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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in District of Columbia

District of Columbia calls it the Certificate of Good Standing (a registered foreign entity receives a Certificate of Registration) and charges $50. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Good Standing (a registered foreign entity receives a Certificate of Registration)
State fee
$50
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
About 5 business days, the general non-expedited online figure. DLCP publishes no separate turnaround for this certificate. Ordered on BOSS under Certificates and Certified Copies, and it appears under Certificates and Filing Images when it is ready
Issuing office
DLCP ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The DLCP will not issue a certificate while you have unpaid tax or an unfiled report. The state-specific requirements are in the points below.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the District of Columbia portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $50 fee. Pay by card at checkout. A small card surcharge usually applies.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.

Would rather not deal with the agency yourself?

CorpNet orders the certificate for you
$69 service fee, plus the District of Columbia state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
Visit site ↗
Full ordering details for District of Columbia

D.C. Code Section 29-102.08 splits the document by entity type: a domestic filing entity gets a certificate of good standing, a registered foreign entity gets a certificate of registration. The fee is $50 either way. The certificate states that fees and penalties owed to the District are paid, that the most recent biennial report has been delivered, and that no dissolution proceeding is pending, so an unfiled BRA-25 stops it being issued. Corporations Division does not issue a Certificate of Clean Hands; that comes from the Office of Tax and Revenue and is a different document that District agencies ask for. A trade name cannot get a good standing certificate.

Processing and expedited tiers: About 5 business days, the general non-expedited online figure. DLCP publishes no separate turnaround for this certificate. Ordered on BOSS under Certificates and Certified Copies, and it appears under Certificates and Filing Images when it is ready

Important to know about District of Columbia

  • An outstanding biennial report blocks the certificate. Section 29-102.08(b)(5) requires the certificate to state that the most recent BRA-25 has been delivered.
  • A Certificate of Clean Hands is a different document from a different agency. Landlords, lenders and District agencies often ask for it by name and DLCP does not issue it.
  • A registered foreign entity does not receive a document titled Certificate of Good Standing. It receives a Certificate of Registration, which is the same proof under a different name.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from District of Columbia is what the new state asks for when your District of Columbia LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into District of Columbia instead?

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the DLCP before ordering.