Certificate of Good Standing Fees by State — Explainer

Matrix explainer. 51 jurisdictions (50 states + DC). 35 states have snapshot-confirmed fee values; 16 states are marked typed unknown (fees not independently observable from primary source at assessment time). 2 states (MS, NE) are documented not-observable (fee exists but not published as a standalone line). Snapshot citation chain confirmed: non_tu=35, orphans=0 (db-disk-reconcile exit 0 as of 2026-07-10). Source matrix: certificate-of-good-standing-fees-by-state. Not legal advice.

Short answer

Certificate of good standing fees range from $0 (Colorado, online) to $50 (Connecticut, DC, Delaware, New Jersey). Most states cluster between $10 and $30. Colorado is the only state that issues the certificate at no charge. Two states — Mississippi and Nebraska — had fees that were not observable from their primary state source at the time of assessment.

What this matrix tracks

For each jurisdiction, the matrix records:

• State fee — the standard fee charged to obtain a certificate of good standing (also called certificate of existence, certificate of status, or certificate of compliance depending on the state)
• Fee notes — online vs. by-mail tiers, expedite premiums, processing time estimates, and any ambiguities in the source document
• Source URL — the official state SoS or business filing office page from which the fee was read

Key findings

• Colorado is the only zero-fee jurisdiction. CO issues its certificate of good standing through its online portal at no charge. No other state in the 51- jurisdiction dataset charges $0.
• Three states confirm a $5 fee: Iowa, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.
• Four states confirm the $50 ceiling: Connecticut, DC, Delaware, and New Jersey. These states cluster at the top end; no state currently charges more than $50 in the dataset.
• Mississippi and Nebraska are not observable. MS issues certificates through an at-order process where the fee is embedded and not published as a standalone line item. NE's Secretary of State fee page returned an HTTP 500 error when last checked — the fee exists but was not accessible from the primary source at assessment time. Neither is a zero-fee state; both are marked as unobservable.
• Online and by-mail tiers differ in some states. Where a state charges different amounts for online vs. paper requests, the fee notes field records both tiers. This matrix uses the standard (non-expedited, online-where-available) fee as the primary cell value.

What this matrix does NOT prove

• Does not determine whether any specific LLC is currently in good standing — that requires a query to the state SoS. This matrix only records the price of the certificate.
• Does not measure turnaround time beyond what appears in fee notes from the primary source.
• Does not cover certified copies of articles, certified annual reports, or apostille fees — those are tracked in separate matrices.
• Does not address rush or same-day processing premiums where the state charges a separate expedite fee beyond the base certificate fee.

Methodology

Each fee was read from the state's official SoS or business-filing-office fee schedule. The source URL is recorded per row. Where the state publishes different fees for different delivery methods (online, paper, mail), the fee notes field records the full set. The primary cell value reflects the standard online-submit fee where both exist.

Coverage note: 16 of 51 rows are marked typed unknown as of the 2026-07-10 re-gate — fees not independently observable from the primary source at assessment time. The remaining 35 rows have snapshot-confirmed fee values, including 2 (MS, NE) documented as not-observable for a different reason: the fee exists but is not published as a standalone line. Snapshot citation-chain verification (sha256 → disk file) is confirmed for all 35 non-typed-unknown rows, zero orphans (db-disk-reconcile exit 0). Fee values are editorially reviewed but should be independently verified against the current primary source before acting on them.

Full methodology at /about/methodology/.

Not legal advice

Whether a certificate of good standing is required — and in what form — depends on the transaction, counterparty requirements, and state. Lender requirements, state foreign- qualification applications, and regulatory filings each have their own specifications. Verify current fees and acceptable form with the issuing state before relying on them for a specific transaction.

See also: Certificate of Good Standing Fees by State (matrix) · Foreign LLC Registration Fees by State