The short version
A real California Certificate of Status costs $5 and comes from the Secretary of State through bizfile Online. Letters asking $49.50 or more to 'process' it are private solicitations, not state bills. You never have to answer them.
- Issued only by the Secretary of State
- State fee: $5 on bizfile Online
- No business is required to use a private entity
Yes, we're also a private service. The difference: we tell you up front that you can order it yourself for $5, we charge a clearly stated service fee, and the certificate comes from the SOS, verifiable in bizfile.
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026
Anatomy of the letter
The Secretary of State publishes a customer alert showing a mailed "Certificate of Status Request Form" that demands $49.50 and calls itself a non-government agency.
| Red flag | What the letter shows | What the real SOS does |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Official-looking header with no State Seal | Mail bears the Secretary of State seal |
| Return envelope | Pre-addressed envelope to a private address | Certificates are ordered through bizfile Online |
| Payment | Credit card form | Never asks for gift cards or crypto |
| Fine print | "Non-government agency" in small print | Email comes from @sos.ca.gov (account setup emails from @okta.com); no texts |
| Fee | About 10x the state fee | $5 for corporations, LLCs and LPs |
| Tone | Urgency language | URLs contain sos.ca.gov |
Verify in 60 seconds
- Search your entity in bizfile and read its status.
- Check your Statement of Information due date.
- If you already hold a certificate, use the bizfile Certification Verification tool (certificates issued after April 7, 2022).
- Compare the sender's address with the Secretary of State contact page.
Common trap: Paying the mailer doesn't file your Statement of Information.
Common trap: WhatsApp/WeChat 'certificates' have shown up with no seal.
The Secretary of State also warns of fake certificates sold through websites and WhatsApp or WeChat. Signs include no State Seal, wrong entity details and mismatched dates.
How to report it
- Report it to Secretary of State Business Programs through its contact form.
- Send the whole mailing to the California Attorney General Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, CA 94244-2550.
FAQ
Official sources
- California Secretary of State: Misleading Business Solicitations
- California Secretary of State: Fraudulent Certificates of Status
- California Secretary of State: Records requests
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026
Corp USA is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Private information and filing service; not a government agency.