A Florida Certificate of Status is a document issued by the Division of Corporations confirming that your LLC, corporation, or other registered entity is active and current on its filings with the state. You can order one through Sunbiz.org in a few minutes, and the fee runs from $5 for an LLC to $10 for a fictitious name registration. Banks, lenders, and other states routinely ask for one before they’ll move forward.
What the Certificate Confirms
The certificate is a snapshot of your entity’s compliance at the moment it’s issued. It states your entity’s legal name, the date it was organized under Florida law, whether all fees owed to the Division have been paid, and whether the most recent annual report has been filed.1Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 605.0211 – Certificate of Status The same rules apply for corporations under a parallel statute.2Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 607.0128 – Certificate of Status
It also discloses whether the entity has been administratively dissolved or has filed articles of dissolution, so you can’t paper over a lapsed entity with a fresh certificate. The document carries the seal of the Florida Department of State and is treated by statute as conclusive evidence that the entity is active and authorized to do business in Florida.1Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 605.0211 – Certificate of Status
You may also see it called a Certificate of Good Standing. One point of confusion worth clearing up: this is not a certified copy of your articles of incorporation or organization. Those are separate documents. The Certificate of Status only confirms current standing.
When You’ll Be Asked for One
Banks almost always want a Certificate of Status when you open a business account, because they need confirmation that the entity behind the account actually exists and is authorized to operate. Lenders run the same check before approving a business loan or line of credit.
Expanding into another state usually requires one as part of foreign qualification. Florida itself requires incoming foreign LLCs to provide a certificate from their home state that is no more than 90 days old,3Florida Department of State. Foreign Limited Liability Company Registration Instructions and most other states impose similar freshness requirements in the other direction.
The certificate also comes up in business sales, mergers, and acquisitions, where buyers verify standing before closing. Government contracts, large corporate agreements, and some license and permit renewals require one too.
Keep that 90-day window in mind for your own certificates. The document itself has no printed expiration date, but the party requesting it will often want one issued within the past 30 to 90 days. If yours is six months old, order a new one.
How to Order Online
The fastest route is through the Division of Corporations at Sunbiz.org.4Florida Department of State. Order Certificate of Status You need two things to start: your entity’s document number and a valid email address.
The document number is a 6- or 12-digit identifier the Division assigned when your entity was first filed. If you don’t have it, search your business by name on the Sunbiz entity search page and the results will display the number next to your entity’s status.5Florida Department of State. Corporation Records
On the order page, enter your document number, your email address, and the certificate type. Payment options include credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover), debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo, and prepaid Sunbiz E-File accounts. The certificate arrives as a PDF in your inbox, and for most orders delivery is essentially instant.
Ordering by Mail
You can also request a certificate by mail. Send a written request to the Certification Section, Division of Corporations, P.O. Box 6327, Tallahassee, FL 32314.6Florida Department of State. Telephone Numbers, Addresses and Email Include your entity’s name, its Florida document number, and the type of certificate you need. Pay by check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State.7Florida Department of State. Certificate of Status – Request by Mail
Mail is slow. The Division publishes a processing dates page showing current turnaround. As of early April 2026, the Division was processing certification requests received roughly two to three weeks earlier,8Florida Department of State. Document Processing Dates with mailing time on top of that. If you’re on a deadline, order online.
Fees by Entity Type
Certificate of Status fees are the same whether you order online or by mail:9Florida Department of State. Fees
- LLC: $5.00
- Profit corporation: $8.75
- Nonprofit corporation: $8.75
- Limited partnership: $8.75
- General partnership: $8.75
- Fictitious name registration: $10.00
If Your Entity Isn’t in Good Standing
The Division will issue a certificate reflecting whatever your current status actually is. If you’ve missed an annual report or been administratively dissolved, the certificate will say so, which defeats the purpose for most uses.
Annual reports are the usual culprit. Every Florida LLC, corporation, and limited partnership files one each year through Sunbiz.org. Reports filed after May 1 trigger a $400 late fee, and if you still haven’t filed by the third Friday in September, the Division will administratively dissolve or revoke the entity by close of business on the fourth Friday of September.10Florida Department of State. File Annual Report
If that’s already happened, you can reinstate through Sunbiz.org at any time after the dissolution date.11Florida Department of State. File Reinstatement12Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 605.0715 – Reinstatement You pay the reinstatement fee plus a penalty for every missed year:
- Profit corporation: $600 reinstatement fee plus $150 per missed report year
- Nonprofit corporation: $175 reinstatement fee plus $61.25 per missed report year
- LLC: $100 reinstatement fee plus $138.75 per missed report year
Those stack quickly. An LLC dissolved for three years owes $100 plus $138.75 for each of the three missed reports, totaling $516.25 before anything else.11Florida Department of State. File Reinstatement
If your entity was dissolved less than a year ago and you pay by credit card or prepaid Sunbiz account, reinstatement posts immediately. Entities dissolved for more than a year should allow two to three business days. Reinstatement reaches back to the date of dissolution, meaning the entity is treated as if the dissolution never happened.13Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 607.1422 – Reinstatement Following Administrative Dissolution You can request a Certificate of Status at the same time, which will confirm the newly restored active status.
Florida holds your dissolved entity’s name for one year. After that it’s available to anyone, and if another business has taken it, you’ll have to amend your articles and pick a new name before reinstatement is accepted.12Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 605.0715 – Reinstatement
Verifying a Certificate You’ve Received
If someone hands you a Certificate of Status and you want to confirm it’s legitimate, the Division provides an online authentication tool. Every certificate includes a tracking number printed at the bottom. Enter that number on the Division’s Certificate of Status Authentication page and the system will confirm whether the certificate is genuine.14Florida Department of State. Certificate of Status Authentication The tool only works for Certificates of Status, not for other certified documents.