Every state will require that you indicate how many shares of stock the corporation will be authorized to issue. "Authorized shares" refers to the number of shares the corporation is allowed to issue under its certificate or articles of incorporation.Authorized stock is the amount of shares that a company has legally issued. (1) The articles of incorporation must prescribe the classes of shares and the number of shares of each class that the corporation is authorized to issue. (c) The number and class of shares and the designation of the series, if any, the certificate represents. 607.0202, Florida Statutes.