Overview
A Certificate of Status evidencing the existence of a corporation or other business entity (also referred to as a Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Existence) may be obtained by submitting a written request to the New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12231. For statutory provisions: Executive Law §96
Written Request
A Certificate of Status may be obtained by submitting a written request to:
New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations
One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12231
The written request must include the following information:
- A specific statement requesting a Certificate of Status.
- The exact name of the corporation or business entity.
- The Department of State ID number or the exact date of formation or authorization, if known.
- A statement as to whether the request is for routine processing or expedited processing.
- The mailing address where the Certificate of Status is to be mailed.
Submitting Your Written Request
Mail or Hand Deliver:
The written request with the required fee may be mailed or hand delivered to:
New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code
99 Washington Avenue, 6th Floor
Albany, NY 12231
Fax:
The Division of Corporations will accept written requests for Certificates of Status by fax.
Fees for written requests by fax must be paid using your credit card/debit card.
To pay for a fee using your credit card or debit card, complete and sign the Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form and submit it to the Division of Corporations with your request for service.
Fax the Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form and your written request to the Division of Corporations to (518) 473-1654.
Please note, certificates of Status cannot be ordered online, by email or over the telephone.
Fees
$25 fee for Certificate of Status.
Preferred payment methods include: money order, MasterCard, Visa or American Express.
- To pay for a fee using your credit card or debit card, complete and sign the Credit Card/Debit Card Authorization Form and submit it to the Division of Corporations with your request for service.
- Money orders should be made payable to the “Department of State.”
Expedited Processing
- Expedited Handling Services: (optional) The NYS Department of State's Division of Corporations offers expedited processing of time-sensitive documents. For an additional fee, the Department of State will process a document within the following time frames for the additional fee indicated; $25.00 per document for processing within 24 hours, $75.00 per document for processing within the same day, or $150.00 per document for processing within 2 hours.
- Preferred payment methods include: money order, Mastercard, Visa or American Express.
Additional Information
A Certificate of Status will be returned by first-class mail. We do not provide these documents by fax or email. You may request that your Certificate of Status be returned to you by overnight delivery service by including a prepaid shipping label with your request. The Department of State will not accept prepaid shipping labels with the Department of State listed as the sender. The prepaid shipping label must list yourself as the sender and the receiver.
The large volume of submissions and requests received each day by the Division makes it impracticable for Division staff to verify receipt of individual customer submissions. Please do not call the Division for verification of receipt after submitting a certificate or request. If you do not receive correspondence from our office after a reasonable period of time has elapsed, you may contact the Division at (518) 473-2492 for further instructions.
Contact Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code
Contact the Division of Corporations, State Records, and Uniform Commercial Code