What Is a Certificate of Good Standing?
Plain-language explainer. For the official fee in every U.S. jurisdiction, see the Certificate of Good Standing Fees by State matrix. Not legal advice.
Short answer
A Certificate of Good Standing is an official document from a state's business filing office confirming that a registered entity legally exists and is current on its required filings and fees. It is the state vouching, on a specific date, that the company is active and compliant.
What it proves — and what it does not
The certificate proves that the entity is formed, has not been dissolved, and is up to date on the filings the state tracks (such as annual reports and franchise taxes). It does not say anything about the company's finances, creditworthiness, or the conduct of its owners. It is a compliance statement, not an endorsement.
When you need one
Common triggers: opening a business bank account, applying for a loan or line of credit, registering to do business in another state (foreign qualification), renewing certain licenses, or closing a sale or financing where the other side wants proof the entity is in good standing. Many of these requesters want a certificate dated within the last 30-90 days.
How to get one
You request it from the state's Secretary of State or equivalent business division — most offer online ordering, with mail and in-person options. The state charges a fee, and some price a short-form certificate differently from a long-form (certified-history) version. Per-state fees and the short-/long-form split are in the fee matrix.
Fees by state
Every state sets its own fee, and the name shifts with it — Certificate of Existence in some, Status, Fact, or Legal Existence in others. The good news is that this is a cheap document almost everywhere: Colorado issues it free, most states charge a few dollars up to $25, and the ceiling is $50 (Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Nevada, New Jersey). Two states — Mississippi and Nebraska — do not publish a standalone fee we could confirm, so their rows say so rather than invent a number. A blank is an unknown, not a $0.
A handful of states price the certificate by how you order it, and the spread is worth a glance before you pay. Indiana is $15 filed electronically but $30 by mail; South Dakota is $20 online and $35 on paper; Rhode Island is $20 at the counter and $22 online. Minnesota's $5 base picks up a $10 transaction fee if you order online, and Kansas's statutory $7.50 becomes $10 to $15 once the state portal adds its handling. The figure you pay depends on the channel — the table leads with the by-mail or base number and notes the alternate. Each fee is sourced to the state's filing office and backed by a captured snapshot; method notes are at /about/methodology/.
| State | State Fee | Fee Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AKchecked 2026-05-31 | $10.00 | $10 non-refundable; 10-15 business days processing |
| ALchecked 2026-05-31 | $25.00 | $28 online with immediate printing |
| ARchecked 2026-05-31 | $15.00 | $3 online processing fee |
| AZchecked 2026-07-11 | $10.00 | $10 regular / $45 expedited (instant) |
| CAchecked 2026-05-31 | $5.00 | $5 Certificate of Status via bizfileOnline within minutes |
| COchecked 2026-05-31 | $0.00 | Free official version online |
| CTchecked 2026-05-31 | $50.00 | Free via Business.CT.gov portal; $50 expedited |
| DCchecked 2026-06-01 | $50.00 | LLC fee not directly stated; $50 for foreign entities |
| DEchecked 2026-05-31 | $50.00 | $50 short-form / $175 long-form per DE Division of Corporations |
| FLchecked 2026-05-31 | $5.00 | $5 per LLC fees page; instant via sunbiz |
| GAchecked 2026-05-31 | $10.00 | $10 online via eCorp; processed immediately |
| HIchecked 2026-05-31 | $5.00 | $10 + $0.25/page + $1 State Archives |
| IAchecked 2026-06-01 | $5.00 | IA SOS Certificate of Standing; fee not confirmed |
| IDchecked 2026-06-01 | $10.00 | Fee not specified in current search; cert request form revised 10/10/2024 |
| ILchecked 2026-05-31 | $25.00 | $25 via online business search portal |
| INchecked 2026-05-31 | $30.00 | $21.42 via INBiz; emailed and downloadable |
| KSchecked 2026-05-31 | $7.50 | $7.50 online |
| KYchecked 2026-05-31 | $10.00 | $10 online or mail/fax |
| LAchecked 2026-05-31 | $20.00 | $20 certificate; priority +$50 / 24-hr +$30 |
| MAchecked 2026-05-31 | $12.00 | Letter of Good Standing; fee not directly stated in current search |
| MDchecked 2026-05-31 | $20.00 | $20 Certificate of Status via SDAT |
| MEchecked 2026-06-01 | $30.00 | Maine ICRS portal; fee not directly stated in current search |
| MIchecked 2026-06-01 | $10.00 | Standard CoGS fee not directly captured; $50 fee is for Restoration of Good Standing |
| MNchecked 2026-05-31 | $5.00 | $15 Certificate of Good Standing; emailed in 10-15 minutes |
| MOchecked 2026-05-31 | $10.00 | $10 per consolidated schedule |
| MSchecked 2026-05-31 | — | $25 online and immediate |
| MTchecked 2026-05-31 | $5.00 | $5 Certificate of Existence via online portal |
| NCchecked 2026-05-31 | $15.00 | $15 or less |
| NDchecked 2026-05-31 | $15.00 | $20 via FirstStop |
| NEchecked 2026-06-01 | — | Fee not directly stated; credit card accepted |
| NHchecked 2026-05-31 | $5.00 | $5 each; pre-paid |
| NJchecked 2026-05-31 | $50.00 | Fee not directly stated; certificate mailed 1st class |
| NMchecked 2026-06-01 | $25.00 | Fee not stated in current search; portal-based |
| NVchecked 2026-05-31 | $50.00 | $50 Good Standing Certificate |
| NYchecked 2026-05-31 | $25.00 | $25; cannot be ordered online — written request only |
| OHchecked 2026-05-31 | $5.00 | $5 via dedicated cogs.ohiosos.gov subdomain |
| OKchecked 2026-06-01 | $20.00 | Fee not directly stated |
| ORchecked 2026-05-31 | $10.00 | $10 Certificate of Existence via Oregon Business Registry |
| PAchecked 2026-06-01 | $40.00 | Fee not directly stated |
| RIchecked 2026-05-31 | $20.00 | $22 online / $20 in-person or mail |
| SCchecked 2026-05-31 | $10.00 | $10 statutory |
| SDchecked 2026-06-01 | $35.00 | Standard LLC CoGS fee not directly stated in current search |
| TNchecked 2026-05-31 | $20.00 | $20 per set |
| TXchecked 2026-05-31 | $15.00 | Certificate of Fact $15 short / $25 long form per Form 806 |
| UTchecked 2026-05-31 | $12.00 | $12 Regular Form / $20 Long Form |
| VAchecked 2026-05-31 | $6.00 | $6 via CIS |
| VTchecked 2026-05-31 | $35.00 | $25 online; valid 90 days from issuance |
| WAchecked 2026-05-31 | $20.00 | Express PDF $20; certified-copy channel $40 |
| WIchecked 2026-05-31 | $10.00 | $10 online; available 6 days; reprintable |
| WVchecked 2026-06-01 | $10.00 | Fee not directly stated in current search |
| WYchecked 2026-05-31 | $20.00 | Free online PDF; $20 paper alternative per consolidated schedule |
Hover column headers to see field definitions. Hover cell text to see source notes. Typed unknowns (e.g., “Portal not observable”) are methodological limits, not data gaps.
Not legal advice
Whether a particular requester will accept a given certificate, and how recent it must be, is a fact-specific question. Confirm requirements with the requesting party and the state before relying on this page.
See also: Certificate of Good Standing Fees by State (matrix) · What is an annual report? · Administrative dissolution & reinstatement
Frequently asked questions
Is a Certificate of Good Standing the same as a Certificate of Existence?
Usually yes. Several states issue the identical document under a different name — Certificate of Existence, Certificate of Status, or Certificate of Fact. The naming is state-specific; the function is the same.
How long is a Certificate of Good Standing valid?
The certificate reflects status on the date it is issued. There is no fixed expiration, but banks, lenders, and other states often require one dated within a recent window (commonly 30-90 days).
What does it cost?
Fees vary by state. See the Certificate of Good Standing Fees by State matrix for the official fee in all 51 jurisdictions, each linked to the state's source.
Why might a state refuse to issue one?
A state will decline if the entity is not current — typically because an annual report or fee is overdue, or the entity has been administratively dissolved. Reinstating or catching up on filings restores eligibility.
Go deeper with source-backed research
Explore methodology, datasets, and related matrices cited on this page.