Every public company must have a board of directors. Many private companies and nonprofit organizations will have a board of directors, often called a board of trustees, as well.
If your business is a corporation, then you are required by law to have a board of directors. Depending on your particular corporate structure and your state, one or two directors may be all that's legally required.
If you're a single-member LLC, the short answer is no, you do not need to have a board of directors (or any one of related matters that are unnecessary), and even in a two-member LLC, a board of directors is usually unnecessary.
Generally, a corporation must form a named board of directors and hold at least one annual meeting. The board must also maintain written records of items discussed and actions taken at each meeting.
Number of directors. (a) The board of directors shall consist of one or more members. The number of directors constituting the board may be fixed by the by-laws, or by action of the shareholders or of the board under the specific provisions of a by-law adopted by the shareholders.
A corporation is managed by or under the direction of a board of directors, which generally determines corporate policy. Officers manage the day-to-day affairs of the corporation. Corporations issue stock to their owners (the shareholders).
Federal and state-level laws, as well as a company's incorporation documents, require public and private corporations in the U.S. to have boards of directors (BoDs). Although private LLCs do not have the same requirements, some choose to elect a board of directors after incorporating.
Bylaws are internal documents, so they don't need to be filed with the New York Department of State like your Certificate of Incorporation. But even though the state government may never see your bylaws, they're still legally required for all New York corporations.
In general, the role of the board is to provide high-level oversight of corporate activities and performance, while some individual board members may take on more involved or activist roles. Directors' actions can have a critical impact on a company's profitability.
A board of directors (BofD) is the governing body of a corporation or other organization, whose members are elected by shareholders (in the case of public companies) to set strategy, oversee management, and protect the interests of shareholders and stakeholders. Every public company must have a board of directors.