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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Virginia

Virginia calls it the Certificate of Fact of Existence and charges $6. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Fact of Existence
State fee
$6
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Downloaded instantly from the Clerk's Information System at $6. The Clerk's Office also takes written requests by post at the same $6 but publishes no turnaround for them. Its expedited service, $50 or $100 for next business day and $200 for same business day, is for filings submitted online and does not apply to a certificate order
Issuing office
Virginia SCC ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. The Virginia SCC 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 Virginia portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $6 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 Virginia 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 Virginia

Virginia charges $6, which is inexpensive but not the lowest: Colorado and Wyoming issue theirs online free. It is issued by the State Corporation Commission, not by a Secretary of State. VIRGINIA DOES NOT ISSUE A GOOD STANDING CERTIFICATE TO AN LLC: the SCC restricts that document to corporations and gives an LLC a "Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration" instead, at the same $6. Order through the Clerk's Information System at cis.scc.virginia.gov, where it downloads within seconds of payment. Ordering on paper instead adds per-page copy charges, $10 for 26 to 50 pages and $20 above that. The $50 annual registration fee must be current, due by the last day of the anniversary month; missing it for three months automatically cancels the LLC's existence under Virginia law.

Processing and expedited tiers: Downloaded instantly from the Clerk's Information System at $6. The Clerk's Office also takes written requests by post at the same $6 but publishes no turnaround for them. Its expedited service, $50 or $100 for next business day and $200 for same business day, is for filings submitted online and does not apply to a certificate order

Important to know about Virginia

  • Virginia uses the STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION (SCC), not Secretary of State - unusual. Orders go through cis.scc.virginia.gov, not a state SOS site.
  • For LLCs, the certificate is officially called "Certificate of Fact of Existence/Registration" - not "Certificate of Good Standing". Some out-of-state receiving parties may not recognize this terminology; explain that it is the Virginia equivalent.
  • There is no expedite option to buy for this certificate. The SCC does run a paid expedited service for business entity filings, but certificates of fact, including good standing and existence, are expressly excluded from it. The certificate is downloaded through SCC eFile.
  • VA LLCs do NOT file annual reports (only corporations do). Good standing requires paying the $50 annual registration fee by the last day of the anniversary month. Missing the deadline triggers a $25 late penalty.
  • If the annual fee is unpaid for 3 months, LLC existence is automatically cancelled by operation of law - no notice or court action required. Reinstatement requires filing all overdue fees plus reinstatement fees.

Ordering this to register in another state?

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

Related guides

This page provides general information based on publicly available Virginia State Corporation Commission requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Virginia SCC before ordering.