What the certificate proves, and what it doesn't
A certificate of status is issued by the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, the office behind Sunbiz. Other states call it a certificate of good standing. It certifies, from the Division's records, that the entity exists under Florida law and that its status is active on the date the certificate is issued.
It doesn't list officers or owners, show the company's address history or say anything about taxes. If the foreign side wants to know who runs the company, that comes from other filings, such as the articles and the latest annual report (see certified copies of corporate documents), or from a resolution or officer's certificate signed before a notary.
Certificate of status vs. a Sunbiz printout
People often send us a printout of their company's Sunbiz detail page. It shows the same "Active" status, but it isn't a certification. Here's how the options compare:
| Sunbiz detail page printout | Certificate of status, ordered online | Certificate of status, ordered with the apostille | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost at the state | Free | $8.75 corporation, $5 LLC | Same certificate fee, plus the $10 apostille fee |
| Format | Web page | PDF emailed to you | Paper certificate issued by the Division |
| Certified? | No | Yes, with a tracking number you can check online | Yes |
| For an apostille | Never | Risky as a printout; see below | Our default |
The Florida Department of State's accepted documents page asks for the original certificate of status previously issued by the Division, not a photocopy, or an apostille request submitted together with a separate certificate of status request and fee. A printed copy of an emailed PDF invites the question of whether it's an original. Ordering the certificate with the apostille avoids the argument and gives you the most recent possible date.
Make sure the company is active first
A certificate of status only helps if it says "active." Look your company up on Sunbiz before you order anything. Note the exact legal name, the six- or twelve-digit document number and the status.
The usual reason a company isn't active is a missed annual report. According to the Division's annual report page, reports for profit corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships filed after May 1 carry a $400 late fee, and entities that still haven't filed are administratively dissolved or revoked in late September. A dissolved company can be reinstated by filing a reinstatement application and paying the reinstatement fee plus every annual report fee due. The Division's fee pages list reinstatement at $600 for a profit corporation and $100 for an LLC, in each case plus the annual reports owed (corporate fees, LLC fees).
Reinstate first, wait until Sunbiz shows the company as active, and only then order the certificate.
Ordering online from Sunbiz
This is the fastest way to get a certificate in hand, and it's the right choice when the foreign side accepts a PDF or only needs to see the status before the apostilled original arrives.
Find the document number
It's on the Division's notices and on the entity's Sunbiz detail page. The online order works from the number, not the name.
Place the order
On the Division's certificate of status e-file page, start the order, enter the document number and an email address, and pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover credit card, a Visa or MasterCard debit card, or a prepaid Sunbiz e-file account.
Receive the PDF
Once the payment processes, the Division emails the certificate as a PDF, and sends the payment receipt separately. Keep both. The charge appears on card statements as "NIC DOS DIVISION OF CORP."
Let others verify it
A foreign bank can check the certificate with the Division's certificate of status authentication tool. That's useful when you send the PDF by email for a preliminary review.
Ordering by mail
The Division's certificate of status by mail page asks for a written request with the entity's name, its document or registration number, and payment by check or money order payable to the Florida Department of State, in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. The listed fees per certificate are:
- Corporation: $8.75
- LLC: $5.00
- General partnership, LLP, LP or LLLP: $8.75
- Fictitious name registration or renewal: $10.00
Mail goes to the Division's Certification Section; check the mailing address on the Division's site before you send it.
Ordering the certificate and the apostille in one filing
The state lets you submit the certificate request and the apostille request together. When you do it yourself, you send:
- the apostille request form, naming the destination country;
- a written certificate of status request with the entity name and document number;
- two separate checks or money orders payable to the Florida Department of State: one for the certificate fee and one for the $10 apostille fee.
One check for the combined amount is a common reason these requests get delayed. The details of the apostille request are in how to get a Florida apostille.
With us, you skip the paperwork: order online, give us the company name, document number and destination, and we check the entity's status, then file both requests in person in Tallahassee with the separate payments. There's nothing for you to ship.
How recent the certificate needs to be
A certificate of status speaks only for the day it was issued. Foreign banks, notaries and registries often set their own maximum age. Ask for the exact limit, then order the certificate last, after every other document in the file is ready. If the foreign process drags on past the limit, you'll need a new certificate and a new apostille.
Non-Hague destinations make this harder. After the Florida authentication, the document still needs a U.S. Department of State authentication and embassy or consulate legalization, which we don't handle, and every week those steps take counts against the certificate's age. Ask the receiving party how it measures that age before you start.
What usually goes with the certificate
A certificate of status is rarely the only document a foreign bank or registry wants from a Florida company. Expect a request for some or all of these, and plan them in one order so the dates line up:
- Certified articles and amendments from the Division, so the foreign side can see how the company was formed and any name changes. See certified copies of Florida corporate documents.
- A resolution or officer's certificate naming who can sign for the company abroad, signed before a Florida notary in a representative-capacity acknowledgment. Officers who travel can sign through our online notarization add-on ($40 for the first document: a $10 notarization fee plus a $30 technology platform fee; $20 each additional).
- A corporate power of attorney for a local lawyer or manager. See how to prepare a power of attorney for use abroad.
Trading under a different name? The certificate shows the entity's legal name only. A fictitious name has its own certificate of status ($10 at the Division), which the foreign side may want if contracts or invoices use the trade name.
What to have ready
Gather these before you order, whether you file yourself or through us.
- Exact legal name as shown on Sunbiz
- Six- or twelve-digit document number
- Entity type (corporation, LLC, partnership), since fees differ
- Status showing active, with the current annual report filed
- The receiving institution's maximum age for the certificate
- Any companion documents: certified articles, amendments, a notarized resolution
- Destination country, to decide between an apostille and a Florida authentication
What it costs with us
$220 for one document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more. That covers the state's apostille fee, the request form, in-person filing and FedEx inside the U.S. The Division's certificate fee ($8.75 or $5) is separate; we confirm it with you before filing. International shipping is a flat $100 per order, and turnaround is 5–7 business days. For a non-Hague country, the Florida authentication costs the same; read non-Hague authentication for the steps after ours. More on this document: certificate of status apostille.