Certificate of Good Standing

Easy, Fast, Cost-Efficient Service

We can obtain certificates from any state and D.C. We verify your company's good standing with the state, carefully complete all paperwork on your behalf, expedite your order as requested, and promptly email or mail your certificate to you.

  • Easy online ordering
  • Fast processing. Shop expedite options online.
  • Only $175 plus state fees
Order Online

- Rated 4.4/5 by 104 clients on Google
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What is a Certificate of Good Standing?

A certificate of good standing is a document issued by the state’s corporations division evidencing that your business is authorized to do business in the state. A certificate of good standing is sometimes called a certificate of status, a certificate of existence, or a certificate of fact.


A preview of an Illinois Certificate of Status.

Sample certificate

The certificate can be presented to banks, vendors, licensing agencies, and others to prove that your business has satisfied all the requirements for "good standing". Having a designation of "good standing" typically means that your business has:

  • Registered the LLC, corporation, or other entity with the state
  • Filed required annual reports
  • Paid franchise taxes and other filing fees due

Needing to obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from time to time is a normal part of conducting business, so we make this process as easy, fast, and cost-efficient as possible for you.

How Our Certificate of Good Standing Service Works

It's simple: order online and we obtain your certificate FAST!

  • Order online. Shop standard and expedited processing online.
  • We check your entity for good standing, order the certificate, and email it to you. In Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, and New Hampshire, we mail the certificate to you since it contains a raised seal.
  • You receive your certificate online or by mail.
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Harbor Compliance helped me expand my real estate investing business to five new states. When I have a real estate deal pending in a new state, I don't have any time to waste getting my LLC registered. Each time I enter a new state, I contact Harbor and they tell me the exact costs upfront to register my LLC. Harbor handles all the state filings and serves as the registered agent They prepare the forms and all I have to do is quickly review them then they take care of everything else. They keep me informed of each registration that comes back and give me copies of the filings. Thanks to Harbor, I get my certificate of authority FAST and have never missed out on a deal, contract or closing. They make it incredibly easy and complete filings quickly. I highly recommend their service!
BobOpen Door LLC
Harbor Compliance provides top-notch Registered Agent service! They help manage the documents associated with several of our clients' documents and filings with the Delaware Corporation Commission. Directly after we purchased their service for one of the first filings, I was contacted by a dedicated representative via email. He introduced himself and let me know that he would be there to help with any questions we had or services we required. He stayed true to his word and responded immediately to a question I had a few days later. His answer was prompt and detailed. In my opinion, their "Human Touch" element is what really makes this company stand out! I wouldn't go anywhere else!
JanaeLaw Offices of Donald W. Hudspeth, PC

Frequently Asked Questions

A Certificate of Good Standing (also called a Certificate of Status, a Certificate of Existence, or a Certificate of Fact) is a document issued by the state’s corporations division evidencing that your business is authorized to do business in the state.

A certificate of good standing is needed during business or legal transactions that require you to formally demonstrate that your business is in good standing. A few examples:

  • Registering your business in another state (also called foreign qualification or obtaining a certificate of authority)
  • Obtaining or renewing licenses
  • Opening a bank account, obtaining a business loan or line of credit, or as part of other financial transactions
  • During a merger, acquisition, or buying/selling a company outright
  • Tax matters
  • Demonstrating the business was suspended/dissolved

Finally, some business owners prefer to regularly request certificate of good standings for their company records, as it provides historical evidence that the business was in good standing at a point in time.

As soon a business has satisfied all registration requirements in a given state, it received a designation of "good standing" in the public corporate records. The business can lose good standing for a variety of reasons, which vary by state. In general, the issues of noncompliance that can cause loss of good standing are:

  • Failure to file an annual report and pay the associated fee
  • Failure to renew a state-required business license
  • Failure to file or pay taxes, especially franchise tax

Good standing is the designation by the state that your business is authorized to transact business. Maintaining good standing is critical as it shows compliance with state law.

Without good standing, your business may face penalties from the state (fines and even dissolution), lose contracts, not be able to open a bank account or obtain a loan, or apply for or renew licenses to operate. What's worse, loss of good standing can result in loss of limited liability protection.

If your business is trying to restore compliance, please contact us to purchase reinstatement service.

Our service is an up-front flat fee. Please order online to calculate your filing fees, which include state fees and any expedite fees based on the speed with which you need the state to process your order.

Our standard service includes requesting your certificate of good standing right away, and returning it to you right away as soon as the state issues it.

We frequently serve clients who need their certificate(s) fast and we are here to expedite your order as quickly as you need it - please contact us to order.

We cannot guarantee state processing times because they are outside our control (state agencies sometimes suffer from computer outages and unexpected closures). However, we do everything in our power to proactively minimize state delays. We track your order, file with the forms and methods we have refined in our experience, escalate immediately with our contacts at the state's office to resolve issues, and more. Your satisfaction is our top priority, so even when there is an issue outside our control, we do everything we can to make it right.

We will need your basic contact information, the name of your company, and to understand from your if there is any urgency to get your document back from the state quickly. You can order online anytime to see the information we need and place your order.

Yes, we are compliance specialists and have a lot of experience helping businesses who are out of compliance regain good standing. We serve you throughout the process of diagnosing the cause(s) of losing good standing, filing the paperwork to recover good standing, and navigating multiple state agencies on your behalf. Please contact us to order reinstatement service.

Are you expanding your business to a new state?

Purchase our foreign qualification service for help with the whole process. The package price for foreign qualification includes obtaining needed certificates of good standing and certified copies as required.