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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Kentucky

Kentucky calls it the Certificate of Existence and charges $10. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Existence
State fee
$10
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Kentucky charges $10 for a certificate of existence or authorization whether it is ordered online, by post or by fax. The Secretary of State does not say the online order is issued immediately, and the only certificate control on the business entity search is a print and mail request generator with no payment step, so treat it as processed by staff. No turnaround is published for certificate requests. The one figure the office does publish covers business filings generally, usually same day received and up to three business days
Issuing office
Kentucky SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The Kentucky SOS 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 Kentucky portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $10 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 Kentucky state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
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Full ordering details for Kentucky

Kentucky calls this document the Certificate of Existence (for domestic entities) or Certificate of Authorization (for foreign entities). Order online through FastTrack or the Kentucky Business One Stop Portal, or by mail/fax for the same $10 fee. Copies of filed documents are $5 for the first 5 pages plus $0.50 per additional page; certified copies are $10 for the first 5 pages plus $0.50 per additional page, the extra $5 being the certificate itself.

Processing and expedited tiers: Kentucky charges $10 for a certificate of existence or authorization whether it is ordered online, by post or by fax. The Secretary of State does not say the online order is issued immediately, and the only certificate control on the business entity search is a print and mail request generator with no payment step, so treat it as processed by staff. No turnaround is published for certificate requests. The one figure the office does publish covers business filings generally, usually same day received and up to three business days

Important to know about Kentucky

  • The Kentucky annual report ($15, due June 30) is inexpensive but is one of the most commonly missed, because of the mid-year deadline. Miss it and the LLC enters "bad standing" and faces a $100 reinstatement penalty.
  • The SOS Certificate of Existence does state that fees, taxes and penalties owed to the Commonwealth are paid, but only where that payment shows in Secretary of State records and where non-payment would affect the entity's existence. It does not confirm Department of Revenue compliance on income, sales or withholding tax. That is a separate Letter of Good Standing, which the DOR issues through the Secretary of State and which reinstatement requires.
  • As of 2026 the Kentucky individual income tax rate is 3.5% (down from 4% in 2025). This applies to LLC members as pass-through income but does not affect Certificate of Existence eligibility.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from Kentucky is what the new state asks for when your Kentucky 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 Kentucky instead?

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available Kentucky Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Kentucky SOS before ordering.