What people mean by a stock certificate template
Search for a stock certificate template and you will find three different things: a free document file you print on plain paper, a pack of blank certificates with a security border that you fill in, and a pre-printed set that already carries your company's name. All three can work. The choice comes down to how many certificates you will issue, how they need to look, and how much of the text you want to type or write yourself.
No template, free or paid, decides what the certificate must say. The statute of the state where the corporation was formed does that. So the first step is the same whichever route you take: check the face requirements in what must appear on a stock certificate, then pick the format that makes those lines easy to get right.
Template options compared
| Option | What you get | Price in this store | Good fit when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free document template | A file you edit and print on your own paper | Not sold here | You need a draft to show the board, or a stopgap |
| Blank certificates | Security-border certificates with the text areas left blank for you to complete | $45.00 for 20, $120.00 for 100 | You will fill in a handful by hand, or you are a firm that issues for many companies |
| Blank certificates plus Print Utility | A Windows program that prints holder, certificate number, shares, and date onto Mark's Corpex certificates | $0.99, plus the blanks | You want typed entries without retyping the layout each time |
| Printed certificates | Your company name and formation details pre-printed on 20 certificates | $56.00 for 20 | One company, and you want every certificate to read the same |
| Electronic certificates | A set of 12 electronic certificate files | $21.00 | The company presents ownership digitally after taking the legal step for uncertificated shares |
The statutes checked for this site do not prescribe a paper stock or a border. What they do care about is the content and the signatures. A security border and numbered stubs are about presentation and record keeping: they make a certificate harder to copy convincingly, and they keep the numbering tied to the ledger.
What any template has to leave room for
Whichever format you pick, check that it has a place for each of these. If a free template is missing one, add it before you print.
- Certificate number and a matching stub or ledger line.
- Corporation name exactly as filed, and the state of incorporation. Texas and Florida require the state on the certificate.
- Holder's name. Bearer form is barred in Delaware and Texas and void in Nevada, so the owner must be named.
- Number of shares, class, and series. Texas and Florida list class and series; Ohio certifies the number and class.
- Par value or a no-par statement, which Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.202(c) requires on the front.
- Class-rights statement if there is more than one class: the rights, or a statement that they will be furnished free on request (DGCL 8 Del. C. § 151(f), Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.202(b), Fla. Stat. § 607.0625(3)).
- Restriction legend if transfers are restricted. Texas requires it to be conspicuous.
- Two signature lines at least, labeled for the offices your state names, and a spot for a seal if you use one.
A one-class template does not have room for item 6. If the company has preferred and common stock, or Class A and Class B, use a two-class design such as Printed Standard Certificates Class 2 ($56.00 for 20) or the Blank Standard 2 Class set ($45.00 for 20).
Where free templates tend to fall short
Free templates are useful drafts. The problems show up when they are used as the final certificate without a second look.
Generic signer lines. Many templates print "President" and "Secretary". That matches Ohio's pairing, but Delaware asks for any 2 authorized officers, Texas for each managerial official the governing documents authorize, and Florida for the officers the bylaws or board designate. Relabel the lines to fit.
No par line. A template written for one state may leave out the par value statement a Texas corporation needs.
Stock wording for an LLC. An LLC has members and units, not shares. A stock template edited for an LLC usually keeps corporate words that do not fit. See LLC membership certificate vs stock certificate.
No stub and no numbering. Plain-paper printouts often skip the stub. Without it, the certificate number and the ledger drift apart over a few transfers.
Blank certificate quantities for firms
Law firms, accountants, and formation services that issue for many companies usually buy blanks by the hundred. These are the Blank Standard 1 Class prices in the store today:
| Quantity | Price |
|---|---|
| 20 | $45.00 |
| 100 | $120.00 |
| 250 | $185.00 |
| 500 | $375.00 |
| 1000 | $700.00 |
Eagle-border, two-class, LLC, PLLC, LP, LLP, LLLP, and nonprofit blanks are also sold in larger sets, generally 100, 250, and 500. Border-only certificates are in the Blank Border Only collection for firms that print the face content themselves.
Blank Standard 1 Class Stock Certificates - Set of 20
$45.00
Blank, one class, 20 certificates
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Blank Standard 1 Class Stock Certificates - Set of 100
$120.00
Blank, one class, 100 certificates
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Mark's Corpex Certificate Print Utility
$0.99
Windows print program for our certificates
Order this set →When a printed set beats a template
If the certificates are for one company, a printed set saves the most work. The company name and formation details arrive printed, so the only things left to add are the holder, the share count, the date, and the signatures. Each printed set of 20 is $56.00, whether you choose the standard border, the Eagle border, one class, or two.
The steps for completing either kind are in how to fill out a stock certificate, and the board and ledger work around them is in how to issue stock certificates.
Printed Standard Certificates Class 1 - Set of 20
$56.00
Single-class, company details pre-printed
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20 PRINTED EAGLE 1 CLASS CERTIFICATES
$56.00
Eagle border, one class
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Printed LLC Certificates - Set of 20
$56.00
For an LLC instead of a corporation
Order this set →Questions
Is a free stock certificate template legally valid?
The statutes checked for this site set the content and signatures, not the paper or the design. A template that carries the required content and the right signatures does the job. Check it against your state's rules before it is signed.
What should a stock certificate template include?
A certificate number, the corporation name and state, the holder's name, the number of shares with class and series, a par value or no-par line where required, a class-rights statement if there is more than one class, any restriction legend, and signature lines for the officers your state names.
Can I print stock certificates at home?
Yes. You can print a template on your own paper, or use blank security-border certificates in your printer. The Print Utility ($0.99, Windows only) prints the holder, number, shares, and date onto Mark's Corpex certificates.
What is the difference between blank and printed certificates?
Blank certificates leave the company name and details for you to fill in. Printed certificates arrive with your company name and formation details already printed, so you only add the holder, shares, date, and signatures.
Do I need a two-class template?
Use one when the corporation has more than one class or series. Delaware, Texas, and Florida require the class rights, or a statement that they will be furnished free, on certificates of a multi-class corporation.
Is there an LLC version?
Yes. LLCs should use membership certificates, not a stock template. The store sells printed and blank LLC, LLC Texas, and PLLC sets.
Statutes last checked November 3, 2026, from the official code sites listed here. Product prices checked November 11, 2026. Official text: DGCL 8 Del. C. § 158; Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code § 3.202; Fla. Stat. § 607.0625; NRS 78.235; Ohio Rev. Code § 1701.24(B).