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

Florida's Certificate of Status costs $5.00 for an LLC and $8.75 for a corporation. Sunbiz online ordering can produce the certificate electronically; paper or certified delivery adds mailing time. The certificate confirms Division status and does not establish Florida tax compliance or a business license.

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Certified records

Charter and filing copies

Florida corporate certified copies cost $8.75 for mail-in requests or, for in-person requests, $8.75 for the first eight pages plus $1.00 per additional page, capped at $52.50. LLC certified copy is $30.00 under the Sunbiz LLC fee table. Mail-in corporate photocopies are $10.00 flat, while in-person photocopies are $1.00 per page.

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.

Florida apostilles/authentications are handled by the Department of State, Division of Corporations authentication service. Use https://dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/certificates/apostille/ and submit the certified Florida record, destination country, payment, and delivery instructions. The current fee and turnaround depend on the document/service path; confirm the live schedule before filing. An apostille authenticates the official signature/seal, not the entity's substantive facts.

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.