Who asks for one, and why
A bank opening a business account. A lender before closing. A landlord signing a commercial lease. Another state, when you register to do business there. A buyer’s counsel in due diligence. In every case they are asking the same question — is this entity actually current with the state it was formed in — and they want the state’s answer, not yours.
Some states call it a certificate of existence or a certificate of status. It is the same document.
If you are not in good standing
The usual cause is an unfiled annual report or an unpaid state fee, sometimes from years ago, sometimes because notices were going to an address nobody reads. The fix is to file what is missing and pay what is owed; where a state has already administratively dissolved the entity, it is a reinstatement.
We can find out where you stand before you order the certificate, which is faster than ordering one and being told no.
Questions people ask
How long is a certificate of good standing valid?
The certificate itself does not expire, but whoever asked for it will. Most banks and lenders want one issued within the last 30 to 90 days, so order it when it is asked for rather than keeping one on file.
Do I need a certified copy as well?
They answer different questions. A certificate of good standing says the entity is current; a certified copy is the state’s own stamped copy of a document you filed — usually the articles. Foreign qualification in another state often asks for both.
What makes an entity lose good standing?
A missed annual report or biennial statement, an unpaid franchise tax or state fee, or having no registered agent on file. All three are recoverable; the longer they run, the more the state charges to fix them.
Related
Annual reports
Most entities lose good standing for the same reason: a report nobody remembered was due, in a state nobody was watching.
Registered agent
Every state requires an entity to name someone to receive legal papers. What matters is not the name on the filing — it is how fast what arrives reaches you.
LLC formation
You tell us the name, the state and who is behind it. We prepare the articles, file them with the state, and put the deadlines that follow on a calendar you can see.
Start a filing
Tell us the state and what you need. You will see the state fee and our fee before you pay anything.