What a certificate of good standing actually proves - also searched as what is certificate of good standing

How to get one

1. Confirm the entity is actually in good standing. Run the free entity search in the state's register first; the status field shows whether the entity is active and current. Ordering a certificate for an entity that has lapsed wastes the fee, and the search that would have told you is free in every state we verified.
2. Order from the official register, not a reseller. Every state's page on this site links the government ordering route where we verified one. Hawaii's register sells it directly ('Certificate of Good Standing: Purchase official proof of business registration and compliance'), Wyoming offers its certificate online, and Nebraska's search page notes certificates 'may also be available for purchase'.
3. Expect a modest official fee. Where states publish the figure on an official page we quote it: Nevada's statute sets $50 for a certificate of corporate existence, and Pennsylvania's code sets $28 for certificates of the Department. Resellers charge multiples of the official fee for the same document, which is why each state page links the government source.
4. Check the recipient's freshness requirement. Certificates are dated, and the party asking usually wants one issued within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it when the deal actually needs it rather than far in advance, and keep the register's receipt with the document.

Who asks for one, and why

Lenders and banks ask before opening accounts or extending credit, because the certificate proves the borrower exists and is current with its home state. Other states ask during foreign qualification: New Hampshire's corporation statute, for example, requires an application to be 'accompanied by a certificate of good standing (or a document of similar import) from the state or country of incorporation'. Buyers and landlords ask during diligence for the same reason: it is the one document where the register itself vouches for the entity's status.

The certificate proves registration status and nothing else. It does not prove the company is solvent, honest or licensed for its trade; it proves the register shows it active and current on required filings. That is exactly why it pairs with the free entity search: the search shows the live record, the certificate is the register's signed snapshot of it.

What it costs, on the official record

This index quotes certificate fees only where an official government source publishes the figure, and the verified rows render in the table above with their sources and dates. Nevada's fee statute reads: 'The fee for signing a certificate of corporate existence which does not list the previous records relating to the corporation, or a certificate of change in a corporate name, is $50.' Pennsylvania's administrative code sets the certificate fee at $28, with an uncertified copy at $2 per page.

Where a state publishes its fee inside a portal we cannot verify from an official public page, the state's row says 'No fee verified from the official source' rather than showing a guess. That absence is information: it tells you to check the linked official page for the current figure rather than trusting a reseller's markup.

Names differ; the document is the same

Depending on the state you will see certificate of good standing, certificate of existence, certificate of status, certificate of fact, or certificate of subsistence. They are the same instrument: the register certifying an entity's status as of a date. When a counterparty asks for a 'certificate of good standing' from a state that issues a 'certificate of existence', the state's document satisfies the request; the state pages here use each register's own terminology so the mapping is explicit.

Questions people ask

How long is a certificate of good standing valid?

The certificate states facts as of its issue date and does not expire on its own; the party requesting it sets the freshness window, commonly 30 to 90 days. Order close to when it is needed.

Can I check good standing without buying the certificate?

Yes; the free entity search in every state register shows the entity's live status. The certificate is for when a third party needs the register's formal, signed statement rather than your screenshot.

What if the entity is not in good standing?

The register will show the lapsed status and most states publish a reinstatement route on the same site; typically filing the missed reports and paying the outstanding fees. Vermont's register describes good standing as exactly that: required filings up to date and the registered agent current.

Is a certificate of existence the same thing?

Yes; certificate of existence, status, fact and subsistence are state-by-state names for the same document. Each state page on this site uses the register's own term.

Cross-state lookups in the index

• EIN lookup with verified facts
• Registered agent lookup with verified facts