UPDATED DECEMBER 1, 2020

Delaware certificates of good standing are issued by the Office of Delaware Secretary of State. 

A certificate of good standing (also known as "certificate of legal existence", "certificate of status", or "certificate under seal") is a document issued by Delaware State as conclusive evidence that a company is in existence, that the company is authorized to conduct business in the State of Delaware, and that the company is in compliance with all state required formalities. If your company was incorporated/organized in the State of Delaware and is conducting or plans to conduct business overseas, this document will be required by foreign authorities, to prove that your company has valid legal existence.

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What does a Delaware Certificate of good standing look like?

You can check the status of your company online, however, if you need the official Certificate of good standing with an apostille or a foreign embassy seal, the online report will not do. The certificates intended for foreign use have to be original and bear a gold seal of the State of the Delaware Secretary of State.

There are two forms of Certificate of Good Standing in Delaware. A short form lists the incorporation date, good standing status for a corporation or LLC and whether taxes are current for a corporation or LLC. Usually short form is sufficient to prove that the company is in good standing. A long form has more information: in addition to the incorporation date and good standing status, it states all documents that have been filed, including the dates and times and any name changes that occurred along with the status at the time the certificate is issued

This short form Certificate of Good Standing reads:

 Then, the signature of the Secretary of State is authenticated by an apostille.

In Delaware, as in all states of the United States of America, an apostille is a separate page attached to the document. It is attached by a staple. As required by the Hague convention, each apostille has the title "Apostille", the reference to the Hague Convention, and the following ten items: (1) country where the apostille is being issued ("United States of America"); (2) name of the official (whose signature is being certified by an apostille, in the image above it is "Jeffery W. Bullock"; (3) the position or capasity of this official ("Secretary of State of Delaware"); (4) name of of the seal on the attached document ("Secretary of State, Delaware", (5) name of the city where the apostille is being issued ("Dover, Delaware"); (6) the date when the apostille is being issued; (7) position of the official person who signed the apostille ("Secretary of State"; (8) consecutive number of the apostille (in the image above it is "203198933"; (9) the seal of the apostille issuing agency (the seal of the Delaware Secretary of State, this seal is gold); (10) signature. Read more about Delaware apostille guidelines and tips.

Please note: In order to obtain a Certificate of Good Standing for your Delaware company, it must be current with all annual fees.

You have an original Certificate of Good Standing from Delaware, and just need an apostille or foreign embassy legalization? Email a copy of your document for a free evaluation

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