Indiana Certificate of Existence: $26, ordered online
Indiana issues it as a Certificate of Existence, ordered online from the Indiana Secretary of State. The state fee is $26, and it is ready within minutes online. It proves the LLC is current with the state on the day it is printed, so banks want one under 30 days old.
Indiana’s $26 fee next to every other state
At $26, the sixth-highest fee of the 51 jurisdictions. The median jurisdiction charges $12.
Tap or hover a dot to see which state it is.
- Indiana
- Other states and DC
- Median
What it proves, and who will ask for it
A certificate of good standing is a one-page statement from the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (via INBiz) that your LLC exists on the state’s records and is current on what the state requires of it. In Indiana the official name is Certificate of Existence. It does not say anything about taxes owed elsewhere, licences or lawsuits; it says the entity is in good standing with the filing office on the date printed.
Four people ask for it: the bank opening the business account, a lender underwriting a loan, another state’s filing office when you register the LLC there as a foreign entity, and a buyer or investor doing diligence. All of them want a recent one, because the certificate is a snapshot and a company’s status can change the day after it is printed.
Indiana’s own rules for the certificate of existence, with sources
How Indiana issues it, what it certifies, what affects the entity's status, and how a bank can check it. Checked Sep 18, 2026.
| Rule | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Certificate of Existence. INBiz calls it 'an Indiana Certificate of Existence - formerly a Certificate of Good Standing.' The SOS says it is the only certificate about the status of an Indiana business. A Certificate of Existence Long Form is also available. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Online (INBiz) | Log in to INBiz or create an account, then order through Online Services > Secretary of State > Orders > Certificate of Existence. Search for and select the business, then pay. The certificate is emailed and can also be downloaded from the Documents widget on your INBiz dashboard. The SOS says certificates arrive 'within a matter of minutes.' | faqs.in.gov |
| By mail | The Long Form, Certificate of Fact and Due and Diligent Search must be requested by mailing the paper Information Request Form. The standard Certificate of Existence can also be ordered on that form. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Online fee (INBiz) | $26.00 per Certificate of Existence, according to the official INBiz Fee Calculator on 2026-09-18. A card or e-check processing fee is added at checkout (minimum $1, maximum 2.15%). | inbiz.in.gov |
| Paper fees | By Information Request Form: Certificate of Existence $30, Long Form $30, Certificate of Fact $15, Due and Diligent Search $15. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Free certified copies | Certified copies of business entity documents are free on INBiz. | inbiz.in.gov |
| What the certificate states | The certificate shows: the business name; the date of incorporation or qualification; whether the most recent report has been filed; that no notice of withdrawal, dissolution or expiration has been received; and the Seal of the Secretary of State. The Long Form adds a list of every document filed for the business. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Business Entity Report and registered agent | Businesses that fail to file and pay the Business Entity Report (IC 23-0.5-2-13), or fail to maintain a registered agent, are administratively dissolved (Indiana entities) or revoked (foreign entities). Once dissolved or revoked, a business may only apply for reinstatement or wind up. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Reinstatement needs tax clearance | To reinstate, you first need a tax clearance from the Indiana Department of Revenue, which takes 4–6 weeks. The business and assumed names are protected for only 120 days after dissolution or revocation. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Online verification | Yes. INBiz has a 'Validate a Certificate' tool (bsd.sos.in.gov/validatecertificate) to confirm that a Certificate of Existence, Certificate of Existence Long Form or Certificate of Fact is authentic. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Apostille/authentication | The Indiana Secretary of State's Authentications office issues apostilles. The fee is $2.00 per authentication. Walk-ins with an appointment get up to 10 documents processed while they wait. | in.gov |
| Business Entity Report every two years | The first BER is due two years after formation or registration and every other year after that. It is due in the month and day of formation, and you have until the end of that month. Fees: for-profit $32 on INBiz or $50 on paper; nonprofit $22 on INBiz or $20 on paper. The SOS says there are no late fees. | inbiz.in.gov |
| Scam warning | The SOS has warned about mailers that charge $72.50 for a 'certificate of status'. It says only the SOS issues Certificates of Existence and that businesses are not required to order one. | in.gov |
How to order it in Indiana
Find the LLC on the state record
Open the official page and look the company up by name or file number. Check the status shown on the record: the certificate reports what the record says, so fix anything shown as delinquent before you order.
Order and pay online
Select the certificate of existence, pay the $26 state fee on the state system, and download or wait for delivery. The state portal asks you to sign in to an account first. Turnaround at last check: emailed within a matter of minutes.
Use it inside 30 days
Time the order for the week of the bank appointment or the loan closing. A certificate from two months ago is usually sent back for a fresh one, and you pay the fee twice.
Order it inside the bank’s 30-day window
The certificate speaks for the day it is printed. Most banks and lenders want it issued within the last 30 days; a few accept 60. Order it the week of the appointment, not the month before.
Indiana business entity report fee
$32
Due every two years, in your formation anniversary month. Miss it and the LLC can fall out of good standing on the state record, which the next certificate would show. Find your exact date.
The certificate is one of four documents the bank will ask for
Banks want the Indiana certificate of existence dated inside the last 30 days, next to certified articles, the signed operating agreement and the IRS EIN letter. The Bank-Ready Pack orders the certificate from the state the day you pay, so it lands inside the window, and assembles the rest from one form. Why banks ask for it, and what it does not prove.
- Certificate ordered from the state when you pay; state fee invoiced at cost
- Operating agreement and banking resolution generated from your answers
- One dated pack, ready for the account-opening appointment
If the Indiana record shows the LLC is not in good standing
Catch up the state filing
The Indiana business entity report is due every two years, in your formation anniversary month, state fee $32. Miss it and the LLC can fall out of good standing on the state record, which the next certificate would show. Indiana annual report page, with free reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days.
Reinstate if it was dissolved
Miss enough cycles and the state can administratively dissolve the LLC. Reinstatement means the back filings, the state’s reinstatement fee and a registered agent on file; order the certificate after it posts. How reinstatement works.
Keep an agent on file
Every Indiana LLC must keep a registered agent at an Indiana street address. A lapsed agent is one of the quickest ways out of good standing. Indiana registered agent, $74.25 a year, through our partner Registered Agents Inc. Switching agents? How to change your Indiana registered agent.
Watch every entity at once
Own more than one company? The free portfolio board shows each state’s deadline and standing side by side, so no certificate order turns into a surprise.
Frequently asked questions
Does Indiana issue a 'Certificate of Good Standing'?
No. Indiana's equivalent is the Certificate of Existence, which INBiz describes as formerly called a Certificate of Good Standing.
How much does an Indiana Certificate of Existence cost?
$26.00 on INBiz, plus a card or e-check processing fee (minimum $1, up to 2.15%). It costs $30 by paper Information Request Form.
What does an Indiana Certificate of Existence show?
The business name, the date it was incorporated or qualified, whether its most recent report has been filed, that no withdrawal, dissolution or expiration notice has been received, and the Secretary of State's seal.
How often does an Indiana business file its Business Entity Report?
Every two years, by the end of the anniversary month of formation. The first report is due two years after formation. For-profits pay $32 online.
How much does an Indiana certificate of good standing cost?
The Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (via INBiz) charges $26 for a certificate of existence, verified Sep 18, 2026 on the official fee page linked on this page. Expedited service or a certified copy of the formation documents, where offered, is priced separately by the state.
How do I get a certificate of good standing in Indiana?
Order it from the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (via INBiz) online at inbiz.in.gov. Online ordering needs an account login on the state system. Turnaround at last check: emailed within a matter of minutes. Check the LLC's status on the state record first; the certificate reports what the record shows.
What is a certificate of good standing called in Indiana?
Indiana issues it as a Certificate of Existence, from the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (via INBiz). Ask for it by that name on inbiz.in.gov. Banks, lenders and other states accept it as the good-standing document whatever the local name, as long as it is recent and issued by the state.
Why does a bank want the Indiana certificate of existence dated within 30 days?
The certificate is a snapshot of the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (via INBiz) record on the day it is printed. Banks and lenders treat it as proof the company is current now, so most ask for one issued within the last 30 days, a few accept 60. In Indiana it is ready within minutes online, so order it the week you need it, not the month before.
What keeps an Indiana LLC in good standing?
Filing the Indiana business entity report on time, due every two years, in your formation anniversary month, state fee $32, and keeping a registered agent on file. Miss the report and the company can fall out of good standing on the state record, which the next certificate would show; catch it up, and reinstate if needed, before you order.
Is this Indiana page legal advice?
No. Vermilion Vitez is a filing-services company, not a law firm. This page is educational reference information, verified Sep 18, 2026 against the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division (via INBiz)'s own site (inbiz.in.gov); that site is the final word.
Nearby states
A foreign registration needs a certificate from the home state, and each state prices and names the document differently. Jump to a bordering state, or see all 50 states + DC.
Done for you, or do it yourself
Need the Indiana certificate? We order it from the state the day you pay.
$82.50 plus the Indiana state fee and card processing, or order it yourself on the official site. Banks want it dated within the last 30 days, so place the order the week of the meeting.
Need the articles, operating agreement and EIN letter too? Build the Bank-Ready Pack · or call (954) 470-8356 — we pick up.