A certificate of good standing proves your business is registered, current on its filings, and authorized to operate — and banks, lenders, investors, and other states routinely require it. But the name of the document, the issuing agency, the fee, and the turnaround all vary by state. Below is the requirement for all 50 states plus DC — and FileForms can obtain yours in any of them.
The 50-State Reference
Whether your state calls it a Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Status, Certificate of Existence, Certificate of Legal Existence, or a Subsistence Certificate, the document proves the same thing: your entity is registered and current with the state. Here is what it’s called, who issues it, the standard fee, the typical turnaround, and what most commonly costs a business its good standing.
| State | What it’s called | Issuing agency / portal | Standard fee | Typical turnaround | Common trigger for loss of standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Certificate of Existence | AL Secretary of State | $27.75 | Immediate PDF | Unfiled annual report / business privilege tax |
| Alaska | Certificate of Compliance | AK Div. of Corporations | $10 | Immediate PDF | Missed biennial report → dissolution |
| Arizona | Certificate of Good Standing | AZ Corporation Commission (eCorp) | $10 ($45 expedited) | 7–10 days; instant if expedited | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Arkansas | Certificate of Good Standing | AR Secretary of State | $28 | Immediate PDF | Unpaid franchise tax → revocation |
| California | Certificate of Status | CA SOS (bizfile) | $5 | Same day online | SOS/FTB suspension (overdue SOI or unpaid $800 tax) |
| Colorado | Certificate of Good Standing | CO Secretary of State | Free | Instant online | Overdue Periodic Report ($25/yr) → delinquent |
| Connecticut | Certificate of Legal Existence | CT Secretary of the State (Business.CT.gov) | $50 short / $100 long | Online — expires 90 days after issue | Delinquent annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Delaware | Certificate of Good Standing | DE Division of Corporations | ~$50 (short form) | Same / next day | Unpaid franchise tax / annual report → void |
| District of Columbia | Certificate of Good Standing | DC DLCP (CorpOnline) | $50 | Immediate online | Overdue biennial report → out of good standing |
| Florida | Certificate of Status | FL Dept. of State (Sunbiz) | $5 LLC / $8.75 corp | Immediate online | Unfiled annual report (due May 1) → dissolution |
| Georgia | Certificate of Existence | GA Secretary of State (eCorp) | $10 | PDF within the hour | Overdue annual registration (due Apr 1) |
| Hawaii | Certificate of Good Standing | HI DCCA (Hawaii Business Express) | $7.50* | Immediate | Unfiled annual report → dissolution |
| Idaho | Certificate of Existence | ID Secretary of State (SOSBiz) | $10 | Immediate PDF | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Illinois | Certificate of Good Standing | IL Secretary of State – Business Services | $25 (corp) | Immediate PDF | Unfiled annual report / franchise tax |
| Indiana | Certificate of Existence | IN Secretary of State (INBiz) | $26* | Immediate (emailed) | Unfiled business entity report → dissolution |
| Iowa | Certificate of Existence | IA Secretary of State (Fast Track Filing) | $5 | Immediate PDF | Unfiled biennial report → dissolution |
| Kansas | Certificate of Good Standing | KS Secretary of State | $10 | Immediate online PDF | Unfiled biennial report → forfeiture |
| Kentucky | Certificate of Existence | KY Secretary of State | $10 | Immediate online | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Louisiana | Certificate of Good Standing | LA Secretary of State (geauxBIZ) | $20 | Immediate online PDF | Unfiled annual report → revocation |
| Maine | Certificate of Existence | ME Secretary of State (ICRS) | $30 | Immediate* | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Maryland | Certificate of Status | MD SDAT (Maryland Business Express) | $40 online | Immediate online PDF | Unfiled annual report / personal property return |
| Massachusetts | Certificate of Good Standing / Legal Existence | Sec. of the Commonwealth (DOR tax cert free) | $12 corp / $25 LLC | Often same day | Unfiled annual report (LLC $500) → dissolution |
| Michigan | Certificate of Good Standing | MI LARA (Corporations Div. / COFS) | $10 | Same-day online | LLC statement Feb 15 / corp report May 15 |
| Minnesota | Certificate of Good Standing | MN Secretary of State | $15 | Same-day online | Unfiled annual renewal → statutory dissolution |
| Mississippi | Certificate of Good Standing | MS Secretary of State | $25 | Immediate online PDF | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Missouri | Certificate of Good Standing | MO Secretary of State | $10 | Same-day electronic | Unfiled annual registration → dissolution |
| Montana | Certificate of Existence | MT Secretary of State (ePass) | $5 | Immediate* | Unfiled annual report → involuntary dissolution |
| Nebraska | Certificate of Good Standing | NE Secretary of State | $6.50 | Immediate PDF | Unfiled biennial report → delinquency |
| Nevada | Certificate of Good Standing | NV Secretary of State (SilverFlume) | $50 ($125 expedited) | Same day online | Overdue Annual List + business license → revocation |
| New Hampshire | Certificate of Good Standing | NH Secretary of State (QuickStart) | $7 | Immediate online | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| New Jersey | Standing Certificate | NJ Div. of Revenue & Enterprise Services | $25 corp / $50 LLC | Immediate online PDF | Unfiled annual report ($75) → revocation after 2 yrs |
| New Mexico | Certificate of Good Standing | NM Secretary of State | $25 LLC / $50 corp | Immediate after payment | Unfiled annual/biennial report → revocation |
| New York | Certificate of Status | NY Department of State | ~$25 (expedite $25–$150) | Written request only — no instant online | Past-due Biennial Statement / tax → dissolution |
| North Carolina | Certificate of Existence | NC Secretary of State | $12 online | Immediate PDF | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| North Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing | ND Secretary of State (FirstStop) | $20 | 1–2 business days* | Unfiled annual report → not in good standing |
| Ohio | Certificate of Good Standing / Full Force & Effect | OH Secretary of State (Business Central) | $5 | 1–2 business days* | No annual report — losing statutory agent → cancellation |
| Oklahoma | Certificate of Good Standing | OK Secretary of State | $20 | Immediate online | Unfiled annual certificate / franchise tax |
| Oregon | Certificate of Existence | OR Secretary of State (Business Registry) | $10 | Minutes, online | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Pennsylvania | Subsistence Certificate | PA Dept. of State (BCCO) | $40 | Emailed within ~2 hrs | Act 122 annual report (corps Jun 30 / LLCs Sep 30) |
| Rhode Island | Certificate of Good Standing | RI Department of State | $20* | Electronic (mail 5–8 days) | Unfiled annual report → revocation |
| South Carolina | Certificate of Existence | SC Secretary of State (Business Entities Online) | $10 | Immediate download | Unfiled annual report / tax → dissolution |
| South Dakota | Certificate of Good Standing | SD Secretary of State | $20 | Immediate online PDF | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Tennessee | Certificate of Existence | TN Secretary of State (tnbear.tn.gov) | $20 | Same-day online | Unfiled annual report + F&E tax clearance |
| Texas | Certificate of Fact – Status | TX SOS (SOSDirect); Comptroller cert free | $15 | Immediate online | Unfiled franchise tax / PIR (due May 15) → forfeiture |
| Utah | Certificate of Existence | UT Division of Corporations | $12 ($20 long form) | Immediate email* | Missed annual renewal → delinquent → expired |
| Vermont | Certificate of Good Standing | VT Secretary of State | $25 | Same-day online* | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| Virginia | Certificate of Good Standing | VA State Corporation Commission (CIS) | $6 | Instant online PDF | Unpaid annual registration fee → automatic termination |
| Washington | Certificate of Existence | WA Secretary of State (CCFS) | $20 | Immediate–3 business days | Unfiled annual report → admin. dissolution |
| West Virginia | Certificate of Existence | WV Secretary of State (One Stop) | $10 | Immediate online | Delinquent annual report (due June 30) |
| Wisconsin | Certificate of Status | WI Dept. of Financial Institutions (DFI) | $10 | Immediate online PDF | Unfiled annual report → immediate delinquency |
| Wyoming | Certificate of Good Standing | WY Secretary of State (wyobiz) | Free online / $20 mail | Instant online PDF | Unpaid annual report / license tax → delinquency |
Last verified: July 2026 · Sources: each state’s Secretary of State / business division. Certificate names, fees, and turnaround change — items marked * should be confirmed on the official state portal before ordering, or let FileForms obtain it for you.
Quick Reference
Many states say “Certificate of Good Standing” or “Certificate of Status,” but Georgia, Tennessee, and several others issue a “Certificate of Existence”; Connecticut a “Certificate of Legal Existence”; Pennsylvania a “Subsistence Certificate”; Texas a “Certificate of Fact – Status”; and New Jersey a “Standing Certificate.” They all serve the same purpose.
Colorado and Wyoming issue the certificate online for free. Texas offers a free “Certificate of Account Status” from the Comptroller (separate from the SOS certificate), and Massachusetts offers a free tax-compliance certificate from the Department of Revenue.
New York has no instant online option — you must submit a written request. Connecticut’s certificate expires 90 days after issuance. Ohio has no annual report, so the trigger for losing good standing is failing to maintain a statutory agent. Texas issues two different certificates depending on who’s asking.
In almost every state it’s an unfiled annual report or unpaid franchise tax, which makes the entity delinquent and eventually leads to administrative dissolution. FileForms tracks these deadlines so your entity stays eligible for a certificate whenever you need one.
Common Questions
A certificate of good standing is an official document from your state confirming that your business is legally registered, up to date on required filings and fees, and authorized to do business. Banks, lenders, investors, and other states commonly require it before financing, foreign qualification, or an acquisition.
The name varies. Many states call it a Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Status; others use Certificate of Existence (Georgia, Tennessee, and others), Certificate of Legal Existence (Connecticut), Subsistence Certificate (Pennsylvania), Certificate of Fact – Status (Texas), or Standing Certificate (New Jersey). The document serves the same purpose in every state.
State fees range from free (Colorado and Wyoming issue it online at no cost) to about $50. Most states charge roughly $5 to $30 for the certificate. FileForms obtains it for you in any state for a flat service fee plus the state fee.
In most states you can get it immediately as an online PDF once your entity is current. A few states are slower — New York requires a written request with no instant online option, and some states take one to several business days.
The most common cause is an unfiled annual report or unpaid franchise tax, which makes the entity delinquent and eventually leads to administrative dissolution or revocation. A lapsed registered agent can also cost you good standing. FileForms tracks these deadlines so your entity stays eligible.
Yes. FileForms obtains certificates of good standing in all 50 states plus DC, handles any delinquency that is blocking issuance, and delivers the certificate digitally — all from one dashboard for multi-entity, multi-state portfolios.
More Compliance by State
FileForms tracks each of these obligations in all 50 states. Browse the companion by-state references:
Who can serve, whether you can be your own agent, and the fee to change your agent in every state.
Due dates, fees, late penalties, and reinstatement rules for every state.
How to register your business to operate in another state — filing, fees, and good-standing rules.
FileForms obtains your certificate in all 50 states plus DC, clears any delinquency blocking issuance, and delivers it digitally — from one dashboard.
