The Names and Uses of Certificate of Existence and Status Certificate in Different U.S. States
The official names for a company’s Certificate of Good Standing (also known as a Certificate of Status or Certificate of Existence) vary slightly across different U.S. states. However, these documents serve the same purpose: to certify that a business is legally active, in compliance with state regulations, and has no outstanding issues. Below are the commonly used terms in different states (some states may have slight variations depending on the type of business entity):
- Alabama：Certificate of Compliance（Some entities are also called Certificate of Existence）
- Alaska：Certificate of Compliance或Certificate of Good Standing
- Arizona：Certificate of Good Standing
- Arkansas：Certificate of Good Standing
- California：Certificate of Status
- Colorado：Certificate of Good Standing
- Connecticut：Certificate of Legal Existence
- Delaware：Certificate of Good Standing
- District of Columbia (Washington DC)：Certificate of Good Standing
- Florida：Certificate of Status
- Georgia：Certificate of Existence
- Hawaii：Certificate of Good Standing
- Idaho：Certificate of Existence
- Illinois：Certificate of Good Standing
- Indiana：Certificate of Existence
- Iowa：Certificate of Existence
- Kansas：Certificate of Good Standing
- Kentucky：Certificate of Existence
- Louisiana：Certificate of Good Standing
- Maine：Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Existence
- Maryland：Certificate of Status
- Massachusetts：Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Status
- Michigan：Certificate of Good Standing
- Minnesota：Certificate of Good Standing
- Mississippi：Certificate of Good Standing
- Missouri：Certificate of Good Standing
- Montana：Certificate of Good Standing
- Nebraska：Certificate of Good Standing
- Nevada：Certificate of Good Standing
- New Hampshire：Certificate of Good Standing
- New Jersey：Certificate of Standing
- New Mexico：Certificate of Good Standing
- New York：Certificate of Status
- North Carolina：Certificate of Existence
- North Dakota：Certificate of Good Standing
- Ohio：Certificate of Good Standing（Certificate of Existence）
- Oklahoma：Certificate of Good Standing
- Oregon：Certificate of Existence
- Pennsylvania：Subsistence Certificate（For local companies）或Good Standing Certificate（For foreign companies）
- Rhode Island：Letter of Good Standing
- South Carolina：Certificate of Existence
- South Dakota：Certificate of Good Standing
- Tennessee：Certificate of Existence
- Texas：Certificate of Fact – Status
- Utah：Certificate of Existence
- Vermont：Certificate of Good Standing
- Virginia：Certificate of Good Standing
- Washington：Certificate of Existence
- West Virginia：Certificate of Existence
- Wisconsin：Certificate of Status
- Wyoming：Certificate of Good Standing
In summary, different states have different official document titles for the existence (good condition) of companies, and the most common English names include:
- Certificate of Good Standing
- Certificate of Status
- Certificate of Existence
- （Minority use）Certificate of Compliance、Certificate of Legal Existence、Certificate of Fact – Status、Letter of Good Standing、Subsistence Certificate等。
When using, please refer to the official requirements of the target state and the website or registry information of the Secretary of State’s office.
These certificates—whether called a Certificate of Good Standing, Certificate of Status, Certificate of Existence, or other similar names—serve the same general purpose: to confirm that a company is legally compliant and in good standing within a given state. Typically, these documents verify that the business:
- Has been properly registered in the state and remains legally active (i.e., it has not been dissolved, revoked, or suspended).
- Has no significant outstanding issues related to tax filings, annual reports, or other statutory obligations.
In short, these certificates serve as official proof that a company is “active and in good standing” within its state of registration. They are often required for business transactions, bidding on contracts, securing financing, opening bank accounts, and signing agreements.
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