To find bylaws for a nonprofit organization, start with the federal tax-exemption disclosure rule: if the nonprofit submitted its bylaws to the IRS as part of its exemption application, it must let anyone inspect or copy them on request. When that route doesn’t produce a document, a written demand to the organization, a check of state business records, or, for members, a state-law demand for the current bylaws will usually close the gap.
Bylaws are internal governance documents. No state requires them to be filed with the Secretary of State alongside articles of incorporation, so they don’t sit in a public registry the way a deed or a corporate charter does. The reason you can often get them anyway is Internal Revenue Code Section 6104(d), which treats an exempt organization’s application for tax exemption, including everything submitted with it, as open to public inspection.1Internal Revenue Service. Public Disclosure and Availability of Exempt Organizations Returns and Applications – Documents Subject to Public Disclosure The IRS regulation defining what counts as part of that application specifically includes supporting documents such as bylaws when the organization filed them.2Internal Revenue Service. 26 CFR 301.6104(d)-1 – Public Inspection and Distribution of Applications for Tax Exemption
One important boundary before you start. The Form 1023 instructions list bylaws as a required attachment only “if adopted.”3Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1023 (Rev. December 2024) Most established nonprofits did adopt bylaws and did submit them, but if a particular organization never sent bylaws to the IRS, Section 6104(d) gives you no lever to pull. That’s when the state-law and member-inspection routes matter.
Gather the Right Details First
Before opening any database, pin down three things. The full legal name of the organization, which often differs from the name on its website or signage. Look at the site footer or a recent press release for the official entity name and any “doing business as” variants. Second, the nine-digit Employer Identification Number (EIN), which usually appears on donor acknowledgment letters and on any published Form 990. The EIN cuts through confusion when several organizations share similar names. Third, the state of incorporation, because that state’s business registry holds the articles and other formation documents.
Check Federal Tax Records Online
The IRS runs a free Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool for looking up any recognized exempt organization. TEOS returns Form 990 filings, the automatic revocation list, and Business Master File data.4Internal Revenue Service. Tax Exempt Organization Search Use it to confirm the organization is actually exempt and to find its recent annual returns. TEOS does not host original Form 1023 applications, so it won’t hand you the bylaws directly.
For the underlying application documents, third-party platforms cover more ground. ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer offers free access to summary data and full Form 990s. Candid (formerly GuideStar) publishes nonprofit profiles with 990 data, with unlimited downloads behind a paid subscription. Neither one reliably posts Form 1023 applications for every organization, so treat both as a first pass rather than a guaranteed source.
Even without the original bylaws, the annual Form 990 is worth reading. Part VI asks whether the organization amended its governing documents during the tax year, and any “yes” answer gets a written summary on Schedule O.5Internal Revenue Service. Exempt Organization Annual Reporting Requirements – Governance and Related Issues – Changes to Governing Documents Reading the Schedule O disclosures across several years can show how the bylaws have shifted over time even when the full text isn’t online.
Ask the Nonprofit Directly
When the online trail runs cold, federal law lets you go to the source. Section 6104(d) requires an exempt organization to make its exemption application materials available for public inspection, and those materials include the Form 1023 or 1023-EZ, all supporting documents (bylaws among them, if filed), and the IRS determination letter.1Internal Revenue Service. Public Disclosure and Availability of Exempt Organizations Returns and Applications – Documents Subject to Public Disclosure
In Person
Show up at the nonprofit’s principal office during regular business hours and the organization must let you inspect its exemption application materials on the spot, at no charge. You don’t need to explain your reason or identify yourself beyond arriving during normal hours.
By Mail
Send a written request to the principal office identifying the documents you want. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you a paper trail if the response goes sideways. The organization must mail copies within 30 days of receiving your request.6eCFR. 26 CFR 301.6104(d)-1 – Public Inspection and Distribution of Applications for Tax Exemption and Annual Information Returns of Tax-Exempt Organizations If the nonprofit requires payment up front, the 30-day clock starts when they receive your payment, not the letter itself. Where no delivery date is confirmed, the regulation presumes the organization received the request seven days after the postmark.
What You’ll Pay
The organization may charge a reasonable copying fee plus actual postage. The IRS ties “reasonable” to the FOIA fee schedule, currently $0.20 per page.7Internal Revenue Service. Public Disclosure and Availability of Exempt Organizations Returns and Applications – Costs for Providing Copies of Documents There’s no free-page allowance, so charges start from page one. Bylaws typically run 10 to 20 pages, so reproduction costs stay modest.
If the Nonprofit Refuses
The penalties for stonewalling have real weight, and it’s worth citing them in your written request. Failure to provide exemption application materials carries a penalty of $20 per day for as long as the violation continues, with no statutory cap on the total.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 6652 – Failure to File Certain Information Returns, Registration Statements, Etc. Where the refusal is willful rather than negligent, the responsible person faces an additional $5,000 penalty per application withheld.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 6685 – Assessable Penalty With Respect to Public Inspection Requirements
If a nonprofit still won’t respond, report the violation to the IRS on Form 13909, the Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint (Referral) Form.10Internal Revenue Service. IRS Complaint Process – Tax-Exempt Organizations In the narrative, spell out who you contacted, when, and how, and describe the response or lack of one. Attach your original request letter and any certified mail receipts. Submit the form by email to eoclass@irs.gov or by mail to IRS TEGE Referrals Group, 1100 Commerce Street, MC 4910 DAL, Dallas, TX 75242.11Internal Revenue Service. Form 13909, Tax-Exempt Organization Complaint (Referral) You may submit anonymously, though giving contact information lets the IRS follow up. The IRS will acknowledge receipt, but the investigation itself is confidential.
State Records as a Secondary Route
State agencies are worth checking, though keep expectations calibrated. The Secretary of State’s business search will produce articles of incorporation, amendments, and basic registration data. Download fees vary by state, typically $5 to $20. Bylaws themselves aren’t in that filing.
Some Attorney General offices oversee charitable organizations and collect bylaws in specific circumstances, such as reviewing a proposed dissolution, merger, or asset sale. A handful of states also require bylaws with charitable solicitation registration. These are narrow situations rather than a general archive. If the organization fundraises in multiple states, check the charitable registration in each, because those filings sometimes hold governing documents the incorporation state never receives.
Members Have a Stronger Right
If you are a member of the nonprofit rather than an outside requester, state corporate law gives you a separate and often better path. Most states have adopted some version of the Model Nonprofit Corporation Act, which requires the organization to provide members with a current copy of the bylaws promptly on demand and without charge. A member who is refused can petition a court to compel production.
This right matters even when the federal route fails. It covers the current bylaws regardless of whether they were ever submitted with the tax-exemption application, so a member can obtain them even from an organization that never filed bylaws with its Form 1023. Procedures vary by state: some require a written demand delivered to the registered office, and some require the member to state a purpose. The underlying right is nearly universal.