In Florida the document people mean by good standing is the Certificate of Status. The Division of Corporations at the Florida Department of State issues it, and almost everyone knows that office as Sunbiz. The certificate confirms the entity's status on the Division's record when it is issued.
This page sticks to that certificate. The Florida office guide covers search, formation fees and contacts.
Florida Certificate of Status fees
The fee depends on the entity type. The Division's FAQ lists $5.00 for an LLC and $8.75 for a corporation or a limited partnership. A fictitious name has its own certificate of status, at $10.
| What the state calls it | Certificate of Status (dos.fl.gov, checked ) |
|---|---|
| Fee | $8.75 (dos.fl.gov, checked ) |
| Where to order | dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/manage-business/certification/status-by-mail (dos.fl.gov, checked ) |
The Division also explains how to request the certificate by mail on its status by mail page, linked in the table. Put the exact entity name and document number on the request, so it matches the record.
Check the Sunbiz record first
Before you pay, look the company up on Sunbiz and read the status. Active is the only status that gives you a certificate showing the company as active. Every inactive code means something has ended or been stopped, and the code tells you what.
Every status word Florida uses is explained in our Florida office guide.
Administratively Dissolved is the one most owners run into. It means the annual report was never filed. A foreign company in the same position shows Administratively Revoked. Inactive/MG and Inactive/CV point to a merger or a conversion, and Inactive/UA means the name is still held after the entity ended.
The annual report decides your status
Every active Florida company files an annual report between January 1 and May 1. An LLC pays $138.75 and a for profit corporation pays $150. After May 1, for profit corporations, LLCs, LPs and LLLPs owe a $400 late fee as well. If the report never arrives, the Division dissolves or revokes the entity.
So the order of steps is simple. File the annual report, wait for it to post, and only then request the certificate. Reports filed online by card post within 24 hours in normal periods, with a daily batch at 6 pm Eastern.
Fixing a dissolved Florida company
A company that was administratively dissolved or revoked goes back to active through a reinstatement filed with the Division. The Division's status terms page says a reinstatement returns the entity to active. Fees for reinstatement were not in our sources, so check the Sunbiz reinstatement page before you file. Once the record reads Active, order the Certificate of Status.
Who asks for Florida proof
Banks, lenders, buyers of a business and agencies that award contracts often ask for a recent Certificate of Status. Another state may also want one before it registers your Florida company there. For other states' names and fees, see our certificate of good standing guide.
Sources
- dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/forms/fees/: good standing certificate, certificate fee. Checked .
- dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/manage-business/certification/status-by-mail/: certificate ordering. Checked .