*Quote takes 1 minute, no credit pull
Insurance*1 quote from 40+ carriers
Listings*New listings daily
Certificate of Good Standing
Last updated: February 6, 2024
What is a Certificate of Good Standing?
A Certificate of Good Standing is a document issued by the state in which your business is formed which certifies, as of the date issued, that your business has submitted all required documents, fees and filings.
When you obtain a Certificate of Good Standing, it means your business is duly formed and authorized to do business in the state, and that it is in compliance with certain statutory requirements. It essentially confirms that the entity is in good standing with the state authorities.
A Certificate of Good Standing is commonly required for business transactions such as obtaining financing, entering into contracts, or expanding operations to other states. Commercial, business purpose lenders who provide loans to business entities (typically LLC or corporation) will commonly require this document in as a standard underwriting guideline. It is required in order to obtain a DSCR loan or fix and flip loan from OfferMarket.
All states provide this certificate upon request and satisfaction of requirements to be in good standing. A common source of confusion is the name that each state uses -- Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Existence, Certificate of Status, and Certificate of Fact are used among different states.
Depending on the state, the cost and timeline to receive your Certificate of Good Standing will vary.
| State | Abbreviation | Official Document Name | Cost | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | AL | Certificate of Existence | $25 | Alabama Secretary of State |
| Alaska | AK | Certificate of Compliance | $10 | Alaska Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing |
| Arizona | AZ | Certificate of Good Standing | $45 | Arizona Corporation Commission |
| Arkansas | AR | Certificate of Good Standing | $25 | Arkansas Secretary of State |
| California | CA | Certificate of Good Standing | $5 | California Secretary of State |
| Colorado | CO | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | Colorado Secretary of State |
| Connecticut | CT | Certificate of Legal Existence | $50 | Connecticut Secretary of the State |
| Delaware | DE | Certificate of Good Standing | $50 | Delaware Division of Corporations |
| Florida | FL | Certificate of Status | $8.75 | Florida Department of State |
| Georgia | GA | Certificate of Existence | $10 | Georgia Secretary of State |
| Hawaii | HI | Certificate of Good Standing | $7.50 | Hawaii Business Express |
| Idaho | ID | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | Idaho Secretary of State |
| Illinois | IL | Certificate of Good Standing | $50 | Illinois Secretary of State |
| Indiana | IN | Certificate of Existence | $10 | Indiana Secretary of State |
| Iowa | IA | Certificate of Status | $5 | Iowa Secretary of State |
| Kansas | KS | Certificate of Good Standing | $15 | Kansas Secretary of State |
| Kentucky | KY | Certificate of Existence | $10 | Kentucky Secretary of State |
| Louisiana | LA | Certificate of Good Standing | $30 | Louisiana Secretary of State |
| Maine | ME | Certificate of Good Standing | $30 | Maine Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions |
| Maryland | MD | Certificate of Status | $20 | Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation |
| Massachusetts | MA | Certificate of Good Standing | $15 | Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth |
| Michigan | MI | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs |
| Minnesota | MN | Certificate of Good Standing | $50 | Minnesota Secretary of State |
| Mississippi | MS | Certificate of Good Standing | $27 | Mississippi Secretary of State |
| Missouri | MO | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | Missouri Secretary of State |
| Montana | MT | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | Montana Secretary of State |
| Nebraska | NE | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | Nebraska Secretary of State |
| Nevada | NV | Certificate of Good Standing | $50 | Nevada Secretary of State |
| New Hampshire | NH | Certificate of Good Standing | $25 | New Hampshire Secretary of State |
| New Jersey | NJ | Certificate of Good Standing | $25 | New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services |
| New Mexico | NM | Certificate of Good Standing | $25 | New Mexico Secretary of State |
| New York | NY | Certificate of Good Standing | $25 | New York Department of State |
| North Carolina | NC | Certificate of Existence | $10 | North Carolina Secretary of State |
| North Dakota | ND | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | North Dakota Secretary of State |
| Ohio | OH | Certificate of Good Standing | $5 | Ohio Secretary of State |
| Oklahoma | OK | Certificate of Existence | $20 | Oklahoma Secretary of State |
| Oregon | OR | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | Oregon Secretary of State |
| Pennsylvania | PA | Certificate of Status | $30 | Pennsylvania Department of State |
| Rhode Island | RI | Certificate of Good Standing | $50 | Rhode Island Secretary of State |
| South Carolina | SC | Certificate of Existence | $10 | South Carolina Secretary of State |
| South Dakota | SD | Certificate of Good Standing | $20 | South Dakota Secretary of State |
| Tennessee | TN | Certificate of Existence | $20 | Tennessee Secretary of State |
| Texas | TX | Certificate of Good Standing | $5 | Texas Secretary of State |
| Utah | UT | Certificate of Good Standing | $12 | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code |
| Vermont | VT | Certificate of Good Standing | $25 | Vermont Secretary of State |
| Virginia | VA | Certificate of Fact of Existence | $10 | Virginia State Corporation Commission |
| Washington | WA | Certificate of Existence | $20 | Washington Secretary of State |
| West Virginia | WV | Certificate of Good Standing | $10 | West Virginia Secretary of State |
| Wisconsin | WI | Certificate of Status | $10 | Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions |
| Wyoming | WY | Certificate of Good Standing | $5 | Wyoming Secretary of State |
| Washington, D.C. | DC | Certificate of Good Standing | $55 | District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs |
Certificate of Existence
Several states refer to their certificate of good standing as a "Certificate of Existence".
Certificate of Fact
Texas is one of the only states that calls their certificate of good standing a "Certificate of Fact".
Certificate of Status
Several states, including Maryland, refer to their certificate of good standing as a "Certificate of Status".
