We answer most inquiries within one business hour during US business days.
Home/Compliance & annual filings/Certificate of Good Standing/Michigan Certificate of Good Standing: ten dollars, from the agency that files everything
Michigan · Good Standing Guide

Michigan Certificate of Good Standing: ten dollars, from the agency that files everything.

When the lender, the bank, or another state asks for proof your Michigan company exists and is current, this is the document they mean: the Certificate of Good Standing, $10, issued by the LARA. Michigan certifies for $10 the companies whose February statements are in LARA’s file. Here is what it proves, who asks, and how to get yours without the order bouncing.

Pulled from the Michigan official record · state-sealed, closing-ready
Michigan certificate deskOrdered from the state, delivered ready for the closing
ACCURACY VERIFIED

The state-sealed certificate ordered and delivered fast, with your standing checked first so the order never bounces.

The certificate, decoded

Four facts cover the whole system

1 · What it actually is

A state-issued certificate from the LARA attesting that the company exists on the record and is current with the state’s requirements. Lenders, banks, other states, and investors accept it because it comes from the only source that counts. We order it for you →

2 · LARA’s ten-dollar PDF

Michigan’s proof comes from LARA for $10, requested through the state portal and delivered as a PDF, to companies current on their February 15 annual statements. The agency that files everything certifies quickly when its files are current.

3 · When you need it

Loan closings and refinances, bank accounts, foreign qualification in other states, investor diligence, license applications, and most requesters want it recent, commonly issued within the last 30 to 90 days, so certificates are ordered per occasion, not stockpiled.

4 · What it costs

The state charges $10, ordered through LARA’s portal, arriving as a PDF by email. When we handle it, the total is the state fee plus a transaction fee plus our service fee, one-time, itemized on the pricing page before you pay, with your standing checked before the order goes in so the request never bounces.

✓ Accuracy verified against the official filing requirements · checked 2026

Who asks, and why

Five moments, one certificate each

LENDERS & BANKSThe most common request: the loan file or the account opening needs state-sealed proof the company exists and is current. The certificate of good standing answers it, issued recently, per the lender’s window.
FOREIGN QUALIFICATIONRegistering the Michigan company in another state requires a recent certificate from home, and many states cap its age at 30 to 90 days. Order it fresh as part of the qualification, not before.
INVESTORS & DILIGENCEFinancings and acquisitions pull certificates as a matter of course, alongside the formation documents and the operating agreement, the closing file’s proof-of-existence layer.
LICENSES & CONTRACTSState license applications, big contracts, and government work frequently require the certificate as an exhibit, with their own freshness windows. The ask arrives with a deadline attached; the standing has to already be true.
IF THE ANSWER IS NOMissed annual statements decay the standing, and two unfiled years block the certificate until the Certificate of Restoration and the $125-per-year back statements make the file whole. February current keeps the $10 PDF a same-day matter.

Michigan certifies what is true: the certificate of good standing, $10 from the LARA, ordered through LARA’s portal, arriving as a PDF by email. Requesters want it recent, so certificates are ordered per occasion, standing checked first, because the state will not certify a company that is not current.

The certificate is step one

Where you stand decides what you do next

A lender or bank just asked

Confirm their freshness window, then we check your standing and order it, checked first so the order never bounces mid-closing.

You are qualifying in another state

The foreign qualification needs a recent Michigan certificate, often under 90 days old, ordered as part of the filing package. We sequence both so the certificate is fresh when the other state reads it.

You are not sure you would pass

Check before anyone else does: the official record shows your status free, and if standing lapsed, here is the way back before the certificate matters.

The February dividend

Every statement was in the file, so the PDF came same-day

Talking the deal through, certificate pending
When the Grand Rapids company needed proof for an equipment lease, LARA’s portal produced the $10 PDF same-day, the dividend of Februaries never missed. The lessor’s other applicant was three statements behind and learning about restoration mathematics. LARA certifies its own files. Keep yours complete and the proof is ten dollars away.
Co-owner, Grand Rapids manufacturerFebruary 15 automated, file permanently whole
Same-day PDFStatements currentLease secured

Representative composite drawn from customer outcomes.

BosAI keeps the standing worth certifying

Ask what the certificate means for you

BosAIYour workspace · Michigan records connected

How do I get a certificate of good standing in Michigan?

Order through LARA’s portal, $10, PDF by email, available to companies current on the February 15 annual statements. We check your standing and order it at the speed the deadline needs.

How long is a Michigan certificate of good standing valid?

Michigan sets no expiration, validity is the requester’s call, and most lenders, banks, and states want one issued recently, commonly within 30 to 90 days. That is why certificates are ordered per occasion rather than kept on file: the one in your drawer is usually too old for the deal on your desk.

What if my company is not in good standing?

Then the order bounces, the state certifies only what is true. Missed annual statements decay the standing, and two unfiled years block the certificate until the Certificate of Restoration and the $125-per-year back statements make the file whole. Check the official record first, and if standing lapsed, the reinstatement path comes before the certificate. We check before ordering so you learn this from us, not from a bounced order mid-closing.
Create your free workspace →
One certificate in hand. The platform keeps you certifiable

Everything standing touches, watched in one place

Business Search hub

Every state's record, one guide per state

Name Availability

Distinguishable is not the same as safe, check properly

Registered Agent

A Michigan address that never misses a service of process

Compliance Calendar

Your deadlines tracked, so the record stays boring

CRM

The counterparties you vet become the clients you keep

Business Banking

Open the account the day your filing comes back

Explore the Business OS
Go deeper

Michigan, beyond the certificate

Cornerstone

How to Start an LLC in Michigan

Name search to filed Articles, the Michigan playbook.

Read the guide →
Costs

What a Michigan LLC Costs

State fees, the recurring bill, and the first-year total.

See the numbers →
State hub

Form a Business in Michigan

Entity types, taxes, and the Michigan playbook.

Open the hub →
File

Form an LLC in Michigan

From clean name to filed Articles, handled.

Start the filing →
Go deeper

Related reading, from the library.

The service handles it for you. These guides explain it, for the owners who want the whole picture first.

Frequently asked

Michigan Good Standing questions.

What is a Michigan Certificate of Good Standing?

A state-issued certificate from the LARA attesting that the company exists and is current with state requirements. Lenders, banks, other states, and investors accept it as proof because it comes from the official record. We order it as part of certificate service, standing checked first.

How much does a Michigan certificate of good standing cost?

The state charges $10, ordered through LARA’s portal, arriving as a PDF by email. When we handle it, the total is the state fee plus a transaction fee plus our service fee, one-time, itemized on the pricing page before you pay, with your standing checked before the order goes in so the request never bounces.

How long is a Michigan certificate of good standing valid?

There is no statutory expiration, the receiving party decides, and most want a certificate issued within the last 30 to 90 days. Order per occasion: fresh for the closing, fresh for the qualification, fresh for the diligence request.

Is a certificate of good standing the same as a certificate of good standing?

Yes, Michigan’s official name is the certificate of good standing, and requesters may call it a certificate of good standing, certificate of existence, or certificate of status interchangeably. Florida issues a Certificate of Status, Tennessee a Certificate of Existence, Pennsylvania a Subsistence Certificate: different names, same recent state-sealed proof of existence and standing.

What if my Michigan company is not in good standing?

Missed annual statements decay the standing, and two unfiled years block the certificate until the Certificate of Restoration and the $125-per-year back statements make the file whole. February current keeps the $10 PDF a same-day matter. The fix comes before the certificate: the reinstatement path, then the order. We check standing before every order so the bounce never happens mid-deal.

Do I need a new certificate for every request?

Usually, yes: each requester applies its own freshness window, often 30 to 90 days, and a certificate ordered for last spring’s loan rarely satisfies this fall’s qualification. The good news is ordering is fast when standing is clean, which is the part worth maintaining year-round.

Can File.Business get my Michigan certificate of good standing?

Yes: we verify your standing on the official record first, order the certificate at the speed your deadline requires, and deliver it with the record kept in your document vault for the next time a lender asks. When we handle it, the total is the state fee plus a transaction fee plus our service fee, one-time, itemized on the pricing page before you pay, with your standing checked before the order goes in so the request never bounces.

Still specific to your situation? Ask BosAI ↑

Start your business in the next 5 minutes.

No state-fee markup. Pay only the state fee. 60-day money-back guarantee.

No state-fee markup 60-day money-back Cancel anytime