Filing and Registration Types
Find information about specific filing and registration types.
Information Services
Find more information about the services the Department offers like name availability, record searches, and more.
Fees and Payments
Find how much we charge for different filings with the Department.
Business & Corporation Resources
A wide range of business forms are available in the Business Filing Services portal. Additional forms, guides, and reports can be found here.
Services Available
What many states call a “Good Standing Certificate” is known in Pennsylvania as a “Subsistence Certificate” for domestic filing entities and a “Certificate of Registration” for registered foreign associations. This terminology is important to know when placing Business Orders.
Business Filing Services allows you to submit your filings electronically, but your application still requires human review. Submissions are processed in the date they are received unless expedited services are requested. Processing times may vary and are noted on the search page for every filing type. We appreciate your patience. Upon completion, documents submitted online will be returned via the Business Filing Services portal.
As we work to digitize our entire business entity database from microfilm, you may notice that some documents are readily available while others require scanning. When ordering documents that have not been digitized, we ask that you allow up to five business days for your order to be processed. Once your order is complete, you will be notified via email that the records are available in the Business Filing Services portal.
Reporting your business to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
Attention Pennsylvania businesses: Starting Jan. 1, 2024, a new federal rule requires many companies doing business in the U.S to report information about their ownership to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Treasury.
Get more information: fincen.gov/boi
Guide: Small Entity Compliance Guide
Find Frequently Asked Questions
Small, small diverse and/or veteran business
Here's how to become a DGS certified Small, Small Diverse and/or Veteran Business: The Pennsylvania Department of General Services' Bureau of Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunity handles the registration process.
General information
Under Pennsylvania law, every proceeding for the organization of corporations, both for-profit and non-profit, and every ancillary transaction relating to such corporations is required to be filed with the department's Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. Other businesses registering with the bureau include: professional corporations, municipal authorities, limited partnerships, foreign corporations qualifying to do business in the Commonwealth and individuals and corporations conducting business under an assumed or fictitious name.
The executive staff of the Department of State and the employees of the bureau are committed to providing expeditious, courteous and professional service to the business community and general public, in all phases of filing and dissemination of the important records entrusted in its care.
The bureau is the repository for the records of more than 2,400,000 companies authorized to do business in Pennsylvania. All records maintained in this office are public and may be inspected upon request.
Dissemination of the information contained on bureau records is a major function of bureau activity. Over 25,000 telephone inquiries are answered each month; approximately 260,000 photocopies are provided to the public annually; sales of new business lists, forms CD’s, and master date and image subscription services are all part of the services the bureau offers to the public.
As the official record keeper of business documents, the bureau can provide certain information on all registered businesses. The bureau typically receives in excess of 6,000 telephone calls per week, most of which are from persons either requesting information on companies or checking on the availability of entity names. The bureau does not assess a fee for telephone information. Information may also be acquired in person or by mail.
The new information-based, technology economy has businesses rethinking traditional practices because of e-commerce, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is doing the same!
Our goal is to make Pennsylvania the easiest place in the nation to start a business. Through the Pennsylvania Open for Business Web site, we are doing just that - giving entrepreneurs a one-stop shop to start, sustain and expand their businesses.
The Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop is the go-to resource for planning, registering, operating, and growing a business in Pennsylvania. he Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop is the go-to resource for planning, registering, operating, and growing a business in Pennsylvania.
Serving as the first point of contact for Pennsylvania business development concerns, the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop connects and guides businesses through all stages of development — from planning and startup to operating and expanding. Whether seeking information about registering a business, Act 32 and Local Earned Income Tax withholding, Unemployment Compensation (UC) tax, diverse business resources, and more, the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop can help provide answers to business-related questions.
With an easy-to-navigate website and backed by a team of business consultants and subject matter experts, entrepreneurs and small businesses have access to the resources, tools, and experience to help them dream big, plan for the future, and achieve their goals.
To learn more about the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop, visit business.pa.gov.