How To Get a Certificate of Status to Prove Your Florida Entity Is in Good Standing

Obtaining a Certificate of Status in Florida for Businesses and Fictitious Names

Objective:

• Learn how to obtain a Certificate of Status from the Florida Division of Corporations (DoC).

Entities:

• Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
• Limited Partnerships
• C Corporations
• S Corporations
• Non-Profit Corporations

Additional Information:

In Florida, a Certificate of Status is an official document confirming that a business entity is in “good standing” with the State of Florida. It can be obtained as an optional add-on when filing with the DoC online or you can order one as a stand-alone document. However, Certificates of Status are not available for Florida limited liability partnerships or Florida general partnerships.

A company is considered to be in “good standing” with the State of Florida when it is currently active, registered with the DoC, and compliant with all state requirements. This status means that the entity is allowed to operate within the state, and losing it also means that the company will no longer be able to legally do business. Good standing can be lost if the company voluntarily shuts down, or it can be taken away as a consequence of unpaid fees, unobtained licenses, or other problems.

Although Florida businesses aren’t legally required to keep a certificate of status on hand, it can be useful and even necessary in certain situations. Some of these include:

• Selling a business
• Expanding your business to another state through a Foreign Qualification
• Certifying changes to your business’s corporate identity (e.g., changing a Florida LLC’s name)
• Certifying a Fictitious Name (also known as a “Doing Business As” or DBA)
• Securing support from potential investors
• Opening certain types of bank accounts
• Obtaining certain business licenses
• Qualifying for some commercial leases
• Applying for certain loans
• Applying for credit with vendors and suppliers

Option One: Ordering a Standalone Certificate of Status

1. First, go to the DoC’s website (https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/manage-business/certification/certificate-status-efile/) and review the information available before clicking the dark blue “Order a Certificate of Status Button” (see image below). You will want to have your company’s document number, a valid email address, and whatever payment method you plan on using before starting.

2. That button will take you to the page shown below (https://services.sunbiz.org/Filings/CertificateOfStatus/StandaloneCertificateStart). Here, you’ll enter your company’s 6- or 12-digit document number and hit “Submit.” Use our guide available through this link if you need help finding your Florida entity’s document number.

3. Next, enter a valid email address that can be used to contact your company. Make sure that it’s one that is checked regularly, because your Florida business’s Certificate of Status will be sent to this address.

4. Finally, you’ll need to enter your payment information. You have the option of using a credit card, debit card, or a Prepaid Sunbiz E-File Account. The different fees break down as follows:

• Certificate of Status for a Florida LLC: $5.00
• Certificate of Status for a Florida Corporation: $8.75
• Certificate of Status for Florida Non-Profits: $8.75
• Certificate of Status for Florida Limited Partnerships: $8.75
• Florida Certificate of Status of Fictitious Name Registration: $10.00

Keep in mind that these fees are non-refundable, so be sure to double-check your company’s document number and email for accuracy.

5. After the DoC has processed your payment, they will email you a .pdf copy of your Certificate of Status to the address that you provided. Be sure to print out a hard copy for your company’s records as well.

Option Two: Order a Certificate of Status When Filing with the Florida DoC

While this won’t work for a Florida Certificate of Status of Fictitious Name Registration, Florida LLCs, corporations, non-profits, and limited partnerships can also get a Certificate of Status when making other filings with the DoC. This can be done by checking the applicable box and paying the appropriate filing fee for your business’s type of entity. An example is provided below.

Please note that the $5.00 filing fee in the above image is for Florida LLC’s only, and that other entities will need to pay a filing fee of $8.75.