Although there is no obligation after your Kentuck LLC company is formed, you can instantly obtain the "Certificate of Existence / Authorization" online from the state website for only $ 10.
In some comments, questions are raised about the "Article of Organization", that is, the company incorporation certificate given when the Kentucky LLC was established, was unsigned. This unsigned document is already available for download from the state website. and has validity. However, if you still insist on it being signed, you can get the version approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for around $10. You can even have this document apostilled (notarized) so that it is valid in your country. online within a few days by paying to MycompanyWorks .
This document declares that your company is active and in good standing, signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, when you receive the document, a certificate number is assigned to you, with which you can query and verify the certificate online.
First of all, the certificate of good standing (also called the certificate of good standing) is not mandatory for a Kentuck LLC, so you do not have to have this certificate, but if you want to get it, it can be easily obtained online from the Kentucky state website by paying $10. You can receive it in PDF format.
First of all, what is a certificate of good standing? Let's answer this question and then detail how to get one.
What is a Good Reputation Certificate?
A certificate of good standing is an official document signed by the secretary of state that certifies that a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation has been legally formed and is active and does not owe any money to the state.
How Do I Get a Certificate of Good Standing for a Kentucky LLC?
You can obtain your certificate of good standing, known as the Certificate of Existence in Kentucky, by requesting it from the Department of State. There are two ways to get your good standing certificate;
- You can get it online from the state website
- You can get it by filling out a form and mailing it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Why is a Good Reputation Certificate Needed?
Although it is not necessary, it may be needed for a few reasons.
- The insurance company may request this document to insure your company.
- When applying for a loan for your business
- The bank may request it when you are physically present in that state and when opening a physical bank account
- To do business in other states, those states may require
- In cases where you arbitrarily want to have a signed document proving that your company is active
You may need these for general purposes, or you can get them when needed for a different situation. Of course, if your company is in good standing and is eligible to receive this document, it will be given to you, otherwise it may not be given. For example, you don't get this if you don't file annually ($15).
How Do I Get a Good Reputation Certificate?
Simply go to the state website at this link and search for your company by typing your company name.
Once you find your company in the list, click on it
After clicking on your company, click on the "Certificates" button in the top menus and click on the "Certificate of Existence / Authorization" link at the bottom.
Enter the information for which entity or state the document will be created in the relevant field, and then proceed to the payment page by clicking the Pay using credit card or EFT button.
Make your payment with your credit card or electronic transfer
In the next step, you will see a form where you will need to enter your card information, address and some personal information.
You can send your certificate application by filling out the form completely and paying $10. After payment, this page welcomes you.
If your company is in good standing and there is no obstacle to obtaining this document, a document similar to the example below will be instantly given to you online. (Link as PDF)
The certificate below is a screenshot of the original document I obtained for my company for $10. I have hidden the company name and certificate ID for security purposes.
We mentioned that you can also apply for the original signed version of this document by mail. Details for this and other forms at this link .
What does this certificate say?
I, Michael G. Adams, Secretary of State of Kentucky,
hereby declare that, according to records in the Department of State,
XXX XXX, LLC is a limited liability company duly organized and existing under KRS Chapter 14A. The company, whose incorporation date is April 19, 2021, is KRS Chapter 275, permanent.
I also certify that all fees and fines have been paid, although they are not owed to the Secretary of State.
The company is paid; that articles of termination were not filed; and the most recent annual
report required by KRS 14A.6-010 has been submitted to the Secretary of State.
IN WITNESS, I have approved and affixed my Official Seal.
Digitally Verifying the Certificate
When you receive this document, you will see a 6-digit "Authentication number" at the top. Right below you will see the line “To verify the identity of this certificate, visit https://web.sos.ky.gov/ftshow/certvalidate.aspx.”
When you click the link, you will see a verification page like below.
When you type your 6-digit certificate ID in the form line above and search, you will see the page verifying your certificate. On this page, you are given the company name, certificate issuance date and a link to download the certificate.
In this way, the institution to which you will issue the document can easily verify that the certificate was issued by the state and is correct.
Does the Good Reputation Certificate have an expiration date?
There is no deadline, but since the institution that requests it from you will always want the updated version of it, even if you get it now, if you do not pay the next state filing fee of $15, your company will not be in good shape and you will not be able to get this document when they ask you again. In other words, a good standing certificate is a document that can be obtained depending on the situation and creates a need based on demand.
Do I Have to Get a Good Reputation Certificate?
No, it is not necessary to obtain it unless requested, it is not a document that will prevent your company from remaining open. It only makes sense to take it if it's requested of you in some way.
Can I Buy Digitally?
Yes, it is available, the state website legally gives it to you digitally and you can download and print it. When you give the digital version to an institution that requests it, it can confirm its authenticity from external affairs.
Conclusion: It is not a document that should be bought and kept unless you need it. It is not necessary to buy it. An institution, a bank, a company, an entity you do business with, etc. etc. If you want, you can buy it online from the state website for $10.
4 Comments . New Comment
Hello, in the state of Wyoming, https://wyobiz.wyo.gov/Business/ViewCertificate.aspx is also considered a certificate of good standing, right? Certificates of Good Standing is obvious from the name of the certificate, but since it is free in Wyoming, I thought I would ask to be sure :)
Hello,
Yes, that's correct. A certificate of good standing is issued free of charge to the state of Wyoming.
I'm confused because you wrote about the apostille service first, now what is the difference between this apostille service and the certificate we will get from the Kentucky gov website? There is also a shipping address on the Apostille website, I think they send the document. Which should we do just for a good reputation certificate?
Apostille and the good standing certificate mentioned in this article are two different things. Apostille is the international validity of a document.
Apostille means notary, which means you can have this document (certificate) apostilled if you want. It's meant to be valid in Türkiye as well, but it's not necessary. If you read the article again, you will understand.