Michigan Certificate of Good Standing
A one-page certificate from the state saying your business is real and current. Simple to order — as long as your filings are actually up to date.
Important: Clear Path Document Services is a non-attorney document preparation service and cannot provide legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created. Read full disclaimer
Quick Answer
A Michigan certificate of good standing is a document issued by the LARA Corporations Division confirming that a business entity exists and its required state filings and fees are current. Banks, lenders, title companies, franchisors, and other states routinely ask for one. If your annual statements are behind, the state will not issue the certificate until the entity is brought current — which is the part that surprises people at a closing table. Clear Path checks your standing, prepares any catch-up filings, and requests the certificate. If it's going overseas, it can also be apostilled.
Who qualifies for this service?
This document preparation service is a fit for Michigan residents who match the criteria below. If your situation is different, contact us and we'll tell you whether we can help or whether you should speak with an attorney.
- Businesses applying for a loan or line of credit
- Companies closing a real estate or equipment transaction
- Businesses registering to do business in another state
- Contractors and vendors asked for proof of standing by a customer
- Franchise applicants and licensees
- Companies sending corporate records overseas that need an apostille afterward
How the process works
Clear, predictable steps from intake to court-ready paperwork.
Tell us the entity
Legal name and entity ID, plus who's asking for the certificate and by when.
We check standing
We confirm what LARA shows and whether anything is overdue.
Written quote
Flat service fee, with state fees for any catch-up filings and the certificate listed separately.
Cure anything outstanding
If annual statements are behind, we file them first so the certificate can issue.
Certificate ordered
We request the certificate from LARA at your direction, expedited if your deadline requires it.
Delivered
You get the certificate, plus an apostille package if it's headed to another country.
Paperwork we organize for you
Document preparation only. We do not represent you in court.
Documents and information you'll need
- Exact legal entity name as filed with LARA
- Michigan entity ID number, if known
- Who is requesting the certificate and any format requirements they gave you
- Your deadline
- Destination country, if the certificate needs an apostille
- Delivery address or email for the finished certificate
Common mistakes to avoid
Small errors can cost you weeks. Here's what we see most often.
- Waiting until the day of a closing to request the certificate.
- Assuming the entity is current when annual statements were missed years ago.
- Ordering a certificate for a slightly wrong entity name and getting nothing back.
- Not asking the requesting party how recent the certificate has to be — many want one issued within 30 or 60 days.
- Forgetting that a certificate going to a foreign government also needs an apostille.
- Mixing up the certificate of good standing with a certified copy of the articles, which is a different document.
Local Michigan considerations
Certificates of good standing for Michigan entities come from the LARA Corporations Division, and the state charges its own fee, with expedited options available at a higher cost. The practical issue is almost never the request — it's the filings behind it. Michigan LLCs owe an annual statement every February 15 at $25, and a few missed years will stop a certificate from issuing until they're cured. If the certificate is going to a foreign government for business registration, it will also need an apostille or Certificate of Authority from the Office of the Great Seal, which is a separate step at $1 per document. We can handle both in one matter.
Key Terms
- Certificate of good standing
- A state-issued document confirming an entity exists and its required filings and fees are current. Some states call it a certificate of existence.
- Good standing
- The status of an entity whose state filings and fees are up to date.
- Certified copy
- An official stamped copy of a filed document, such as the articles of organization — a different document from a good standing certificate.
- Foreign qualification
- Registering an existing business to operate in another state, which usually requires a good standing certificate from the home state.
People Also Ask
Reviewed and updated by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.
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