To get a Certificate of Good Standing in Florida, order what the state actually calls a Certificate of Status from the Division of Corporations through the Sunbiz website. It costs $5 for an LLC and $8.75 for most other entity types, and the certificate arrives by email as a PDF within minutes of payment.1Florida Department of State. Order Certificate of Status – Division of Corporations
What the Certificate Proves
Florida law treats the Certificate of Status as conclusive evidence that your business exists and is active in the state.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 607.0128 – Certificate of Status The document shows your entity’s legal name, its date of organization, whether all state fees are paid, whether the most recent annual report has been filed, and whether the state has dissolved or revoked the entity. Banks, lenders, other states, and potential business partners commonly ask for one before opening accounts, extending credit, or registering your business to operate elsewhere.
The certificate is a snapshot of your status on the day it’s issued. Nothing on it lists an expiration date, but the party requesting it usually wants a certificate issued within the last 30 to 90 days. Ask before you order, so you don’t pay for one that ends up being too old for the transaction.
Not the Same as a Tax Clearance Letter
A Certificate of Status is issued by the Division of Corporations and confirms your registration and filing status. A tax clearance letter is a separate document from the Florida Department of Revenue, and it shows your business has no outstanding tax debts, audit assessments, or delinquencies.3Florida Department of Revenue. Verifying Business Account Status Some transactions, particularly business sales and certain federal grants, require both. If your closing checklist mentions “good standing,” check whether the requester means one, the other, or both.
Check That Your Entity Is Active First
The Division of Corporations will only issue a Certificate of Status if your entity currently shows as active in its records.4Sunbiz. Certificate of Status Information Two things drive that status: your annual report and your registered agent.
Annual Report
Every Florida business entity must file an annual report each year.5Florida Department of State. File Annual Report – Division of Corporations Base filing fees are $150 for a profit corporation, $61.25 for a non-profit, $138.75 for an LLC, and $500 for a limited partnership or LLLP. Two deadlines matter. May 1 triggers a $400 late fee for profit corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships, and LLLPs; non-profits are not subject to that late fee. If you still haven’t filed by the third Friday of September, the state administratively dissolves or revokes the entity at the close of business on the fourth Friday of September. Once that happens, no Certificate of Status will issue until you reinstate.
Registered Agent
Every Florida LLC and corporation must continuously maintain a registered agent and registered office in the state. The agent can be a Florida resident whose business address matches the registered office, or another business entity authorized to operate in Florida.6Justia Law. Florida Code 605.0113 – Registered Agent If your agent resigns and you don’t appoint a replacement, that gap can eventually push you out of good standing.
Ordering Online Through Sunbiz
Go to the Division of Corporations’ certificate ordering page on Sunbiz, enter your 6-digit or 12-digit document number, provide an email address, and pay.1Florida Department of State. Order Certificate of Status – Division of Corporations If you don’t remember the document number, look it up by searching your entity name on Sunbiz; it also appears on any official correspondence from the Division.7Florida Department of State. Corporation Records – Search Guide Once payment processes, the certificate lands in your inbox as a PDF, usually within minutes.
Online payments accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit cards, Visa or MasterCard debit cards, and prepaid Sunbiz E-File accounts.
Ordering by Mail
You can also mail a written request that includes your entity’s name and document number, with a check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State. Processing takes roughly one to two weeks before the certificate ships back.8Florida Department of State. Document Processing Dates Mail requests accept checks and money orders only.
Fees by Entity Type
Certificate of Status fees are:9Division of Corporations – Florida Department of State. Fees
- LLC: $5.00
- Corporation, profit or non-profit: $8.75
- General partnership: $8.75
- Limited partnership or LLLP: $8.75
- Fictitious name registration: $10.00
If Your Entity Was Dissolved
If your business was administratively dissolved for missed annual reports, filing the overdue report alone won’t restore it. You need to submit a formal reinstatement application through Sunbiz, which lets you update officers, registered agent, and principal office address in the same filing, though you cannot change the entity’s name.10Division of Corporations – Florida Department of State. File Reinstatement
Reinstatement carries a fee plus back annual report fees for every year the entity was dissolved. A profit corporation pays a $600 reinstatement fee plus $150 per missed year; an LLC pays $100 plus $138.75 per missed year; a non-profit pays $175 plus $61.25 per missed year; a limited partnership or LLLP pays $500 for each year or partial year revoked plus $500 for each annual report year due. Once the reinstatement is processed and the entity shows active again, you can order a Certificate of Status normally.
Apostille for Use Outside the United States
If you need the certificate recognized in a country that’s part of the Hague Apostille Convention, the Florida Secretary of State handles apostille authentication.11HCCH. United States of America – Competent Authority (Art. 6) The process is mail-only. Send in the original Certificate of Status (photocopies are not accepted), a completed Apostille and Notarial Certificate Request Form, a self-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid air bill, and a $10 check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State.12Florida Department of State. Authentications (Apostilles and Notarial Certifications) Credit cards are not accepted. Because the certificate ordered online is delivered as a PDF, print it first, then mail the printed original with the apostille request, and build in extra time for the round trip.