Pennsylvania Subsistence Certificate: $40, ordered online
Pennsylvania issues it as a Subsistence Certificate, ordered online from the Pennsylvania Department of State. The state fee is $40; the state does not publish a turnaround. It proves the LLC is current with the state on the day it is printed, so banks want one under 30 days old.
Pennsylvania’s $40 fee next to every other state
At $40, the second-highest fee of the 51 jurisdictions; only 5 charge more. The median jurisdiction charges $12.
Tap or hover a dot to see which state it is.
- Pennsylvania
- 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 Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations that your LLC exists on the state’s records and is current on what the state requires of it. In Pennsylvania the official name is Subsistence Certificate. 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.
Pennsylvania’s own rules for the subsistence certificate, with sources
How Pennsylvania issues it, what it certifies, what affects the entity's status, and how a bank can check it. Checked Oct 24, 2026.
| Rule | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Subsistence Certificate. The Department of State calls it a certificate of subsistence (good standing): it states that the LLC is still in existence as a matter of record with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. | pa.gov |
| How to order online | On Business Filing Services (file.dos.pa.gov): create a login, choose Search Business Entities, search for the LLC and click its name, then pick Subsistence/Certificate of Registration under Certified Documents. An account is required. | pa.gov |
| By paper or phone help | Paper orders use the Department's Copy and Certificate Request form. The Bureau answers questions at (717) 787-1057, option 3, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. | pa.gov |
| Fee | $40 for a subsistence certificate for a domestic entity. Certified copies are a separate $55 plus $3 per page. | pa.gov |
| Expedited service | On top of the $40: $100 for same-day service (received before 10:00 a.m.), $300 for 3-hour service (before 2:00 p.m.) or $1,000 for 1-hour service (before 4:00 p.m.). Expedited requests are not accepted by mail. | pa.gov |
| The annual report (new since 2025) | Since 2025, LLCs file an annual report between January 1 and September 30 each year. It costs $7 when filed directly with the Department, which warns that some third parties charge $100 to $200 for the same filing. | pa.gov |
| Administrative dissolution starts with 2027 reports | Beginning with annual reports due in 2027, an LLC that does not file is subject to administrative dissolution six months after the due date. A domestic LLC can reinstate at any time by paying the reinstatement fee and every unpaid annual report fee. | pa.gov |
| Checking an LLC's record | Anyone can search business entities on the Department's Business Filing Services site; ordering a certificate is the step that needs a login. | pa.gov |
| Apostille | The Department of State prepares apostilles and certifications for documents used abroad at $15 per document. | pa.gov |
| Among the higher fees | At $40, Pennsylvania's certificate costs more than in 45 other states in our 50-state and DC table on this page; only Connecticut, Delaware, DC, New Jersey and Nevada charge more, at $50. | pa.gov |
How to order it in Pennsylvania
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 subsistence certificate, pay the $40 state fee on the state system, and download or wait for delivery. The state portal asks you to sign in to an account first.
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.
Next Pennsylvania annual report due
September 30
0 days from today
State fee $7. Miss it and the LLC can fall out of good standing on the state record, which the next certificate would show. Pennsylvania annual report.
The certificate is one of four documents the bank will ask for
Banks want the Pennsylvania subsistence certificate 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 Pennsylvania record shows the LLC is not in good standing
Catch up the state filing
The Pennsylvania annual report is due September 30 every year, state fee $7. Miss it and the LLC can fall out of good standing on the state record, which the next certificate would show. Pennsylvania 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 a registered office on file
Every Pennsylvania LLC must keep a registered office in Pennsylvania: a street address, or a Commercial Registered Office Provider listed in its place. The annual report lists it. Pennsylvania registered agent, $74.25 a year, through our partner Registered Agents Inc. Switching agents? How to change your Pennsylvania 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 a Pennsylvania LLC have to file an annual report?
Yes, since 2025: between January 1 and September 30, for $7. Starting with 2027 reports, missing it can lead to administrative dissolution six months after the due date.
How much does a Pennsylvania certificate of good standing cost?
The Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations charges $40 for a subsistence certificate, verified Sep 12, 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 Pennsylvania?
Order it from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations online at pa.gov. Online ordering needs an account login on the state system. The state does not publish a turnaround. 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania issues it as a Subsistence Certificate, from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. Ask for it by that name on pa.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 Pennsylvania subsistence certificate dated within 30 days?
The certificate is a snapshot of the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations 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. The Pennsylvania agency does not publish a turnaround, so leave a few business days before the appointment.
What keeps a Pennsylvania LLC in good standing?
Filing the Pennsylvania annual report on time, due September 30 every year, state fee $7, and keeping a registered office 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 Pennsylvania page legal advice?
No. Vermilion Vitez is a filing-services company, not a law firm. This page is educational reference information, verified Sep 12, 2026 against the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations's own site (pa.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 Pennsylvania certificate? We order it from the state the day you pay.
$82.50 plus the Pennsylvania 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.