Iowa Certificate of Good Standing

How to get a Certificate of Existence from the Iowa Secretary of State

A certificate of good standing in the State of Iowa is called a Certificate of Standing, Certificate of Authorization or a Certificate of Existence. You can order by fax, mail, phone or in person, but we recommend calling. Normal processing takes up to 2 days, plus additional time for mailing, and costs $5. Expedited service is not available.

You can order

Online:
You will need to have an account set up with this office to use this option. An account can be set up, however, annual fees will apply. It takes 2-3 weeks to process any new account requests. If you already have an account, you can go to their website and follow the instructions provided to search and print a certificate. You will be able to authenticate, validate, view and print the certificate yourself. Processing times are on a case by case basis. You may want to call for specific processing times.

By Mail:
You will want to provide the business name, payment, specific request and a daytime phone number for any questions.

By Fax:
You will want to provide the business name, specific request and a daytime phone number for any questions on a normal fax cover sheet. They will call you to get your credit card information when processing.

By Phone
Called in requests are accepted and they can give you a specific timeframe for processing. You will want to have the business name and credit card handy when making your call.

In Person:
Requested documents can usually be provided within 2 days. You will want to have your payment handy.

How much does an Iowa Certificate of Existence cost?

$5 for normal processing.
$1 per page return fax charge.

Is expedited processing available?

No. However, online is immediate and all other orders are usually processed within 2 days, plus additional time for mailing.

Payment options?

Check, Money Order, Visa, MasterCard or Discover.
Make check or money order payable to: Secretary of State.

How long does it take to get a Certificate of Existence?

Online processing: immediate.
Normal processing: 2 business days, plus additional time for mailing.

How will the Certificate of Existence come back after I order from the Iowa Secretary of State?

It will be mailed by regular mail, unless you request otherwise and provide a pre-addressed prepaid envelope or UPS/Fed Ex account number. An additional $1 per page fee is required for return faxing. Return service by email is not available.

Order an Iowa Certificate of Existence Online:

Contact Info:

Iowa Secretary of State
Business Services
First Floor, Lucas Building
321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515)281-5204 phone
(515)242-5953 fax
Email: