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How to Get a Certificate of Good Standing in Massachusetts

Massachusetts calls it the Certificate of Good Standing (Corporations Division) and charges $25. Here is how to order it and what must be current first.

At a glance

Document name
Certificate of Good Standing (Corporations Division)
State fee
$25Checked Aug 15, 2026 · sec.state.ma.us
Online ordering
Yes
Typical turnaround
Issuance depends on payment method: same or next business day for card, cash, money order or bank check placed before 7pm
Issuing office
Massachusetts SOS ↗

How to order it

  1. Clear any past-due filings first. Check your entity status with the Massachusetts SOS and resolve the requirements below. Tax clearance may be a separate document.
  2. Order it online. Search your LLC in the Massachusetts portal, request the certificate, and download it. Link in the table above.
  3. Pay the $25 fee. Confirm payment methods and the total in the official portal; extra fees may apply.
  4. Use it inside the recipient's window. The certificate has no state expiration, but banks and other states usually want one dated within the last 30 to 90 days. Order it close to when you need it.

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$69 service fee, plus the Massachusetts state fee shown above · A filing service, not a registered agent. Ordering it yourself is cheaper and the steps above are the whole process.
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Full ordering details for Massachusetts

Massachusetts has two certificates. The Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division issues a Certificate of Good Standing for $25 for an LLC ($12 for a corporation), confirming registration and annual reports. The Department of Revenue issues a separate Certificate of Good Standing and/or Tax Compliance through MassTaxConnect, often needed for licensing, loans or a sale. For foreign registration elsewhere, the Corporations Division certificate is usually enough. The LLC annual report is $520 filed online ($500 plus the $20 charge the Corporations Division adds to electronic filings) or $500 on paper, the highest of any state.

Processing and expedited tiers: three business days for electronic check; ten business days for a paper check. Delivery is by post.

Important to know about Massachusetts

  • Massachusetts has TWO separate Good Standing certificates: one from the Secretary of the Commonwealth (Corporations Division, $25 for LLCs, confirms entity exists and annual reports filed) and one from the Department of Revenue (tax compliance, free via MassTaxConnect). Know which one the receiving party requires.
  • The Massachusetts LLC annual report is $520 online, $500 by paper - the highest in the country. Missing the anniversary deadline leads to administrative dissolution. All annual reports must be current before a Certificate of Good Standing will issue.
  • Massachusetts does not issue LLC good standing certificates electronically. Only Domestic LLC - Legal Existence and Foreign LLC - Registration can be emailed. A good standing certificate is posted, and ordering it online or by fax adds a $6 expedite charge to the $25 fee for $31 total. Mail and in person are $25 with no surcharge.
  • The DOR Certificate of Good Standing (tax compliance) is issued by mail within 24-48 hours of approval through MassTaxConnect. All Massachusetts taxes must be filed and fully paid under Chapter 62C.
  • Common confusion: the corporate fee is $12 but the LLC fee is $25. Some third-party guides quote only the corporate fee.

Ordering this to register in another state?

A certificate of good standing from Massachusetts is what the new state asks for when your Massachusetts LLC registers to do business there. Pick the state you are expanding into to see its exact filing, fee, and process.

Find your state-to-state guide · Registering an out-of-state LLC into Massachusetts instead?

Related guides

Sources 7 pages

The official pages behind the figures on this page, with the date we last read each one. How we check.

Fees and costs

Deadlines and processing

Forms and filing

This page provides general information based on publicly available Massachusetts Secretary of State requirements. It is not legal advice. Names, fees, and procedures can change. Verify with the Massachusetts SOS before ordering.