To get a copy of a Delaware Certificate of Formation, submit a request to the Delaware Division of Corporations, the office within the Secretary of State that handles all business entity filings. You can request either a plain copy for your own reference or a certified copy bearing the Secretary of State’s seal, and you can do it online, by mail, or in person by appointment. Anyone can request one — Delaware business filings are public records, so you do not have to be a member or manager of the LLC to order a copy.1State of Delaware – Division of Corporations. General Information Name Search
Plain Copy or Certified Copy
Decide which version you need before you order. A plain copy is a straight reproduction of the filed document, suitable for internal records or informal reference. A certified copy carries an official endorsement and seal from the Secretary of State confirming the document is a true reproduction of what’s on file.
Banks, lenders, and state agencies in other jurisdictions almost always require the certified version. If you’re registering your Delaware LLC as a foreign entity in another state, order the certified copy. Paying for a plain copy first and then discovering the receiving party won’t accept it is a common and avoidable mistake.
What to Gather Before You Request
You need two pieces of information: the entity’s exact legal name as registered in Delaware, and the Delaware file number (sometimes called the entity number). If you don’t have the file number, look it up for free on the Division’s online entity search by entering the company name.1State of Delaware – Division of Corporations. General Information Name Search Using the file number rather than the name alone helps avoid mix-ups when several entities have similar names.
Requesting Online
The Division of Corporations offers electronic submission for document and certificate requests through its eCorp Business Services page. Select “Document Filing and Certificate Request,” enter the entity name or file number, choose plain or certified, and pay.2Delaware Division of Corporations. Document Filing and Certificate Request Information
One thing to understand up front: this is a submission portal, not an instant download service. The Division processes the request on their end and mails the finished copy back by regular U.S. mail. There is no option to download the document or receive it by email or fax.3Delaware Division of Corporations. Document and Certificate Memo Service
Requesting by Mail
Write a letter that includes the entity’s exact legal name, the Delaware file number, and the type of copy you want. Give a return mailing address and a phone number or email in case the Division needs to reach you. Enclose payment by check or money order payable to “Delaware Secretary of State.”
Send regular mail to:
Division of Corporations
PO Box 898
Dover, DE 19903
Send FedEx, UPS, or Priority Mail to the physical address:
Division of Corporations
John G. Townsend Bldg.
401 Federal Street, Suite 4
Dover, DE 199014Delaware Division of Corporations. Contact Information – Division of Corporations
Check the envelope before mailing. Sending regular mail to the Federal Street address instead of the PO Box can delay the request.
Requesting in Person
The Division’s office is at 401 Federal Street in Dover, but in-person visits require an appointment. Call 302-739-3077 to schedule one before showing up.5Delaware Division of Corporations. Important Information Regarding Operations of the Division Bring the legal name and file number, be ready to specify the copy type, and pay at the counter. Credit cards are accepted for in-person transactions.
Fees
Copy fees are set by Delaware statute and are the same for LLCs and corporations:
- Certified copy: $50 per copy, plus $2 per page when the Division supplies the pages.6Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter XI – Section 18-1105
- Plain copy: $10 for the first page, plus $2 for each additional page.7Delaware Division of Corporations. Corporate Fee Schedule
A typical Certificate of Formation runs one or two pages, so a certified copy at standard speed usually totals around $52 to $54.
Expedited Processing
Faster turnaround costs extra, on top of the copy fees above. These surcharges apply per file number, so multiple entities in one submission each carry the surcharge:8Delaware Division of Corporations. Expedited Services
- Next-day service: $50 to $100. Request must arrive by 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
- Same-day service: $100 to $200. Request must arrive by 2:00 p.m. Eastern.
- Two-hour service: $500. Request must arrive by 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
- One-hour service: $1,000. Request must arrive by 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
A single LLC certified copy with same-day processing generally comes to about $250 to $254.
Processing Times and Delivery
Standard requests without expedited service can take several weeks, and volume around the start and end of the calendar year tends to stretch that further. The Division does not publish a guaranteed standard turnaround, so build in extra time if you have a deadline.
Expedited timeframes refer to when the Division completes the work, not when the copy lands in your mailbox. All completed copies are returned by regular first-class U.S. mail unless you provide a prepaid express shipping label or FedEx or UPS account number.3Delaware Division of Corporations. Document and Certificate Memo Service If you paid for one-hour processing, arrange express return shipping too, or the copy will sit in the postal system for days after the Division finishes it.
When You Need a Certificate of Good Standing Instead
The Certificate of Formation proves your LLC was created. It does not prove the LLC is still active or compliant today. Banks, lenders, and other states often want a Certificate of Good Standing in addition to, or instead of, the formation document, because Good Standing confirms the entity has paid its Delaware taxes and maintained a registered agent.
Delaware issues two versions. The short-form Certificate of Good Standing costs $50 and confirms the entity exists and is in good standing. The long-form version costs $175 and includes additional detail from the entity’s filing history. Most banks and foreign qualification applications accept the short form. Good Standing certificates go through the same Division channels and expedited options described above.
These certificates are usually treated as current only for 30 to 60 days after the issue date, so request one close to when you’ll actually use it.
Apostille for International Use
If the document is going to a foreign country, you will likely need an apostille, an internationally recognized certification attached to the document. The document must already be certified by the Division of Corporations before you submit it for an apostille, and each document needs its own separate certification.9Delaware Division of Corporations. Submitting Non-Commercial Documents for Apostille or Authentication
Include a cover memo stating the purpose of the request and the destination country. If any document is in a foreign language, include a notarized English translation. The Division does not accept documents notarized remotely or electronically. For non-commercial apostille requests, the fee is $30 for all documents submitted together in one batch. Send the request to the Federal Street address in Dover; completed apostilles come back by first-class mail unless you include prepaid express return shipping.