A New Jersey certificate of good standing, officially called a standing certificate, is issued by the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) and confirms that your business is legally authorized to operate in the state.1State of New Jersey. Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services – Standing Certificates You order it online through the DORES portal, pay a fee of $25 to $100 depending on your entity type and the certificate form, and receive a certified PDF within minutes if your entity is current on its annual reports and taxes.
Choose the Right Certificate Type
New Jersey issues three versions of the standing certificate, and picking the wrong one means paying again.1State of New Jersey. Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services – Standing Certificates Ask the party requesting the certificate which they need before you order.
- Short form standing. A basic confirmation that the entity is active and legally authorized to do business in New Jersey. Sufficient for most bank and licensing purposes.
- Long form standing with officers and directors. The short-form information plus the names of the officers and directors currently on file with the state.
- Long form standing with charter documents. The full filing history of the entity. Complex legal transactions and some out-of-state foreign registrations specifically require this version.
The certificate is certified under the seal of the State Treasurer.2State of New Jersey. Guide for Requesting Public Record Information There is no printed expiration date, but banks, state agencies, and closing attorneys typically want a certificate no older than 30 to 90 days.
Fees by Entity Type
The base fee depends on both the certificate form and how your business is organized:3State of New Jersey. Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services Registry Fee Schedules
- Corporations and limited partnerships: $25 for any standing certificate, short or long form.
- LLCs and LLPs, short form: $50.
- LLCs and LLPs, long form: $100.
The gap between entity types surprises people. An LLC pays twice what a corporation pays for the same short form, and four times as much for a long form.
How to Order Online
Before you start, pull together your 10-digit Entity ID, the number assigned when your business first registered with the state.4Business.NJ.gov. Register Your Business If you don’t have it, look it up through the Business Records Service portal.5New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services. Business Records Service You’ll also need the entity’s exact legal name as it appears in state records; a small variation will cause the system to reject the request. Know whether your entity is domestic (formed in New Jersey) or foreign (formed elsewhere and registered to do business here), because the portal treats these as separate categories.
Orders go through the DORES online portal. Enter the Entity ID, select the certificate type, and pay by credit card or electronic check.1State of New Jersey. Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services – Standing Certificates The certificate is delivered as an immediate digital download, a legally valid PDF you can print or email. Because delivery is essentially instant, the in-person expedited services DORES offers at higher fees are not something most filers need.3State of New Jersey. Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services Registry Fee Schedules
What Your Entity Must Be Current On
DORES will not issue a certificate for an entity that has fallen behind. Three obligations control whether your order will go through.
Annual Reports
Every corporation, LLC, and limited partnership doing business in New Jersey must file an annual report with the Department of the Treasury.6Justia. New Jersey Code 14A-4-5 – Annual Report to State Treasurer The report is due on the last day of the month in which the entity was formed, and the filing fee is $75.7Business.NJ.gov. Taxes and Annual Report It updates officer names, the registered agent address, and the principal business location.
Miss two consecutive annual reports and the State Treasurer has authority to revoke a domestic corporation’s charter or a foreign corporation’s authorization to do business in the state.6Justia. New Jersey Code 14A-4-5 – Annual Report to State Treasurer The Treasurer must send written notice by certified mail before revoking, but once revocation happens the entity loses its legal powers and you’ll have to go through reinstatement before any certificate can be issued.
Registered Agent
A corporation authorized to do business in New Jersey must continuously maintain a registered office and registered agent in the state.8Justia. New Jersey Code 14A-4-1 – Registered Office and Registered Agent LLCs face the same requirement under a separate statute, with the agent either a New Jersey resident or a business authorized to transact in the state.9New Jersey Legislature. Chapter 50 – Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act
Taxes
The Division of Taxation can effectively block a standing certificate when it flags outstanding tax liabilities. Corporation business taxes, gross income tax withholdings, and sales tax obligations all need to be current. A separate document, the Tax Clearance Certificate, is required for certain transactions like dissolving or withdrawing a business from the state, and it confirms all state taxes, penalties, interest, and fees have been paid.10Cornell Law Institute. NJ Admin Code 18-7-14.1 – Tax Clearance Certificate That clearance is valid for only 45 days after issuance, so watch the timing if you’re coordinating multiple filings.
If Your Business Has Been Revoked
A revoked or voided business cannot receive a standing certificate until it’s reinstated. DORES runs an online reinstatement service, and you start by filing the overdue annual reports.11State of New Jersey. Reinstate a Revoked or Voided Business You’ll need the corporation identification number and the month and year the entity was originally formed or authorized to do business in New Jersey.
The system tells you whether a Tax Clearance Certificate is required. If it is, the system generates the application and instructions, and the Division of Taxation reviews your account for outstanding liabilities. Reinstatement is not finalized until those debts are resolved and the clearance certificate is issued. If no clearance is needed, the whole process can be completed online.
Reinstatement filing fees vary:12State of New Jersey. Reinstatement Fees
- For-profit domestic corporation: $95 ($75 reinstatement plus $20 for the tax clearance filing).
- For-profit foreign corporation: $95 plus a separate $25 tax clearance fee paid directly to the Division of Taxation.
- Nonprofit corporation: $150 for domestic entities, $200 for foreign entities.
- LLC, LP, or LLP: $75.
These fees cover only the reinstatement filing. You’ll still owe back annual report fees at $75 per missed year, any outstanding tax balances, and penalties that accumulated while the entity was revoked. If the business sat dormant for several years, the total can be substantial. Check your status before a lender or state agency asks for the certificate rather than after.
If You Need the Certificate for Use Abroad
A standing certificate presented in another country generally needs an apostille, a special authentication under the Hague Convention. DORES handles apostille requests, but the process is not entirely online.13State of New Jersey. Apostilles and Notary Certifications First order the underlying standing certificate with an ink signature or official certification. Then place the apostille order through the DORES online Apostille/Certification Service, pay by credit card or e-check, and mail or hand-deliver the confirmation page along with the physical document to the Division’s Customer Service Center. DORES staples the apostille to the signature page.
If the destination country is not a party to the Hague Convention, DORES issues a certification of the public official instead. Confirm with officials in the receiving country, or the U.S. Department of State, which form of authentication they will accept before you order.