diff --git a/src/state/interface.ts b/src/state/interface.ts
index 34c1e56b..a2aee26b 100644
--- a/src/state/interface.ts
+++ b/src/state/interface.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ export type ResolveTypes = Resolvable | ResolvableLiteral | ProviderLike;
  * Base interface for declaring a view
  *
  * This interface defines the basic data that a normalized view declaration will have on it.
- * Framework-specific implementations should add additional fields (to their interfaces which extend this interface).
+ * Each implementation of UI-Router (for a specific framework) should define its own extension of this interface.
+ * Add any additional fields that the framework requires to that interface.
  *
  * @internalapi
  */
@@ -90,25 +91,48 @@ export type RedirectToResult = string | TargetState | { state?: string, params?:
 /**
  * The StateDeclaration object is used to define a state or nested state.
  *
+ * Note: Each implementation of UI-Router (for a specific framework)
+ * extends this interface as necessary.
+ *
  * #### Example:
  * ```js
  * // StateDeclaration object
  * var foldersState = {
  *   name: 'folders',
  *   url: '/folders',
+ *   component: FoldersComponent,
  *   resolve: {
  *     allfolders: function(FolderService) {
  *       return FolderService.list();
  *     }
  *   },
- *   template: "<ul><li ng-repeat='folder in allfolders'>{{folder.name}}</li></ul>",
- *   controller: function(allfolders, $scope) {
- *     $scope.allfolders = allfolders;
- *   }
  * }
+ *
+ * registry.register(foldersState);
  * ```
  *
- * Note: Each front-end framework extends this interface as necessary
+ * A state declaration may also be an ES6 class which implements the StateDeclaration interface
+ * and has a `@State()` decorator
+ *
+ * #### Example:
+ * ```js
+ * import { State } from "ui-router-core"
+ * import { FolderService } from "../folder.service"
+ * // StateDeclaration class
+ * @State()
+ * export class FoldersState implements StateDeclaration {
+ *   name: 'folders',
+ *   url: '/folders',
+ *   component: FoldersComponent
+ *
+ *   @Resolve({ deps: [ FolderService ] })
+ *   allfolders(FolderService) {
+ *       return FolderService.list();
+ *   },
+ * }
+ *
+ * registry.register(FoldersState);
+ * ```
  */
 export interface StateDeclaration {
   /**
@@ -161,7 +185,7 @@ export interface StateDeclaration {
    *
    * Gets the *internal API* for a registered state.
    *
-   * Note: the internal [[State]] API is subject to change without notice
+   * Note: the internal [[StateObject]] API is subject to change without notice
    */
   $$state?: () => StateObject;
 
@@ -685,3 +709,8 @@ export interface HrefOptions {
   absolute?:  boolean;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Either a [[StateDeclaration]] or an ES6 class that implements [[StateDeclaration]]
+ * The ES6 class constructor should have no arguments.
+ */
+export type _StateDeclaration = StateDeclaration | { new (): StateDeclaration };
diff --git a/src/state/stateBuilder.ts b/src/state/stateBuilder.ts
index 4bf94c6e..e38cf20d 100644
--- a/src/state/stateBuilder.ts
+++ b/src/state/stateBuilder.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ function includesBuilder(state: StateObject) {
 /**
  * This is a [[StateBuilder.builder]] function for the `resolve:` block on a [[StateDeclaration]].
  *
- * When the [[StateBuilder]] builds a [[State]] object from a raw [[StateDeclaration]], this builder
+ * When the [[StateBuilder]] builds a [[StateObject]] object from a raw [[StateDeclaration]], this builder
  * validates the `resolve` property and converts it to a [[Resolvable]] array.
  *
  * resolve: input value can be:
@@ -204,13 +204,13 @@ export function resolvablesBuilder(state: StateObject): Resolvable[] {
 /**
  * @internalapi A internal global service
  *
- * StateBuilder is a factory for the internal [[State]] objects.
+ * StateBuilder is a factory for the internal [[StateObject]] objects.
  *
  * When you register a state with the [[StateRegistry]], you register a plain old javascript object which
  * conforms to the [[StateDeclaration]] interface.  This factory takes that object and builds the corresponding
- * [[State]] object, which has an API and is used internally.
+ * [[StateObject]] object, which has an API and is used internally.
  *
- * Custom properties or API may be added to the internal [[State]] object by registering a decorator function
+ * Custom properties or API may be added to the internal [[StateObject]] object by registering a decorator function
  * using the [[builder]] method.
  */
 export class StateBuilder {
@@ -250,10 +250,10 @@ export class StateBuilder {
   }
 
   /**
-   * Registers a [[BuilderFunction]] for a specific [[State]] property (e.g., `parent`, `url`, or `path`).
+   * Registers a [[BuilderFunction]] for a specific [[StateObject]] property (e.g., `parent`, `url`, or `path`).
    * More than one BuilderFunction can be registered for a given property.
    *
-   * The BuilderFunction(s) will be used to define the property on any subsequently built [[State]] objects.
+   * The BuilderFunction(s) will be used to define the property on any subsequently built [[StateObject]] objects.
    *
    * @param name The name of the State property being registered for.
    * @param fn The BuilderFunction which will be used to build the State property
diff --git a/src/state/stateObject.ts b/src/state/stateObject.ts
index 4e1f568c..4619f1dd 100644
--- a/src/state/stateObject.ts
+++ b/src/state/stateObject.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  * @module state
  */
 /** for typedoc */
-import { StateDeclaration, _ViewDeclaration } from "./interface";
+import { StateDeclaration, _ViewDeclaration, _StateDeclaration } from "./interface";
 import { defaults, values, find, inherit } from "../common/common";
 import { propEq } from "../common/hof";
 import { Param } from "../params/param";
@@ -13,20 +13,20 @@ import { TransitionStateHookFn } from "../transition/interface";
 import { TargetState } from "./targetState";
 import { Transition } from "../transition/transition";
 import { Glob } from "../common/glob";
-import { isObject } from "../common/predicates";
+import { isObject, isFunction } from "../common/predicates";
 
 /**
  * Internal representation of a UI-Router state.
  *
  * Instances of this class are created when a [[StateDeclaration]] is registered with the [[StateRegistry]].
  *
- * A registered [[StateDeclaration]] is augmented with a getter ([[StateDeclaration.$$state]]) which returns the corresponding [[State]] object.
+ * A registered [[StateDeclaration]] is augmented with a getter ([[StateDeclaration.$$state]]) which returns the corresponding [[StateObject]] object.
  *
  * This class prototypally inherits from the corresponding [[StateDeclaration]].
  * Each of its own properties (i.e., `hasOwnProperty`) are built using builders from the [[StateBuilder]].
  */
 export class StateObject {
-  /** The parent [[State]] */
+  /** The parent [[StateObject]] */
   public parent: StateObject;
 
   /** The name used to register the state */
@@ -58,15 +58,15 @@ export class StateObject {
   public views: { [key: string]: _ViewDeclaration; };
 
   /**
-   * The original [[StateDeclaration]] used to build this [[State]].
+   * The original [[StateDeclaration]] used to build this [[StateObject]].
    * Note: `this` object also prototypally inherits from the `self` declaration object.
    */
   public self: StateDeclaration;
 
-  /** The nearest parent [[State]] which has a URL */
+  /** The nearest parent [[StateObject]] which has a URL */
   public navigable: StateObject;
 
-  /** The parent [[State]] objects from this state up to the root */
+  /** The parent [[StateObject]] objects from this state up to the root */
   public path: StateObject[];
 
   /**
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@ export class StateObject {
    * @param stateDecl the user-supplied State Declaration
    * @returns {StateObject} an internal State object
    */
-  static create(stateDecl: StateDeclaration): StateObject {
+  static create(stateDecl: _StateDeclaration): StateObject {
+    stateDecl = StateObject.isStateClass(stateDecl) ? new stateDecl() : stateDecl;
+
     let state = inherit(inherit(stateDecl, StateObject.prototype)) as StateObject;
     stateDecl.$$state = () => state;
     state.self = stateDecl;
@@ -127,7 +129,11 @@ export class StateObject {
     return state;
   }
 
-  /** Predicate which returns true if the object is an internal [[State]] object */
+  /** Predicate which returns true if the object is an class with @State() decorator */
+  static isStateClass = (stateDecl: _StateDeclaration): stateDecl is ({ new (): StateDeclaration }) =>
+      isFunction(stateDecl) && stateDecl['__uiRouterState'] === true;
+
+  /** Predicate which returns true if the object is an internal [[StateObject]] object */
   static isState = (obj: any): obj is StateObject =>
       isObject(obj['__stateObjectCache']);
 
diff --git a/src/state/stateQueueManager.ts b/src/state/stateQueueManager.ts
index 789e9a3f..d28b9745 100644
--- a/src/state/stateQueueManager.ts
+++ b/src/state/stateQueueManager.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /** @module state */ /** for typedoc */
 import { inArray } from "../common/common";
 import { isString } from "../common/predicates";
-import { StateDeclaration } from "./interface";
+import { StateDeclaration, _StateDeclaration } from "./interface";
 import { StateObject } from "./stateObject";
 import { StateBuilder } from "./stateBuilder";
 import { StateRegistryListener, StateRegistry } from "./stateRegistry";
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export class StateQueueManager implements Disposable {
     this.queue = [];
   }
 
-  register(stateDecl: StateDeclaration) {
+  register(stateDecl: _StateDeclaration) {
     let queue = this.queue;
     let state = StateObject.create(stateDecl);
     let name = state.name;
diff --git a/src/state/stateRegistry.ts b/src/state/stateRegistry.ts
index e737576a..e52040aa 100644
--- a/src/state/stateRegistry.ts
+++ b/src/state/stateRegistry.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { StateObject } from "./stateObject";
 import { StateMatcher } from "./stateMatcher";
 import { StateBuilder } from "./stateBuilder";
 import { StateQueueManager } from "./stateQueueManager";
-import { StateDeclaration } from "./interface";
+import { StateDeclaration, _StateDeclaration } from "./interface";
 import { BuilderFunction } from "./stateBuilder";
 import { StateOrName } from "./interface";
 import { removeFrom } from "../common/common";
@@ -107,9 +107,9 @@ export class StateRegistry {
    *
    * Gets the root of the state tree.
    * The root state is implicitly created by UI-Router.
-   * Note: this returns the internal [[State]] representation, not a [[StateDeclaration]]
+   * Note: this returns the internal [[StateObject]] representation, not a [[StateDeclaration]]
    *
-   * @return the root [[State]]
+   * @return the root [[StateObject]]
    */
   root() {
     return this._root;
@@ -123,11 +123,11 @@ export class StateRegistry {
    * Note: a state will be queued if the state's parent isn't yet registered.
    *
    * @param stateDefinition the definition of the state to register.
-   * @returns the internal [[State]] object.
+   * @returns the internal [[StateObject]] object.
    *          If the state was successfully registered, then the object is fully built (See: [[StateBuilder]]).
    *          If the state was only queued, then the object is not fully built.
    */
-  register(stateDefinition: StateDeclaration): StateObject {
+  register(stateDefinition: _StateDeclaration): StateObject {
     return this.stateQueue.register(stateDefinition);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/state/stateService.ts b/src/state/stateService.ts
index f9eaf250..6d48fbca 100644
--- a/src/state/stateService.ts
+++ b/src/state/stateService.ts
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export class StateService {
    */
   get current()     { return this.router.globals.current; }
   /**
-   * The current [[State]]
+   * The current [[StateObject]]
    *
    * This is a passthrough through to [[UIRouterGlobals.$current]]
    */
diff --git a/src/state/targetState.ts b/src/state/targetState.ts
index 75eecf68..197acbd6 100644
--- a/src/state/targetState.ts
+++ b/src/state/targetState.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ import { isString } from "../common/predicates";
  * 4) the registered state object (the [[StateDeclaration]])
  *
  * Many UI-Router APIs such as [[StateService.go]] take a [[StateOrName]] argument which can
- * either be a *state object* (a [[StateDeclaration]] or [[State]]) or a *state name* (a string).
+ * either be a *state object* (a [[StateDeclaration]] or [[StateObject]]) or a *state name* (a string).
  * The `TargetState` class normalizes those options.
  *
  * A `TargetState` may be valid (the state being targeted exists in the registry)
diff --git a/src/transition/interface.ts b/src/transition/interface.ts
index b65a221f..effe7576 100644
--- a/src/transition/interface.ts
+++ b/src/transition/interface.ts
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ export interface TransitionHookFn {
  * As each lifecycle event occurs, the hooks which are registered for the event and that state are called (in priority order).
  *
  * @param transition the current [[Transition]]
- * @param state the [[State]] that the hook is bound to
+ * @param state the [[StateObject]] that the hook is bound to
  * @param injector (for ng1 or ng2 only) the injector service
  *
  * @returns a [[HookResult]] which may alter the transition
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ export interface IHookRegistry {
   _registeredHooks: { [key: string]: RegisteredHook[] }
 }
 
-/** A predicate type which takes a [[State]] and returns a boolean */
+/** A predicate type which takes a [[StateObject]] and returns a boolean */
 export type IStateMatch = Predicate<StateObject>
 /**
  * This object is used to configure whether or not a Transition Hook is invoked for a particular transition,
diff --git a/src/url/urlRule.ts b/src/url/urlRule.ts
index 34318233..8ae0a09d 100644
--- a/src/url/urlRule.ts
+++ b/src/url/urlRule.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import {
  * - `string`
  * - [[UrlMatcher]]
  * - `RegExp`
- * - [[State]]
+ * - [[StateObject]]
  * @internalapi
  */
 export class UrlRuleFactory {
diff --git a/src/view/interface.ts b/src/view/interface.ts
index 1c79f875..92a5c86d 100644
--- a/src/view/interface.ts
+++ b/src/view/interface.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export interface ActiveUIView {
  *
  * A `ViewConfig` is the runtime definition of a single view.
  *
- * During a transition, `ViewConfig`s are created for each [[_ViewDeclaration]] defined on each "entering" [[State]].
+ * During a transition, `ViewConfig`s are created for each [[_ViewDeclaration]] defined on each "entering" [[StateObject]].
  * Then, the [[ViewService]] finds any matching `ui-view`(s) in the DOM, and supplies the ui-view
  * with the `ViewConfig`.  The `ui-view` then loads itself using the information found in the `ViewConfig`.
  *