Certificates of Good Standing

• Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing
• Check Validation Number

Business entities use certificates of good standing to prove they are incorporated and authorized to do business in Ohio. The good standing status signifies an entity is current with the filing requirements of the secretary of state’s office, as well as being current with the entity’s corporate franchise taxes. During the financing process, banks will often require a certificate of good standing from a business. The secretary of state's online system allows users to request and print a certificate in minutes, saving Ohio businesses valuable time.

Automated Service. Major features include:

• Request an “instant” certification for most Active business entities. Obtain a Certificate of Good Standing.
• View and print out your certificate at your own PC.
• Receive confirmation of your transaction after paying the $5 fee using MasterCard, VISA, Discover or American Express.
• Provide your lending institution or other business entities with the ability to authenticate the certification via our Web site using the validation number (which replaces the Gold Seal in the paper process) found on the certificate itself and carrying the full weight of the law, just as any other certificate provided by the Secretary of State. Validate a Certificate of Good Standing.

Additional Information:

• Certifications are valid for 60 days.
• You may submit up to ten (10) requests in each session.
• Requests for Business Services to print the certificate can be completed via Email by clicking on the "Send to the Secretary of State for Printing" button on the appropriate screen.
• Online Certificates of Good Standing include:
  • Certificates of Good Standing for most foreign and domestic corporations;
  • Full Force & Effect Certificates for Trade Names, Fictitious Names, LLC’s, LP’s and LLP’s.
• Requests for certificates not currently offered online can still be filed with the Secretary of State by submitting the appropriate form to:
  

  Secretary of State, Business Services Division
  P.O. Box 130
  Columbus, OH 43216

  Or deliver to:

  Secretary of State, Business Services Division
  180 E. Broad Street, Suite 103
  Columbus, OH 43215

• Click here to obtain a copy of a Request for Certificate of Good Standing & Copy Request.
• Able to create and use a Prepayment Account for the certification fee.
• For other questions and information, you may call toll free 1-877-SOS-FILE.