Business FAQs

Certificate of Good Standing

Q1. What does Good Standing mean?

A1. “Good Standing” status means that statutory filing requirements have been met with our office. However, this office does not review or verify information submitted in those filings. This office also does not regulate or investigate business practices or operations.

Q2. How do I get a Certificate of Good Standing?

A2. To print a Certificate of Good Standing for any business entity in Good Standing:

  1. Go to the Business Organizations page.
  2. Search for the entity.
  3. From the Summary page, select "Get a Certificate of Good Standing".
  4. The Certificate will open as a PDF image.
  5. You may save the Certificate, or print in either black and white or color depending on the preference of who needs the Certificate.

If the status of the entity is anything other than Good Standing, a Certificate cannot be issued. If you have additional questions regarding the status of the entity, refer to the Noncompliance and Delinquency FAQs.

Q3. I received a mailing saying that if I pay a fee a company will give me a Good Standing certificate. Is that certificate different than the one on the Secretary of State’s website?

A3. No. We offer the official version of your certificate on our website for free.

Q4. Can I get a Certificate of Good Standing for my trade name?

A4. No, instead you can get a Certificate of Fact of Trade Name.

  1. Go to the Business Organizations page.
  2. Search for the trade name.
  3. From the Summary page, select "Get a certificate of fact of trade name".
  4. The Certificate will open as a PDF image.
  5. You may save the Certificate, or print in either black and white or color depending on the preference of who needs the Certificate.

If the status of the trade name is anything other than Effective, a Certificate cannot be issued.

Q5. How do I get a long form Certificate of Good Standing?

A5. The long form Certificate of Good Standing is no longer available. A Certificate of Good Standing attached to the print-friendly version of the Certified Copies page provides the same information. If you use the print-friendly version of the History and Documents page, it may not include all trade name and trademark filings.

Q6. Does a Certificate expire?

A6. A Certificate doesn’t expire, but if the entity’s status changes then the Certificate is no longer valid. The Certificate reflects the status of the record at the time the Certificate was created.

The person accepting the Certificate may require a specific time frame. For example, they may want the date issued on the Certificate to be within 30 or 60 days.

Q7. Do your records tell me if a business is reputable?

A7. No. The Secretary of State's office is only a filing registry of businesses. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) provides business reliability reports, dispute resolution, and charity reviews.

If you believe that a business is operating illegally, you may wish to contact law enforcement, the Consumer Protection Unit at the Office of the Colorado Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau, or seek private legal counsel.

Q8. How do I verify a Certificate?

A8. The Certificate will have a confirmation number that can be verified by selecting the “ Validate a certificate” link under the Services heading on the Business home page.

If the Certificate is altered or the page count is inaccurate, the Certificate is void.