Pennsylvania LLC Certificate of Good Standing ("Subsistence Certificate")

Certificate of Good Standing, aka Subsistence Certificate

A Pennsylvania LLC Certificate of Good Standing (“Subsistence Certificate”) is an official letter from the Bureau of Corporations (division of Pennsylvania Department of State) that states your LLC is in good standing.

Although this Subsistence Certificate is not required when forming a Pennsylvania LLC, it may be needed if you need to register your Pennsylvania LLC as a Foreign LLC in another state.

There are two ways you can order a Pennsylvania LLC Certificate of Good Standing (“Subsistence Certificate”):

1. Order online via PENN File
2. Send in a request letter by mail

If you order online, you’ll be able to download your Subsistence Certificate in 1-2 business days.

If you order by mail, the state will mail your Subsistence Certificate in 7-10 business days.

$40 fee for Subsistence Certificate

The fee for a PA Subsistence Certificate is $40. The fee is the same for both the online request and the mail-in request.

LLC University® recommendation

We recommend ordering your Subsistence Certificate online. The process is easier to complete and the approval time is much quicker.

Certificate of Good Standing (Subsistence Certificate) via PENN File

1. Login or create an account at PA Business One-Stop Hub (Keystone Login required).
2. Click on “Search Business Entities” at the top, search your LLC name, and click on your LLC name in the results.
3. Scroll down to “Certified Documents”, check off “Subsistence Certificate”, and click “Proceed to Cart”.
4. Click “Checkout”, enter your billing information, and finalize your payment to the state.
5. The Pennsylvania Department of State will send you an email with your Subsistence Certificate attached in 1-2 business days.

Certificate of Good Standing (Subsistence Certificate) via Mail-in Request Letter

• While the video below is still accurate, it’s is a bit older and only shows how to request a Subsistence Certificate by mailing in a Request Letter
• The video states you can mail in your request along with the Certificate of Organization and Docketing Statement (if you’re forming your LLC by mail). This is no longer the case. If you’re ordering a Subsistence Certificate by mail, send it in a separate envelope a few days later.

1. Download the Request for Certificate of Good Standing (PDF).
2. Prepare a check or money order for $40 and make it payable to “Department of State”.
3. Mail your request letter and $40 to: Bureau of Corporations, P.O. Box 8722, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8722.
4. The Pennsylvania Department of State will mail you back your Subsistence Certificate in 7-10 business days.

Matt Horwitz

Founder & Educator, LLC University®

Matt Horwitz has been the leading expert on LLC education for the past decade. He founded LLC University in 2010 after realizing people needed simple and actionable instructions to start an LLC that other companies weren't offering. He's cited by Entrepreneur Magazine, Yahoo Finance, and the US Chamber of Commerce, and was featured by CNBC and InventRight.
 
Matt holds a Bachelor's Degree in business from Drexel University with a concentration in business law. He performs extensive research and analysis to convert state laws into simple instructions anyone can follow to form their LLC - all for free! Read more about Matt Horwitz and LLC University.