Proof of status
Virginia Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Fact of Existence
Virginia uses two names for proof of status. Corporations get a Certificate of Good Standing; LLCs get a Certificate of Fact of Existence (or of Registration, for a foreign LLC). The SCC charges $6 for either. Banks, landlords, lenders and other states ask for it. We pull and deliver it for $99 plus the $6 fee.
Virginia fees re-checked against the Code of Virginia and SCC fee pages: November 10, 2026
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Virginia filings for owners. We are not the Virginia State Corporation Commission and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount billed, shown separately from our service fee.
- Filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission
- We track your $50 annual registration fee
- Cited to the Code of Virginia, Title 13.1
- Talk to a filer: (386) 465-3937
Virginia Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Fact of Existence: the Virginia specifics
Which certificate you get
Certificate of Good Standing (corporations), Certificate of Fact of Existence or Registration (LLCs), Certificate of Fact of Existence (limited partnerships). Each costs $6.
Check it: Virginia State Corporation CommissionCertified copies
Certified copies of filed documents are also $6 per request online, with no per-page charge.
Check it: Virginia State Corporation CommissionUnpaid fees block it
A company with unpaid fees or penalties will not show as in good standing. Pay the annual registration fee first.
Check it: Code of Virginia § 13.1-615Who asks for a Virginia certificate
Banks opening accounts or renewing loans, landlords, buyers in an acquisition, government contracting offices, and other states' registration offices when you qualify there as a foreign company. Most want a certificate dated recently, often within 30 to 90 days, so order it close to when you need it.
For an LLC the document is titled Certificate of Fact of Existence; for a corporation, Certificate of Good Standing. Both cost $6 from the SCC.
Source: www.scc.virginia.gov
If the SCC will not show you in good standing
Unpaid annual registration fees or penalties are the usual cause, and the SCC applies any payment to the oldest balance first. Pay the outstanding amount, then order the certificate. If the company is already Inactive, it needs reinstatement first.
Source: www.scc.virginia.gov
Who actually asks for a Virginia certificate
Banks ask for one when you open a business account or apply for a loan or line of credit. Other states ask for one when your Virginia company registers there as a foreign entity, because their forms require proof that you exist at home. Buyers and investors ask for one during due diligence, and some landlords and licensing boards ask before they sign. Each of those readers looks at the issue date, so order the certificate close to the day you need it rather than months ahead.
An LLC gets a Certificate of Fact of Existence; a corporation gets a Certificate of Good Standing. Both cost $6 from the SCC, and a certified copy of any filed document is also $6 per request.
Source: www.scc.virginia.gov
Fix the record before you order
If an annual registration fee is unpaid or the company has been canceled, a certificate will not tell the reader what they want to hear. Check the entity's status in the SCC's records first. A company inside the three-month window after its LLC due date can still pay the $50 fee and the $25 penalty; one that has been canceled has to be reinstated for $100 plus back fees before any certificate is useful. The SCC Clerk's Office is at the Tyler Building, 1300 E. Main St., Richmond, and answers at (804) 371-9733.
Source: www.scc.virginia.gov
Virginia Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Fact of Existence: questions
For a Virginia LLC, the Certificate of Fact of Existence is Virginia's version of a good standing certificate. They mean the same thing to most banks.
Check it: Virginia State Corporation CommissionCorp USA prepares and submits your Virginia filing with the State Corporation Commission's Clerk's Office for you. The official state fee is passed through at cost, with our service fee shown separately at checkout, so you do not need to go to the state's website to file.
Check it: Virginia State Corporation CommissionReady when you are, Virginia.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Virginia filings for owners. We are not the Virginia State Corporation Commission and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount billed, shown separately from our service fee.