HOW TO GET CERTIFIED COPIES OF ANY BUSINESS DOCUMENT ONLINE

A Certified Copy is a copy of a Business Document which has been filed with the Secretary of State.  A Certified Copy includes an endorsement, stamp or certificate which states that the Document is a true copy of the originally filed Business Document.  A Certified Copy is normally a photocopy of the Business Document. 

A Certified Copy bears the signature of a representative of the issuing agency.  In the case of Corporate Documents this is usually the Secretary of State. 

When the Secretary of State issues a Certified Copy of a Business Document, this means that the Certified Copy is a true, accurate and valid copy of the Document that the Secretary of State has on file.

Click on any state in the list below to order a Certified Copy of any document for that state

A Plain Copy of a Business Document is just what the name implies.  It is simply a photocopy of a Business Document which has been filed with the Secretary of State.  There are no stamps or seals on a Plain Copy of a Business Document.

Businesses often need a Certified Copy of a Corporate Document for bank loans, tax purposes, foreign qualification, or to replace original Corporate Documents that were lost or destroyed.  If you are responsible for maintaining the Company records for a Corporation or LLC it is important to retain on file Certified Copies of Business Documents which bear the stamp or seal of the Secretary of State or other state department respnsible for maintaing business records in a state.

It is especially important to maintain Certified Copies of your Formation Documents (Articles of Incorporation for a Corporation or Articles of Organization for a LLC).

A Corporation or LLC which is registered in one state and wants to do business in another state must first qualify as a "Foreign Corporation" or "Foreign LLC" in the state in which it wants to do business.  For example, a Corporation that is registered in California wants to do business in Florida.  The California Corporation must qualify as a Florida Foreign Corporation.  In order to successfully register as a Foreign Corporation or LLC, some states require a Certified Copy of the formation documents, usually called Articles of Incorporation for a Corporation or Articles of Organization for an LLC, from the registering Business. 

The Secretary of State issues a Good Standing Certificate, sometimes called a Certificate of Existence, to Corporations and LLCs which are up to date with all administrative requirements.

The Secretary of State will Certify any Business Document which has been filed with the Secretary's office.  On the other hand, the Secetary of State generally does not Certify Documents which are issued by the Secretary's office.

So, no the Secretary of State will not Certify a Good Standing Certificate or any other document which is issued by the Secretary's office.

The time it takes to get a Certified Copy of a Business Document varies from state to state. Choose your state from the list above to see more detail on the time it takes to get a Certified Copy in that state.

State fees for a Certified Copy of a Business Document vary from state to state. Click on any state in the list above to see the total cost of a Certified Copy from that state