Florida Certificate of Status: Order and Verify It on Sunbiz

A Florida certificate of status is an official statement about an entity's status in the Division of Corporations' records. For a Florida LLC, the state fee is $5. You can order it directly through Sunbiz. Confirm the receiving organization's requirements before paying: a certificate of status, a certified copy of Articles, and a business-record printout serve different purposes.

What the certificate tells you

Florida's LLC filing instructions explain that the certificate establishes the LLC's recorded status and existence and confirms payment of fees due to that office through a specified date. The state identifies it as an optional document when forming an LLC.

Read that scope carefully. It is not a statement that every tax has been paid to every agency, that the business has all necessary operating licenses, or that it can repay a loan. It also does not replace reviewing the actual terms of a contract. Use the certificate for the state-status question it answers.

If a bank, customer, or another jurisdiction asks for a “certificate of good standing,” clarify whether Florida's certificate of status satisfies the request. Ask how recent it must be and whether an electronic PDF is accepted. The recipient's answer can prevent buying the wrong document or ordering too early.

Check the fee and document type

The Division's certificate fee schedule lists $5 for an LLC and $8.75 for a corporation. Entity type matters: do not assume every Florida registration uses the LLC price. Any charge from a private assistance service is separate from the state fee.

A certified copy is different. For an LLC, Florida lists a $30 optional certified copy of Articles of Organization. That document verifies that the copy matches the filed record; it does not serve the same purpose as a current status certificate. See the official explanation of both documents.

Example: a request says “current status certificate plus certified Articles.” Those are two requested items, not two descriptions of one PDF. Confirm the wording with the recipient and budget for the documents actually required. Our Florida LLC cost guide explains how optional documents differ from formation fees.

Order through the official Sunbiz service

The state's online ordering instructions give this sequence:

1. Locate the entity's Florida document number and confirm that it belongs to the intended business.
2. Select the certificate-ordering link from the official instructions.
3. Enter the 6- or 12-digit document number.
4. Provide an email address you can access and review it for typing errors.
5. Review the request and pay using an accepted payment method.

The state says it emails the certificate as a PDF after payment processes. Keep the payment receipt and the resulting PDF together. If the message does not appear, check the submitted address and spam folder before placing another order. The payment receipt documents a transaction; the certificate is the document to provide to the recipient.

Prefer mail? Follow the written-request instructions, including entity details, the document or registration number, requested document information, and payment. Use the Certification Section address linked on that official page so you are working from current mailing instructions.

Authenticate a certificate you receive

Florida provides a separate Certificate of Status Authentication tool. It asks for the tracking number printed at the bottom of the certificate. This is a certificate-verification step; do not substitute the entity's document number simply because both are identifiers.

• Compare the entity name with the requested business.
• Read the certificate's date and status language.
• Use its tracking number in the official authentication tool.
• Confirm that the date and format meet the recipient's requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Does ordering a certificate fix an inactive LLC?

No. Buying a document is not an annual-report or reinstatement filing. If the underlying record needs attention, identify and address that issue separately. Start with our annual-report guide rather than assuming a certificate order updates the company.

Must I buy one when I form an LLC?

Florida lists it as optional. Order when a specific purpose or recipient requires it. Review our formation checklist to distinguish required filing information from optional documents.

SunbizPro, operated by Aurelian Advisory Group LLC, is independent of the state. You can obtain this certificate directly from Sunbiz without purchasing our services.