Delaware Good Standing Certificate: how to get one and when you need it

What the Certificate of Good Standing certifies

The Delaware Division of Corporations issues the Certificate of Good Standing as proof that the entity:

• Currently exists in Delaware records (not cancelled, not dissolved).
• Is current on Delaware franchise tax payments (LLCs $300/year, Corps variable).
• Has filed any required annual report (Corps only; LLCs do not file annual reports).
• Has a registered agent of record in Delaware.

The Certificate is issued for a specific date and is typically considered valid for 30-90 days depending on the requesting party's policy.

When you need a Certificate of Good Standing

• Foreign qualification. Required by most US states when registering a Delaware LLC to do business in another state.
• Bank account applications. Some banks request a Good Standing Certificate during account opening, especially for non-resident-owned LLCs or larger account profiles.
• Counterparty due diligence. US enterprise contracts may require proof of good standing as part of vendor onboarding.
• Apostille for international use. Foreign governments and counterparties may require apostille certification of the Good Standing Certificate.
• Loan or financing applications. Lenders typically require Good Standing as part of underwriting.

How to order a Certificate of Good Standing

Three paths:

• Online via corp.delaware.gov. Request through the Division of Corporations portal. $50 standard processing (1-2 weeks). $100 expedited (24-hour). $200 expedited (same-day).
• Through your registered agent. Delewarellc and other registered agents handle Good Standing Certificate requests on behalf of customers, typically with a small service fee on top of the state fee.
• By mail. Mail request with check to Division of Corporations. Slowest path.

Apostille certification for international use

For use outside the United States (proving entity existence to a foreign government, foreign bank, or foreign counterparty), the Good Standing Certificate often needs apostille certification under the Hague Convention. The apostille is issued by the Delaware Secretary of State at $30 per document.

The apostille certification authenticates the underlying certificate as a genuine Delaware document. Both the underlying Certificate of Good Standing AND the apostille must be issued; order both.

Validity period

A Good Standing Certificate is dated as of the issuance date. Most requesting parties accept Certificates issued within the past 30-90 days. For ongoing situations (multi-state foreign qualification, multiple bank applications), order one Certificate and use it across multiple uses within its validity window rather than ordering separately each time.