Delaware Certificate of Good Standing Apostille

Key facts

What is a Delaware certificate of good standing apostille?

It is a Hague apostille attached to a Division of Corporations certificate confirming that a Delaware entity exists and is in good standing. Foreign banks, registries and counterparties ask for it.

On a sample we reviewed, the underlying certificate stated that the entity was duly formed under Delaware law, “is in good standing and has a legal existence”, and that its annual taxes had been paid to date. The apostille confirms the signature and seal on that certificate. It does not vouch for the company beyond that.

Does a certificate of good standing need to be notarized first?

No notary step appeared on the sample. The certificate is signed in the name of the Delaware Secretary of State, and the apostille certifies that signature directly.

The certificate and the apostille come from one office in Dover. There is no county clerk and no notary in between.

Should I order the short form or the long form?

Ask the party abroad which one it requires before you order. The Division sells both, and the price difference is large: $50 for the short form and $175 for the long form.

Those figures are from the Division’s fee schedule revised August 1, 2024. If a foreign bank or registry has given you a document checklist, send it with your quote request. Ordering the wrong form means paying for a second certificate and a second apostille.

Can several company filings go under one apostille?

No. Delaware requires each document filed with the Secretary of State to be certified separately. “One-cover” certifications cannot be used for apostille requests.

So a good standing certificate and a certified copy of the certificate of incorporation are two documents. Each gets its own apostille and its own $30 fee. Certified copies are listed at $50 for the first page plus $2 for each additional page. See the Division’s Apostilles and Authentications page.

How much are the state fees in total?

Count four possible lines: the certificate fee, any expedite on the certificate, the $30 apostille fee, and any expedite on the apostille.

Apostille expedite is $40 for 24-hour service, $50 for same day and $500 for 2-hour service. It is charged once per entity when the documents are for the same entity. The fee schedule lists separate expedite charges for the certificate itself. Confirm the combined total with the Division before you rely on a figure. AI Fingerprinting’s service fee is separate: request a quote.

What are the steps to apostille a Delaware certificate of good standing?

1. Confirm the exact legal name of the Delaware entity and that it is in good standing with annual taxes paid.
2. Ask the receiving party whether it wants the short form or the long form, and whether it also wants certified copies of filings.
3. Order the certificate from the Division of Corporations. Order each additional filing as a separately certified document.
4. Write the cover memo. State the purpose and name the country where the certificate will be used.
5. Choose standard processing or the 24-hour, same-day or 2-hour tier.
6. Give a FedEx or UPS account number or a prepaid envelope for the return. Otherwise Delaware uses regular USPS mail.

Can a Delaware certificate be verified online?

Yes. The Division of Corporations runs an online validation page where certificates can be checked. The good standing certificate also prints its own verification details.

On the sample, the certificate carried an authentication number, a date, an SR number and an online-verification line at the foot. A foreign bank can use these to confirm the certificate with Delaware.

What a Delaware apostille looks like on a good standing certificate

You receive two sheets stapled at the top center: the boxed apostille on top and the good standing certificate beneath, showing through. This description is from a 2025 sample.

• Field 3 of the apostille reads “Secretary Of State Of Delaware”. Field 4 reads “Office Of Secretary Of State”.
• The apostille is certified “at Dover, Delaware” and numbered “No.” plus nine digits.
• A gold foil starburst seal reads “Secretary of State” and “Delaware”, with the state coat of arms and the dates 1776 and 1970 on a ribbon.
• The text is in an italic typewriter-style font inside a single thin box. There is no letterhead and no destination country.
• The certificate underneath has its own authentication number and SR number, which differ from the apostille number.

Common reasons for rejection

For good standing certificates, problems usually start with the order, not the apostille.

• Several filings were ordered under one cover certification.
• A photocopy or downloaded image of a certificate was submitted in place of the original.
• The cover memo did not name the country of use.
• A supporting company document was notarized remotely or by a notary outside Delaware.
• The entity is not from Delaware. A company formed in another state gets its certificate and apostille there.
• The wrong form was ordered, so the foreign recipient refused it even though Delaware issued it correctly.

How AI Fingerprinting helps

AI Fingerprinting is a private document service. We are not a government agency and not a law firm. Our office is at 201 NE Park Plaza Dr #221, Vancouver, WA 98684, open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. We accept mail-in requests from anywhere in the United States.

Tell us the country, the recipient and your deadline. We help you work out which certificates and certified copies to order, check that each filing is certified on its own, and prepare the cover memo.

We do not publish a price for Delaware corporate apostilles. Request a quote.

Get a quote Call (360) 998-7302 Book an appointment