How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in the District of Columbia

When you own a business, you’ll occasionally need to provide evidence that your entity is in compliance with state, federal, or industry requirements. One such form of proof is known as a certificate of good standing, which shows your business is compliant with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP). You could be asked to provide one if you’re looking for investors or opening a business bank account.

This guide covers the steps to follow to get your DC certificate of good standing and what to do if your business has lost its good standing status with the district.

What is a certificate of good standing?

A certificate of good standing is an official document confirming that your business or professional license is active and compliant in the District of Columbia. Some states also call this document a certificate of existence or certificate of status.

In many states, certificates of good standing are issued by the Secretary of State. Since the district has no Secretary of State, good standing certificates are handled by the DLCP.

There are many reasons why you might be asked to provide a certificate of good standing, but here are a few of the most common:

• Securing a business bank account, loan or line of credit. Banks and lenders routinely ask for one before approval to verify your entity is active and compliant.
• Registering your business in another state. Most states require a good standing certificate as part of the foreign qualification process.
• Seeking investors. Investors will likely request the certificate before they’ll commit to the investment.

How to check whether your business is in good standing

Before you pay for a certificate, confirm your business is actually eligible to receive one. If there's a compliance issue blocking your request—such as an overdue biennial report, unpaid fees, or a lapsed registered agent—the DLCP won't issue the certificate until you fix it.

The DLCP provides a public search tool you can use to check your status. Use the business search function, which is accessible without a user account. Search by legal name or District file number.

The search results page for your business will show “Active - in good standing” if your business is eligible to receive a certificate.

Common reasons a business loses good standing, and how to fix it

Here are the most common reasons for loss of good standing status.

• Missed biennial report: This is the most common reason. Every entity registered in the district must file a biennial report to maintain active status. If you miss the late filing deadline, you risk administrative dissolution. You must file your overdue report and pay the late fee (plus the standard filing fee) to restore your status.
• Unpaid fees or penalties: Outstanding fees will block your certificate even if your most recent report is on file. Review your entity's outstanding balance, and pay everything before requesting the certificate.
• No registered agent on file: Every registered business entity in the district must maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in the district at all times. A P.O. box won't cut it. Staying current on your registered agent requirements is one of the simplest ways to protect your active status. And, if you don’t have a registered agent, you can hire LegalZoom to act as your registered agent.

If your entity has been administratively dissolved, catching up on compliance alone won't restore it. Reinstatement requires filing for reinstatement in addition to paying all fees and penalties due at dissolution, all fees that would have accrued during the dissolution period, and all missing biennial reports.

How to get your District of Columbia good standing certificate

1. Log in to CorpOnline: You'll need to create an Access DC account; if you don't already have one..
2. Select "Certificates & Certified Copies”. Then, "Good Standing Certificate.”.
3. Search for your entity. Search by legal name or DC file number and select your entity from the results.
4. Submit payment. Pay the $50 fee by credit card or e-check. You'll get an instant receipt confirming your order.
5. Download your certificate. Retrieve it from your "Certificates and Filing Images" tab within CorpOnline.

How LegalZoom can help

LegalZoom’s compliance services can take a number of tasks off of your hands, from filing annual reports to serving as your registered agent. Our certificate of good standing service can get your business’ quickly, and if your filing is rejected or incorrect due to our error, we'll correct it with the government agency at no additional cost to you.

If you need to get your business back into good standing first, our reinstatement management service will help you draw up a roadmap and manage ongoing compliance deadlines so you don’t fall out of good standing again.

District of Columbia certificate of good standing FAQs

How long does a certificate of good standing remain valid?

District certificates carry no printed expiration date, but the requesting party typically imposes its own recency requirement, commonly 60 to 90 days. Confirm the acceptable timeframe with whoever is requesting the certificate before you order.

What happens if I need a District of Columbia certificate of good standing urgently?

When you order online, you receive the certificate immediately upon payment, which is already the fastest option for most situations.