Kansas Certificate of Good Standing: How to Order One and Where It Is Required

A Kansas certificate of good standing is a short document from the Kansas Secretary of State that confirms your business entity is registered and current. Licensing offices, lenders, landlords and business partners often ask for one before they will move forward. The process is simple once you know the steps, but people lose time when they order the wrong document or when their business is not in good standing to begin with.

This guide covers what the certificate is, who can order it, exactly how to buy it online, what it shows, and how it differs from a Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) tax clearance certificate. It also covers a term you may see online, the kansas certificate of existence, and what it means in Kansas.

This content is informational, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a qualified attorney or CPA if your situation is complex.

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What a Kansas Certificate of Good Standing Is

The Kansas Secretary of State issues a Certificate of Good Standing for a business entity that is on file and current with the state. The certificate confirms three things: the legal name of the business, its good standing status, and its formation date. It does not certify your tax status, your licenses, or the quality of your business. Those are separate questions handled by other agencies.

Kansas has no general statewide business license. Registering an LLC or corporation with the Secretary of State is a filing, not a license. If an agency or buyer asks for proof that your business exists and is current, the Certificate of Good Standing is the usual document to request from the Secretary of State.

Who Can Order One

Only a business in good standing can order a certificate. In Kansas, that means your required Information Report is filed. The Information Report is a biennial filing, not an annual one, and it costs $90.

The deadline and the cycle depend on your entity type:

Limited liability companies (LLCs): The Information Report (Form ILC) is due every two years by April 15. An LLC formed in an even year reports in each succeeding even year. An LLC formed in an odd year reports in each succeeding odd year. After the due date, there is a three month delinquency window before the entity is subject to forfeiture.
Corporations: The Information Report (Form IFP for for-profit corporations) is due every two years by April 15, in the odd or even year that matches the year the corporation was formed. The fee is also $90.

If your report is late, file it before you order the certificate. Ordering will not work until the business is in good standing, and a delinquent filing can delay the requesting office's review.

How to Order a Kansas Certificate of Good Standing Online

The certificate is bought online only. There is no separate mail order path to plan around. Follow these steps:

Confirm your entity record. Search your business on the Kansas Secretary of State business entity search. Confirm the legal name is exactly as you want it to appear, and confirm your Information Report is current. If anything looks wrong, fix it first.
Log in to the online filing portal. Go to the Kansas Secretary of State Business Services online filing portal and sign in through the Customer Login.
Choose Copies and Certifications. This is where you order certified and certificate products.
Select the business. Choose the entity you need. Make sure you are ordering for the correct business if you manage more than one.
Pay at checkout. The Kansas Register of February 12, 2026 (K.A.R. 7-16-1) lists a $5.00 services fee for an online certificate of good standing. The total you pay shows at checkout, so confirm the final amount there before you submit. Ignore older $10 online or $15 mail figures you may see on third-party vendor sites. Those are not the state's current price.
Retrieve the certificate. The certificate stays in your account for one year. Download it and save a copy, and print it if the requesting office wants paper.

Check your account after you place the order, since this guide does not state a delivery time. If you cannot find it in your account, do not assume it failed. Check the account first, then contact the Secretary of State directly.

What the Certificate Shows

Expect the certificate to show:

The legal name of the business as it appears in Secretary of State records
Its good standing status
Its formation date

If the legal name on the certificate does not match the name on your contract, license application or bank account, stop and fix that mismatch before you submit anything. The requesting office will compare names. Kansas also requires an LLC name to contain L.L.C., L.C., LLC, LC, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY or LIMITED COMPANY under K.S.A. 17-7920, so the registered name is usually already in that form.

Certificate of Existence: What the Term Means in Kansas

Many people search for a kansas certificate of existence, and some counterparties ask for one by that name. Kansas does not list a product by that title. The Secretary of State's document for this purpose is the Certificate of Good Standing.

When a request says "certificate of existence," ask the requesting office whether it means the Kansas Certificate of Good Standing from the Secretary of State. In most cases, that is the document they want. If they need something different, such as a tax document, go back to them with the exact form name rather than ordering a guess.

Certificate of Good Standing vs. KDOR Tax Clearance

These two documents are often confused, and KDOR warns against mixing them up. Read the table before you order.

Item	Certificate of Good Standing	KDOR tax clearance certificate
Issuer	Kansas Secretary of State	Kansas Department of Revenue
What it confirms	Legal name, good standing status, formation date	Review of KDOR and KDOL accounts
How it is requested	Online, through Copies and Certifications	Requested online
Turnaround	Available in your account after the order goes through	Available the next business day
Also called	Issued by the Secretary of State, not by KDOR	Do not confuse with a Letter of Good Standing from the Secretary of State

The short version: the Secretary of State certificate answers "is this entity registered and current?" The KDOR tax clearance answers "are the state tax and unemployment accounts in order?" A requesting office may ask for one, the other, or both. Ask which one they mean before you pay for anything.

To request a tax clearance, start at the Kansas Department of Revenue business page. Confirm the current request steps and any fee with KDOR, since this guide does not list a tax clearance fee.

Where a Certificate Is Commonly Required

Requirements depend on the requesting party, not on a single statewide rule. Ask for the certificate when:

A licensing agency asks for it. Kansas licenses by agency or trade. For example, the Kansas Department of Agriculture handles food, pesticide and pet animal licensing, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment handles child care and home health, the Kansas Department of Revenue handles liquor, cigarettes and dealers, and the Kansas Corporation Commission handles motor carriers and oil and gas. Each agency sets its own paperwork. Confirm with the specific agency whether it wants a Good Standing certificate, a tax clearance, or both.
A lender or investor asks for it. Lenders often want proof that the borrowing entity exists and is current before they close. Ask the lender which document they need and whether it must be dated within a set window.
A counterparty asks for it. Landlords, large customers, and vendors may request one during onboarding. Ask the counterparty to specify the document.
A city or county asks for it. Kansas has 105 counties and 624 cities. Every incorporated place is legally a city, with no towns or villages. Cities and counties, not the state, license many local trades, including general contractors, electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors. Check with your city or county office to see whether it requires a certificate for your permit or license.

If you are unsure whether a request needs your certificate, the cleanest fix is to ask the requesting office one question: "Which document do you need, and in what form?"

Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri

If your business is in Kansas City, check which one you mean. Kansas City, Kansas is in Kansas, and its business paperwork runs through the Kansas Secretary of State like any other Kansas city. Kansas City, Missouri is a different city in a different state, with its own state filings. Only Kansas City, Missouri has a city earnings tax, which is not part of this certificate process. Order your certificate from the Kansas Secretary of State for a Kansas entity regardless of which Kansas City your office sits in.

Common Problems and How to Avoid Them

Your Information Report is not filed. You cannot order the certificate. File the report first, then order.
The name does not match. Compare the Secretary of State record with your contract, license and bank records before you order.
Your resident agent is out of date. Kansas calls this the resident agent, and it must be an individual, a business registered in Kansas, or the entity itself. The registered office must be a Kansas street address, not a PO box. Entities must update the resident agent or registered office whenever the name or address changes. Keep this current so your entity record stays accurate.
You ordered the wrong document. The tax clearance and the Good Standing certificate are different. Confirm the requested name before paying.
You relied on an old price. Use the total shown at checkout, not a vendor's older number.

Questions to Ask Before You Order

Which document do you need: the Secretary of State Certificate of Good Standing, a KDOR tax clearance, or both?
Do you need it dated within a certain window?
Must it be an original, a downloaded copy, or a printed copy?
Is there a deadline, and when should I expect to submit it?

Getting these answers first saves a second order and a second fee.

Official Resources

Confirm all fees and current requirements on each agency's own page before you pay or submit. Requirements can change, and a requesting office may have rules that go beyond the state's basic process.

Final Notes

For most Kansas businesses, the process is quick: confirm your entity is in good standing, log in to the Secretary of State portal, order the certificate under Copies and Certifications, and save the result. The steps that cause trouble are almost always upstream, such as a missed Information Report, a name mismatch, or a tax clearance requested when a Good Standing certificate was wanted. Check those first, and ask the requesting office which document it needs.

This article is informational only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. For complex entity, tax or licensing questions, consult a qualified Kansas attorney or CPA.