How To Check LLC Status? Free Guide 2024

How To Check LLC Status?

If you’ve filed the paperwork to incorporate a Limited Liability Company, or you’re just starting out the process, you may be interested in how you’ll be able to check LLC status when needed. Given the liability protection that business owners receive by forming a limited liability company, you probably want to know if you’re actually receiving these benefits and if your LLC is still in good standing. 

Even though this is some important information that business owners want to know, it isn’t always the most straightforward process to undertake. There is a specific set of steps you’ll need to take in order to receive your desired information. 

Continue reading below as we discuss how to check the status of your limited liability company, what benefits this offers you, and what it means to keep your LLC in good standing. We will provide you with some great guidance for getting started, but you’ll need to consult with a legal expert to find out more personalized advice given your unique situation and circumstances. 

Read More: Best Registered Agent Services 2024

What Is An LLC Status?

First, you might be wondering what LLC status means and why you’d need to check it in the first place. We will cut right to the chase. 

Your LLC status is the current standing of a limited liability company, including it’s history and other important details about the company. This can include the members of the LLC and if there are pending filings that need to be made. 

How Can You Know An LLC Status?

Now that you know what limited liability company status is and why you’d want to know what yours is, you’re probably interested in figuring out where you can check for this important piece of information. 

The best course of action is to contact the secretary of state’s office where you originally filed the LLC. You may need to hire representatives or legal services at this time to ensure that the process is done correctly and that you’ve made all the necessary filing requirements. So if you already have a trusted law firm that you like to work with, you may want to ask them to assist you in this process. Otherwise, you may want to seek one out for their legal services at this time. 

You may have an LLC formed in a state where they provide you with an online account to check the status of your LLC. But, this isn’t the case in 100% of the states in the country. Each state may vary in this process, though here is a general idea of how you can go about requesting this information. 

First, you should call the Secretary of State where your LLC is formed, or send them a letter or email that you are requesting this information. There may be a fee required by state regulations if you are requesting this information, and every subsequent request thereafter. 

Depending on the manner in which you request the information, the state your LLC is filed in, and a number of other factors, it may take a few days up to a few weeks to get your requested information returned to you. 

Read More: Best LLC Services 2024

Benefits Of A “Good Standing” Status For LLCs

Let’s dive deeper into why you want to have a good standing for your LLC. For starters, if you have an LLC in good standing with the state, that means you’ll be entitled to the specialized legal protections that you are expecting from an LLC. 

Further, having an LLC in good standing with the law is a great stamp of credibility and respectability for business entities. If the business is in good standing in the eyes of the state, that’s a good thing for clients and potential customers as well. There are also tax purposes for having an LLC, as it can streamline tax filings for business owners in certain circumstances. 

All in all, this gives you good footing to operate your business and opens up your future possibilities since you are an officially-established company. 

How To Request A Certificate Of Good Standing For LLC?

When you’re checking in on the status of your LLC, you should request a certificate of good standing in order to get it officially in writing from your state. This document will provide you with even more information on your LLC. In addition, it will state that your LLC is in good standing and has no pending filing requirements before it can be considered a true business entity. 

Again, you will need to request this through the secretary of state’s office where you created the LLC originally. You or your law firm can request this document typically via letter or email. Depending on the state, you may receive a response in a few days or weeks. 

How To Regain Good Standing For LLCs?

How To Check LLC Status?

What happens if you check the status of your LLC and you find that you are not in good standing? Even if you’ve made all the proper filings for your business, if your LLC has been inactive for a number of years, it may be revoked by the secretary of state. Be sure to check with your state to find out what the length of time is for this to occur. Three years is a common length. 

If this is the case, you’ll need to re-send any relevant legal documents or filings to the Secretary of State to reinstate your LLC and get back in good standing. 

So, just because your LLC has been revoked doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road for you. There is a path back to reinstatement that you can go through in most cases. Again, check with your legal advisor to find out what the best course of action is for your business

Top 2 LLC Services

Here are two of the best online tools for all things related to company filings and registrations.

ZenBusinessNorthwest Registered Agent
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ZenBusiness

ZenBusiness is a newer service provider that is known for its low prices. They have a large number of business formation and support services, supporting small side hustles and larger businesses alike. Customers can file an LLC or a corporation for free on ZenBusiness, and enjoy excellent customer service and affordability on their packages for continued support.  

Northwest Registered Agent

While Northwest Registered Agent is mostly known for its registered agent service, they also have a full slate full of other business formation services and ongoing legal support for its customers. Like ZenBusiness, they are known for their top-tier customer service, and a unique aspect of their service is that they promise to never sell your data to third parties. 

Final Thoughts

After reading through this guide, hopefully, you have a better idea of what you need to do to check the status of your LLC, why this is important, and how you can go about reinstating your LLC if it has been revoked for some reason.

Be sure to take the information here solely as part of your research, but consult with a licensed legal professional in order to get the most relevant and up-to-date information for your LLC to follow. 

Overall, knowing where your LLC stands in the eyes of the secretary of state is an important piece of information to understand so you can avoid issues with scaling your business or potential legal troubles in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you request the status of your LLC by mail?

In many states, you can request this piece of information via mail, though this may vary state to state.

Is there a website where I can check my LLC status?

The secretary of state where you filed your LLC may have provided you with log in details to check the status of your LLC. However, this is not the case for most states until you request this information formally and pay the required fee.

Is checking your tax status the same as checking your LLC status?

No, these are two separate pieces of information for your company.

Is there a form I should submit to check the status of my LLC?

This will depend on the state where you filed your LLC originally.

If I filed an Articles of Incorporation, is my LLC in good standing?

Not necessarily. There may be other required filings or documents that you may be missing that are keeping your LLC from being in good standing.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bizreport - Bailey Schramm
Bailey Schramm, BS
Finance Advisor
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Bailey Schramm is a writer based out of Jackson Hole, WY, primarily covering topics and trends in financial services, business, and the blockchain. With a background covering stock market developments for a major FinTech company, she now provides SEO and content strategy services to financial service companies and tech startups.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Kristina Knight-1
Kristina Knight, Journalist , BA
Content Writer & Editor
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Kristina Knight is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience writing on varied topics. Kristina’s focus for the past 10 years has been the small business, online marketing, and banking sectors, however, she keeps things interesting by writing about her experiences as an adoptive mom, parenting, and education issues. Kristina’s work has appeared with BizReport.com, NBC News, Soaps.com, DisasterNewsNetwork, and many more publications.

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Bizreport Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Bizreport, you can read more about the editorial process here.

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  2. Irs.gov. (2017). LLC Filing as a Corporation or Partnership | Internal Revenue Service. [online] Available at: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/llc-filing-as-a-corporation-or-partnership.
  3. Mass.gov. (2021). Limited Liability Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships. [online] Available at: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/limited-liability-companies-and-limited-liability-partnerships.
  4. Choose a business structure. (2023). Choose a business structure. [online] Available at: https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/launch-your-business/choose-business-structure.
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