Michigan Certificate of Good Standing

For a number of legal or business reasons, companies that are registered to conduct business in Michigan may need to prove this fact officially with a document called a Certificate of Good Standing. 

This document will be issued by Secretary of State of Michigan upon submittal of a records order. Once you receive the document, it will prove that your business is legally allowed to conduct business in Michigan State and that you are in compliance with all state requirements that apply to your business.

When you receive the document, you’ll also notice that it has an authorized signature from the Michigan Secretary of State and an imprint of the Michigan State Seal. 

This same status request can certify other things such as a business that has previously been suspended or dissolved. Similarly, you can use the same status request to find out information about a business you don’t own. This information may be anything from the certified original registration of a business that is from out of state, the original articles of formation, amendments, conversion, and more. You can order a certified collection of these filings as long as they are on record for the entity you are looking for.

Check at the Michigan state website to find out about fees and additional information on forms to request records with. Use the online business search with the State of Michigan to do your records research. 

And finally, if you want your certificate faster (next business day), talk to us! SunDoc can always expedite your order. 

When Do You Need A Certificate Of Good Standing?

There are several reasons you may need a Certificate of Good Standing. First, if you plan to buy a new business or sell your business, you’ll need a good standing certificate. It’s also necessary for mergers and acquisitions. The certificate will be an essential part of your legal documentation.

Additionally, if you plan to apply for a line of credit, you may need a Certificate of Good Standing. It’s also essential for doing business in a state other than Michigan. This process is called foreign qualification. SunDoc would be happy to help you with your foreign qualification. 

Finally, some licensing requirements may need certification of good standing, and some tax situations may require it as well. Remember that you cannot be out of compliance with the tax process, but you can still owe some taxes and be considered in good standing with the State of Michigan.

You will have to determine your full documentation requirements, including expirations. Some states for example require certified status to be less than 30 days old, while some allow 60 days. 

Certificate Of Good Standing Or Certificate Of Status?

Some jurisdictions will refer to the Certificate of Good Standing as the Certificate of Existence or the Certificate of Status. In Michigan, the certificate shows that an entity is registered to do business within Michigan and that the business is currently in compliance with applicable licensing requirements and corporate rules. Finally, it shows that the entity has not been suspended by the Franchise Tax Board, the state taxing authority.

How To Get Your Good Standing Certificate

Currently Michigan doesn’t offer a way to order a Certificate of Good Standing electronically. You can only order by mail or personally through the local office.

In-person orders can usually be processed by the 2nd business day, but requests that are mailed in usually take 5 to 15 business days. Michigan does offer a Rush service for Good Standing requests.

Next Steps

SunDoc Filings can handle your Good Standing request, as with all of your company filings. All of our routine filings on your behalf are expedited in this way, saving valuable time over other companies that typically mail in forms.

To talk to a live voice for immediate assistance call us toll-free during business hours at 1-888-595-2747.