gov/Register/Register_Search_Programs

Examples of Special Licensing/ Permits 

• Special state-issued occupational/professional licenses.
  state-regulated services, including:
  State License Lookup Reference Sheet
  • Medical care
  • Auto repair
  • Real estate sales
  • Tax services
  • Insurance sales
  • Cosmetology
  • Legal representation (attorneys)
    
    
• Special federal business license or permits,
  if the business will involve the following (contact the agency identified in parentheses):
  • Investment advising (Securities & Exchange Commission)
  • Drug manufacturing (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
  • Preparation of meat products (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
  • Broadcasting (Federal Communications Commission)
  • Ground transportation, i.e. trucking (U.S. Department of Transportation)
  • Manufacturing tobacco, alcohol, or firearms; or selling firearms (U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms)

Data that will be verified within the business license provided by the organization requested to be on Merit 

• Type of license
• Issuing Body 
  • Federal Body
  • State 
• Issue Date
• Expiration Date
• Owner of Document

Documentation for proof of ability to speak for organization/ Verification for the admin/requestor of the organization

Small Organizations/ CERTs/ etc

• Government Issued ID 
• Named person on organization validation document(s)
• Associated contact information ie: 
  • email address should not be personal
  • phone number should not be personal

Large Organizations:

• Letter from an appropriate board member or C-level executive
• Named person on organization validation document(s)