Glossary
Certificate of good standing
An official state document confirming that a business exists and is in good standing on the date it is issued.
Also called: Certificate of existence, Certificate of status, Certificate of fact.
The search result on your screen is not proof a bank will accept. When someone needs proof, they ask for a certificate issued by the state, usually for a fee and often delivered as a PDF within minutes.
The name varies: certificate of existence, certificate of status and certificate of fact all describe the same idea. Most are dated and go stale quickly, so recipients often want one issued in the last 30 to 90 days.
You typically need one to open a business bank account, take a loan, sell the company or register it in another state.
Where you'll see it in a business search
As an "order certificate" link on a business record, or in the state’s online services menu.