North Dakota Certificate of Good Standing

Companies who are registered to do business in North Dakota may periodically require a document called a Certificate of Good Standing. 

 

This document is used in various legal and business scenarios and provides formal evidence that a North Dakota Company is in “good standing” with the state government. It can also show other things, such as complete compliance with applicable requirements of the state, dissolution of a company (or suspension), and more. 

 

The Certificate of Good Standing can be obtained from the Secretary of State’s office after submitting a records order. Upon receipt of your certificate, you will see it has an authorized signature from the Secretary of State and a Seal imprint from the State of North Dakota. 

 

The North Dakota state website has information on fees and forms for making records requests. North Dakota’s online business search can help you research your own records. Keep in mind that you can obtain certified information (such as a Certificate of Good Standing) for entities that aren’t your own as well. For example, you can obtain amendments, original registration (when a company is from out-of-state), conversion, and original articles of formation in a certified collection of filings for all registered companies.

 

If you require a Certificate of Good Standing quickly (such as the next business day), SunDoc can obtain a certificate from the North Dakota Secretary of State’s office on your behalf with an expedited request. 

 

When Do You Need A Certificate Of Good Standing?

 

You may need a Certificate of Good Standing if you're involved in a merger or acquisition, or if you're buying a company outright, or selling yours. The Good Standing certification will form part of the legal documentation of the entity.

 

Typically, applying for a business loan or line of credit will require good standing certification. Tax matters also can require it - note that you can owe taxes and still be in good standing with North Dakota, you just can't be out of compliance with any of the tax process. Certain licensing requirements may also ask for good standing certification.

 

Another frequent need for a Certificate of Good Standing is to register to do business in another state (see how SunDoc Filings can help you with foreign qualification). 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?

 

In some states and jurisdictions, you’ll find that the Certificate of Good Standing is referred to by another name (usually, a “Certificate of Existence” or a “Certificate of Status”). In the State of North Dakota, this document shows several things:

• That a business is compliant with licensing requirements and application corporate rules in the state
• That a business is officially and legally registered to conduct business in the state
• That a business hasn’t been suspended by the Franchise Tax Board (the North Dakota state taxing authority)

 

How To Get Your Good Standing Certificate

 

You can order by mail or personally through the Secretary of State office.

 

Requests presented in person can generally be processed by the second business day, while mailed-in requests take 5-15 business days. North Dakota does offer a Rush service for Good Standing requests.

 

Next Steps

 

Every day, SunDoc makes regular visits to the Secretary of State office for receiving and hand delivering our filing documents. By doing this, we save our clients valuable time. This is because most other companies will only mail in their documents. Allow SunDoc to handle your Certificate of Good Standing request and other routine filings in this expedited manner. 

 

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