Certificates of good standing

Updated October 30, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice.

A certificate of good standing is a document from the state confirming that a business exists on its records and is current on required filings and fees. Banks, lenders, landlords and other states often ask for one, especially when a company registers in a new state. Names vary: certificate of status, of existence, of fact, or of authorization for out-of-state companies.

What it proves, and doesn’t

It confirms the entity’s state registry standing on the date issued. It isn’t a tax clearance (some states issue those separately), a license, or evidence of the business’s finances. A search result showing “active” is useful for a quick check, but only the certificate is the state’s formal statement.

Getting one, by state