How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Delaware

To get a Delaware Certificate of Good Standing — officially called a Certificate of Status — submit a request to the Delaware Division of Corporations online or by mail, pay the fee (starting at $50 for the short form), and receive the certificate by mail once the Division confirms your entity is current on its Delaware obligations. Banks, lenders, and other states routinely require this certificate before they’ll work with your company, so most requests are driven by an outside deadline.

Confirm Your Entity Is Actually in Good Standing First

The Division will not issue a certificate if your entity is behind on its Delaware obligations. What “in good standing” means depends on entity type.

Corporations

Domestic corporations must file an annual report listing directors, registered agent, and other basic details, and pay an annual franchise tax.¹² Both are due no later than March 1 each year.³ Miss the deadline and you owe a $200 penalty plus 1.5% monthly interest on the unpaid balance.

Foreign corporations registered in Delaware file their annual report by June 30 with a $125 fee, and a $125 penalty applies to late filings.⁴

LLCs, LPs, and General Partnerships

These entities owe a flat $300 annual tax due on or before June 1.⁵ They do not file an annual report with the Division of Corporations.⁶ A missed payment triggers the same $200 penalty and 1.5% monthly interest.

Registered Agent

Every Delaware entity must keep a registered agent with a physical Delaware office.⁷ If your agent resigns, you have 30 days to designate a replacement. Let that lapse and the state can forfeit your charter, which pushes you into the revival process before any certificate can issue.

Choose the Right Type of Certificate

Delaware issues two versions, and the right one depends on who is asking.

The short-form Certificate of Status lists the entity’s name and confirms it is in good standing on the date issued. Banks, lenders, and out-of-state registration offices almost always accept this version.
The long-form Certificate of Good Standing includes everything in the short form plus a full history of documents filed with the Secretary of State, with dates, times, and any name changes. It’s typically requested for due diligence in mergers, acquisitions, or complex financing.

Information You’ll Need

Two identifiers drive the request: the exact legal name of your entity as recorded with the state, and its Delaware file number. Both are searchable through the Division’s free online entity search.⁸ A minor misspelling or wrong file number can delay or reject the request.

How to Submit the Request

Online

The fastest route is the Division’s Document Filing and Certificate Request portal, which walks through entity information, certificate type, and contact details. Payment isn’t charged when you submit; the Division processes the charge when it fulfills the order and sends an invoice with the completed certificate.⁹ Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover are accepted. Anything over $5,000 must go through ACH.¹⁰

By Mail

You can send a written request or the Division’s certificate request form to:

Division of Corporations
PO Box 898
Dover, DE 19903¹¹

Include the entity name, file number, the certificate type, and a return address. Checks should be payable to “Delaware Secretary of State,” drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. funds.¹⁰

Fees

Certificate fees are set by statute:¹²

Short-form Certificate of Status: $50
Long-form Certificate of Good Standing: $175

Standard processing takes several business days depending on Division volume. If you’re on a tight deadline, expedited service is available on top of the base fee:¹³

One-hour service: $1,000
Two-hour service: $500
Same-day service: $100 to $200
Next-day service: $50 to $100

Delivery and How Long the Certificate Lasts

Certificates go out by first-class U.S. mail unless you provide a FedEx or UPS account number with the request. The Division does not return certificates by fax or email.¹⁰

Each certificate can be validated through the Division’s online verification system for one year from the issue date.¹⁴ That said, many banks and government agencies want a certificate issued within the last 30 to 90 days. Check with whoever is asking before you order, so you’re not paying twice.

If Your Entity Has Been Voided or Canceled

No certificate will issue while an entity is voided for unpaid taxes or forfeited for a lapsed registered agent. You have to revive it first.

A voided corporation files a Certificate of Renewal and Revival and pays all back franchise taxes, penalties, and interest that accrued during the void period.¹⁵ Contact the Division’s Franchise Tax Section before filing to get the exact amount owed.

A canceled LLC files a Certificate of Revival with a $220 filing fee, and all unpaid annual taxes must be paid before the filing is accepted.¹⁶ The form asks for the LLC’s current name, the date the original Certificate of Formation was filed, and the name and address of its Delaware registered agent.

Using the Certificate in Another Country

If a foreign country that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention needs to accept your certificate, have it authenticated by the Division of Corporations before you send it abroad. The fee is $30 per document.¹⁷

A few rules to know:

Each document must be individually certified; the Division will not apostille documents bundled under a single cover certification.
Only documents notarized in person are accepted. Remote or electronic notarizations don’t qualify.
Any document not in English must include a notarized English translation.

Apostille requests can be mailed to the Division of Corporations at 401 Federal Street, Suite 4, Dover, DE 19901, or submitted in person by appointment at (302) 739-3077. Include a cover memo stating the country where the document will be used. Without a prepaid express envelope, apostilled documents come back by first-class mail.¹⁷

1
Justia. Delaware Code Title 8 – Section 502 – Annual Franchise Tax Report
2
Delaware Code Online. Title 8 Chapter 5 – Corporation Franchise Tax
3
Division of Revenue – State of Delaware. Franchise Taxes
4
Division of Corporations – State of Delaware. Annual Report and Tax Instructions
5
Delaware Division of Corporations. LLC/LP/GP Franchise Tax Instructions
6
Delaware Corporate Law – State of Delaware. After Incorporation or Formation, What’s Next?
7
State of Delaware. FAQs Regarding Registered Agents
8
Department of State: Division of Corporations. Delaware Entity Search
9
Delaware Division of Corporations. Document Filing and Certificate Request
10
Delaware Division of Corporations. Accessing Corporate Information
11
Division of Corporations – State of Delaware. Contact Information
12
Justia. Delaware Code Title 8 – Section 391 – Amounts Payable to Secretary of State Upon Filing Certificate or Other Paper
13
Division of Corporations – State of Delaware. Expedited Services
14
Delaware Division of Corporations. Validate a Certificate
15
Delaware Code Online. Title 8 Chapter 1 Subchapter XII – Renewal, Revival, Extension and Restoration
16
Delaware Division of Corporations. Certificate of Revival for Limited Liability Company
17
State of Delaware. Submitting Non-Commercial Documents for Apostille or Authentication