Oregon Secretary of State

Business Registry Certificates

​​​Requesting a Certificate of Existence


The Certificate of Existence is ordered and received in minutes.  Log into Oregon Business Registry and select Certificate of Existence.​ The fee is $10, paid by credit card online.

Requesting Other Certificate Types

Complete a certificate request form for other certificates, or if your Certificate of Existence requires an Authentication/Apostille.  These paper form requests, submitted by fax or mail, (not email), are processed in the order received, usually within 5-10 business days after receipt.

Certificate Types

Certificate of Existence

Used for any business entity registered with the Secretary of State that needs to show existence in the state of Oregon. This certificate is similar to the “Certificate of Good Standing” issued by other states.  (Order online as explained above, unless an Authentication/Apostille for another country is required.)

Certificate of Merger
Used for proof of the merger of two or more entities.

Certificate of Name Change
Used for proof of a business name change.

Certificate of No Record
Used to prove that a company has no active record in Oregon. It is often required when the Department of Motor Vehicles needs proof that a lienholder no longer exists.

Other Certificate Needs

We'll certify to a plain copy ​of the business registry filing that shows the information you need.
Complete and fax or mail a copy request form​ to order a Certified Copy of the Document File or a specific document for $15.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Certificates of Existence can be ordered directly from our office. Watch out for mailings from third parties trying to mislead you into paying too much for a certificate.  Our fee is only $10.