Form AO 136, Certificate of Good Standing (District Court), is the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts form on which the Clerk of a United States district court certifies that a named member of that court's bar was duly admitted and is in good standing. It records the member's name, Bar number and date of admission, and it is dated and signed by the Clerk or a Deputy Clerk. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts at uscourts.gov.
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What is AO 136?
Form AO 136, Certificate of Good Standing (District Court), is the form of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts on which the Clerk of a United States district court certifies that a named person was duly admitted to practice in that court and is in good standing as a member of its Bar.
The printed form is headed "United States District Court for the ___ District of ___", so each court enters its own district. Its body is a single certification in the Clerk's voice: the Clerk certifies that the named person, with a Bar number, was duly admitted to practice in this Court on a stated date, and is in good standing as a member of the Bar of this Court. It closes with a "Dated at" line for the location and the date, and signature lines for the Clerk or a Deputy Clerk.
The statement covers membership of the issuing court's own bar only; the form does not speak to any other court. It is a one-page form with no schedules or companion forms printed on it. The revision printed on the PDF is AO 136 (Rev. 10/13), and the PDF carries Print, Save As and Reset buttons.
Who needs to file AO 136?
The form is completed for a person who has been admitted to the Bar of a United States district court and whose good standing in that court needs to be certified in writing. The certification is made by the Clerk of that court, so the Clerk or a Deputy Clerk signs it; the form has no signature line for the bar member.
The form identifies the member by name and Bar number and states the date of admission to practice in the court. Because it is worded as a certification by the Clerk "of this Court", it speaks only about the court named at the top of the form. It does not certify admission or standing in any other court, and the form prints no instructions about who may request it or on whose behalf. Questions about who may obtain a certificate go to the Clerk's office of the district court concerned.
How to fill out AO 136
Enter the district at the top
In the heading "United States District Court for the ___ District of ___", enter the name of the district and the state or territory of the court that issues the certificate.
Enter the Clerk's name
In the opening line "I, ___, Clerk of this Court", write the name of the Clerk of the court.
Enter the member's name
In the line "certify that ___", enter the full name of the person whose good standing is being certified.
Enter the Bar number
In the field after "Bar #", enter the member's Bar number as the court records it.
Enter the date of admission
In the field after "was duly admitted to practice in this Court on", enter the date the member was admitted to practice in the court.
Complete the Dated at line
On the "Dated at" line, enter the location in the first space and the date of the certificate in the second.
Identify the signing officer
The form has signature lines for the Clerk and for a Deputy Clerk; the Clerk or Deputy Clerk signs for the court.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check the district, names, Bar number and dates, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and take it to the court's Clerk's office for signature.
How to submit AO 136
Form AO 136 prints no mailing address, portal, appointment rule or fee, so it names no submission channel of its own. The certification is made and signed by the Clerk or a Deputy Clerk of the district court named at the top of the form, which means the court's Clerk's office is the place to ask how it issues certificates of good standing and how a request is made. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts publishes the blank form at https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/ao136.pdf. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels of the court concerned.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the district blanks at the top empty, so the certificate does not say which United States District Court issues it.
- Leaving the Bar # blank or entering a number that does not match the member's record with the court.
- Entering the date the certificate is made instead of the date the member was admitted to practice in the court.
- Omitting the location or the date on the "Dated at" line.
- Leaving the Clerk or Deputy Clerk signature line unsigned; the certification is made in the Clerk's voice.
- Using the certificate to show standing in a court other than the one named on the form, since it certifies membership of the Bar of this Court only.
Frequently asked questions
What is a certificate of good standing on Form AO 136?
Form AO 136 is the certificate by which the Clerk of a U.S. district court certifies that a named person, with a Bar number, was duly admitted to practice in that court and is in good standing as a member of its Bar. The form is published by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
Who signs Form AO 136?
The Clerk or a Deputy Clerk of the district court signs it. The form is worded as the Clerk's own certification ("I, ___, Clerk of this Court, certify...") and has signature lines for CLERK and DEPUTY CLERK, but none for the member being certified.
What information does Form AO 136 ask for?
The district of the court, the Clerk's name, the member's name and Bar number, the date the member was admitted to practice in the court, and the location and date on the "Dated at" line, followed by the Clerk's or Deputy Clerk's signature.
Does Form AO 136 prove good standing in other courts?
No. The certification says the person is in good standing as a member of the Bar of "this Court", meaning the district court named at the top of the form. It makes no statement about any other court.
Can I fill out Form AO 136 online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not issue, sign or file the certificate; it still needs the signature of the court's Clerk or Deputy Clerk.
Where do I send Form AO 136?
The form prints no address or submission channel. Because the Clerk or Deputy Clerk of the district court signs it, ask that court's Clerk's office how it issues certificates of good standing and how to make a request.
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