Document services desk

Order the proof your next transaction will ask for.

A certificate of status, a certified charter copy, and an apostille each prove something different. Select the document that matches the receiving party’s requirement.

Certificate of status

Good standing / existence

CorpOnline provides Certificates of Good Standing/Status through the DLCP Corporations Division. The current public fee materials list approximately $50.00 for an LLC or for-profit corporation status certificate; the entity must be current on BRA-25 reports and agent information. Online certificates may be downloaded or printed after payment; paper service adds delivery time.

Open certificate service ↗

Certified records

Charter and filing copies

DC certified-copy charges are determined by the DLCP corporate fee schedule and document type. The reviewed public pages did not expose one universal flat-plus-per-page formula for every entity record; request the document through CorpOnline and select certified treatment. The copy fee is distinct from the $50 status-certificate fee.

Ask the recipient whether it needs a plain copy, a certified copy, a long-form certificate, or a certificate of authority.

Choose the evidence

The document request should follow the transaction.

A certificate of good standing or existence typically confirms that the entity appears active or current in the state registry at the time the certificate is issued. It may be needed to open a bank account, qualify in another state, satisfy a lender, complete a merger, or support a commercial contract.

A certified copy reproduces a filed public instrument with the agency’s certification. This is the appropriate request when the receiving party needs to review the entity’s formation document, a charter amendment, a conversion, a merger, or a dissolution instrument.

Neither document should be casually described as tax clearance. A state registry certificate may not establish that the entity has paid franchise, income, employment, sales, use, local, or industry-specific taxes.

International use

Apostille path, without the guesswork.

DC apostilles are handled by the DC Office of the Secretary/authentication service for eligible District public records, not by the federal Secretary of State. Use the District authentication instructions and submit a certified DLCP record, destination country, payment, and return instructions. The reviewed corporate pages did not establish a single current 2026 fee and turnaround for all documents; verify the current service page before filing.

01 · Confirm destination

Ask the receiving authority whether it requires an apostille, authentication, legalization, translation, or a recently issued certificate.

02 · Certify first

Many state authentication offices require a qualifying certified document before they can authenticate the signature or seal.

03 · Preserve the chain

Keep the original certificate, apostille, receipt, delivery record, and any translation together in the transaction file.

Before you pay for a document

Confirm the exact legal name and entity ID in the live public record.
Check whether the status is active and whether a delinquent report must be filed first.
Identify the required date window; some recipients will reject an older certificate.
Choose electronic delivery only if the recipient accepts a digital document.
Confirm whether the document must be certified, notarized, apostilled, or translated.

When the transaction is material, order the document directly from the designated agency or through its official system. Commercial document vendors may add a service fee for an item that the state makes available directly.