A Kentucky Certificate of Good Standing is issued by the Secretary of State for $10 and can be ordered online or by mail. Kentucky calls it a Certificate of Existence for entities formed in the state and a Certificate of Authorization for out-of-state entities registered to do business here. Either version is the official document that banks, other states, and contract partners accept as proof your business is properly formed and current with the state.
Order Online
The fastest route is the Secretary of State’s online portal. Go to the Business Records section and use the organization search to find your entity by name or ID number.1Kentucky Secretary of State. Business Filings and Records Online Services Your business name has to match the state’s records exactly, including designators like “LLC” or “Inc.” Once your entity comes up, select the option to order a certificate and pay by credit card or prepaid account.
The $10 fee is the same whether you order online or by mail.2Secretary of State. Fees Online orders produce a PDF you can download as soon as payment clears, and the file carries an authentication code that third parties can verify on the Secretary of State’s website.
Before you pay, confirm the search results show your entity as active. If it shows bad standing or administrative dissolution, the office won’t issue the certificate until the underlying problem is fixed.
Order by Mail
You can also submit a written request. Download the request form from the Secretary of State’s Business Records page and mail it with a check or money order to:3Kentucky Secretary of State. Business Records
Office of the Secretary of State
Records Branch
P.O. Box 718
700 Capital Ave., Ste. 158
Frankfort, KY 40601
Different divisions within the Secretary of State’s office use different P.O. Box numbers, so verify the address on the current request form before mailing. Mail requests are processed within three business days, plus delivery time each way.4Secretary of State. FAQs If you’re on a deadline, order online.
If you’ll be sending the certificate to another state, check that state’s freshness rule first. New York, for example, requires the certificate be dated within the prior year for foreign LLCs and corporations seeking authority there.5Department of State. Application for Authority – Foreign Limited Liability Companies Other states accept certificates issued within six months, and some want one less than 30 days old.
What Keeps Your Entity Eligible
Good standing with the Secretary of State turns on two obligations.
The first is the annual report. Every entity doing business in Kentucky must file one between January 1 and June 30 each year, starting the year after formation. The fee is $15, and the report confirms your registered agent, principal office address, and current list of officers, directors, or members.6Kentucky Secretary of State. Annual Reports
The second is maintaining a registered agent and registered office in Kentucky at all times. Going without one for 60 days or more is grounds for administrative dissolution all by itself, independent of the annual report.7Kentucky Secretary of State. Business Filings Information
Miss the June 30 report deadline and your entity is listed in bad standing starting July 1. The Secretary of State mails a 60-day notice, giving you until roughly August 31 to file the overdue report and return to good standing. Fail to act within that window and domestic entities are administratively dissolved; foreign entities have their certificate of authority revoked.7Kentucky Secretary of State. Business Filings Information Until you clear the problem, the Secretary of State won’t issue a certificate.
The certificate itself confirms your formation date, that required filings are current, and that fees or penalties owed to the state have been paid. It doesn’t confirm you’ve paid your taxes, that you’re profitable, or that you hold any industry-specific licenses. It’s a snapshot of your standing with the Secretary of State and nothing more.
If Your Entity Has Been Administratively Dissolved
Reinstatement is available as long as you haven’t already begun winding up and liquidating the business.8Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 14A.7-030 – Reinstatement You’ll need to:
- File a reinstatement application through the online organization search or by mail.
- Pay a $100 reinstatement penalty (domestic corporations and LLCs).9Kentucky Secretary of State. Fees
- File every delinquent annual report, each with its $15 fee. Three years dissolved means three back reports.
- Get a tax clearance letter from the Department of Revenue confirming all taxes owed have been paid.8Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 14A.7-030 – Reinstatement
- If you’re a for-profit entity, get an unemployment insurance clearance from the Office of Unemployment Insurance confirming all employer contributions, penalties, and assessments have been paid.
The tax clearance letter is a separate document from the Certificate of Existence, and the Department of Revenue calls it a “letter of good standing.” The Secretary of State can request it on your behalf during reinstatement, or you can contact the Department of Revenue directly. The Department won’t issue it if you have any unfiled returns; you have to file and pay first. Outstanding tax bills less than 60 days old don’t block the letter, and bills in collections can be resolved through a payment agreement with the Division of Collections.10Kentucky Department of Revenue. Letters of Good Standing
Once the Secretary of State approves reinstatement, it relates back to the date of dissolution. Legally, the entity continues as if the dissolution never happened.8Justia Law. Kentucky Revised Statutes 14A.7-030 – Reinstatement After reinstatement is complete, you can order the certificate the same way any other active entity would.
Getting the Certificate Apostilled for Use Abroad
If you need the certificate recognized in another country, such as for an international contract or a foreign bank account, you’ll need an apostille from the Secretary of State’s office. The fee is $5 per document.11Kentucky Secretary of State. Apostilles and Authentications You have three ways to request one:
- By mail. Send the certificate with a completed request form and fee. Processing takes about three business days, and the document comes back by USPS first-class mail. Including a prepaid FedEx, UPS, or USPS Priority label speeds up the return.
- Walk-in. Visit 1025 Capital Center Drive, Suite 201 in Frankfort between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Walk-in requests are completed while you wait.
- Electronically. If your certificate is a PDF from an online order, submit it through the Secretary of State’s online portal and receive the apostilled version by email.
Who Can’t Get One
Certificates are available for domestic corporations and domestic LLCs registered and in good standing with the Secretary of State.3Kentucky Secretary of State. Business Records Foreign entities registered in Kentucky can get the Certificate of Authorization version. You don’t have to be an owner or officer to request one; anyone can order a certificate for any entity.
Sole proprietorships and general partnerships can’t get a Certificate of Existence because they aren’t formally registered with the Secretary of State’s office. If a lender or partner is asking for proof of good standing and you operate one of these structures, you’ll need to point them to other documentation, such as a county business license or tax records.