Business entity search for every state and D.C.
Run a business entity search or SOS business search in the state that holds a company's record, check a name before you file, and see what each state really charges, with every figure tied to the agency that publishes it.
Click any state to open its search guide. D.C. is reachable from the list below.
Everything you need to verify a U.S. business.
Check a name
The order of searches that protects a name before you file, with reservation fees for every state.
LLC Lookup
Which states publish members and managers, and lawful ways to learn more when they do not.
EIN Lookup
Nonprofit and public company EINs from IRS and SEC records, plus a prefix checker for any EIN.
Fee Directory
Formation fees, report deadlines and true yearly upkeep for all 51 jurisdictions, sortable.
Verify a Business
Ten free official checks, from standing and liens to court cases and the sanctions list.
UCC Lien Search
Which state holds a company's lien filings, how to read them and when they lapse.
Bulk Data by State
Which states give away, sell or withhold their full register, with prices from official pages.
Entity Types
LLC, corporation, partnership and nonprofit, and how each one appears in state records.
Resources
Good standing, registered agent, dissolved, foreign entity and more, explained in context.
Business entity search by state
Each guide links to the live state search, explains how that state labels status and record numbers, and works out what an LLC there costs over three years.
Northeast
9 jurisdictions- CTConnecticut Business Entity SearchConnecticut Secretary of the State, Business Services
- MEMaine Business Entity SearchMaine Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions
- MAMassachusetts Business Entity SearchSecretary of the Commonwealth, Corporations Division
- NHNew Hampshire Business Entity SearchNew Hampshire Department of State, Corporation Division
- NJNew Jersey Business Entity SearchNew Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES)
- NYNew York Business Entity SearchNew York Department of State, Division of Corporations
- PAPennsylvania Business Entity SearchPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations
- RIRhode Island Business Entity SearchRhode Island Department of State, Business Services Division
- VTVermont Business Entity SearchVermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division
Midwest
12 jurisdictions- ILIllinois Business Entity SearchIllinois Secretary of State, Department of Business Services
- INIndiana Business Entity SearchIndiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- IAIowa Business Entity SearchIowa Secretary of State, Business Services
- KSKansas Business Entity SearchKansas Secretary of State, Business Services
- MIMichigan Business Entity SearchMichigan LARA, Corporations Division
- MNMinnesota Business Entity SearchMinnesota Secretary of State, Business Services
- MOMissouri Business Entity SearchMissouri Secretary of State, Corporations Division
- NENebraska Business Entity SearchNebraska Secretary of State, Business Services
- NDNorth Dakota Business Entity SearchNorth Dakota Secretary of State, Business Division
- OHOhio Business Entity SearchOhio Secretary of State, Business Services
- SDSouth Dakota Business Entity SearchSouth Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services
- WIWisconsin Business Entity SearchWisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI)
South
17 jurisdictions- ALAlabama Business Entity SearchAlabama Secretary of State, Business Entities Division
- ARArkansas Business Entity SearchArkansas Secretary of State, Business and Commercial Services
- DEDelaware Business Entity SearchDelaware Division of Corporations
- DCDistrict of Columbia Business Entity SearchDC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Corporations Division
- FLFlorida Business Entity SearchFlorida Department of State, Division of Corporations
- GAGeorgia Business Entity SearchGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division
- KYKentucky Business Entity SearchKentucky Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings
- LALouisiana Business Entity SearchLouisiana Secretary of State, Commercial Division
- MDMaryland Business Entity SearchMaryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT)
- MSMississippi Business Entity SearchMississippi Secretary of State, Business Services
- NCNorth Carolina Business Entity SearchNorth Carolina Secretary of State, Business Registration Division
- OKOklahoma Business Entity SearchOklahoma Secretary of State, Business Filing Department
- SCSouth Carolina Business Entity SearchSouth Carolina Secretary of State, Business Filings Division
- TNTennessee Business Entity SearchTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations
- TXTexas Business Entity SearchTexas Secretary of State and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- VAVirginia Business Entity SearchVirginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office
- WVWest Virginia Business Entity SearchWest Virginia Secretary of State, Business and Licensing Division
West
13 jurisdictions- AKAlaska Business Entity SearchAlaska Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
- AZArizona Business Entity SearchArizona Corporation Commission
- CACalifornia Business Entity SearchCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division
- COColorado Business Entity SearchColorado Secretary of State, Business and Licensing Division
- HIHawaii Business Entity SearchHawaii DCCA Business Registration Division
- IDIdaho Business Entity SearchIdaho Secretary of State, Business Services
- MTMontana Business Entity SearchMontana Secretary of State, Business Services
- NVNevada Business Entity SearchNevada Secretary of State, Commercial Recordings Division
- NMNew Mexico Business Entity SearchNew Mexico Secretary of State, Business Services Division
- OROregon Business Entity SearchOregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division
- UTUtah Business Entity SearchUtah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code
- WAWashington Business Entity SearchWashington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division
- WYWyoming Business Entity SearchWyoming Secretary of State, Business Division
Find the right business lookup for your question
People reach this site through very different searches: an SOS business search, an LLC lookup, an EIN search or a check on who owns a company. Each topic below groups those searches and links to the page that answers them.
Secretary of State business search
The official register in each state, usually run by the Secretary of State. Our directory links all 51 with fees and report deadlines.
Business entity search
One search that returns LLCs, corporations, partnerships and nonprofits together. Start in the state where the company was formed.
Corporation search
Corporations sit in the same state index as LLCs. The record shows officers, status and the articles of incorporation.
LLC lookup and LLC search
Find an LLC by name, read its status and agent, and learn what the state does and does not reveal about members.
EIN lookup and EIN search
EINs are federal, so no state search shows them. Our tool finds EINs that the IRS and SEC publish and checks any prefix.
Business name search and availability
A search shows names already taken. Claiming one takes a reservation or an accepted filing, and a trademark check.
Who owns a company
Owner names appear in different records for corporations, LLCs, public companies, nonprofits and sole proprietors.
Status, tax standing and liens
Checks that go beyond the name: good standing, franchise tax status, UCC liens and licenses.
State portal names
Many people search for a state portal by its own name. Each of these leads to the matching state guide.
One trustworthy starting point for U.S. business records.
Business entities in the United States are registered by states, not the federal government. Each state and D.C. keeps its own register of LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships and nonprofits, so there is no single national search. A state record confirms the legal name, formation date, current status and the registered agent, and many states add filing history and scanned documents.
Most wrong conclusions come from asking a state search a question it was never built to answer:
| Your question | Where the answer lives |
|---|---|
| Is this company real and registered? | The business search of its home state |
| Is it current with the state? | Status plus good standing, or a paid certificate |
| Can I use this name for my LLC? | The state decides at filing |
| Is the name a trademark? | USPTO trademark search |
| Who owns this LLC? | Sometimes the record, often nowhere public |
| Does a public company report financials? | SEC EDGAR |
If you do not know where a company was formed, the nationwide search guide shows how to work it out from contracts, invoices and federal filings.
| Lowest upkeep | Per year |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $0 |
| Arizona | $0 |
| Idaho | $0 |
| Minnesota | $0 |
| Mississippi | $0 |
| Highest upkeep | Per year |
|---|---|
| California | $810 |
| Massachusetts | $500 |
| Rhode Island | $450 |
| Nevada | $350 |
| Tennessee | $300 |
Report fees spread over their cycle plus flat state taxes every LLC owes, such as California's $800 minimum tax. Excludes income taxes and agent fees.
Questions about entity search
Is there one national database of U.S. businesses?
No. Companies are formed under state law, so each state and DC keeps its own registry. A company formed in Delaware and operating in Texas has a record in both states, with a different number in each.
Does a free search result mean a business name is available?
No. The search shows what is already on file. The state decides availability only when it accepts a formation or reservation filing, and it may also block names that are too similar or misleading.
Can I see who owns an LLC from the state search?
Sometimes. States such as Florida and Alaska list managers or members, while Delaware, Wyoming and New Mexico usually show only the registered agent.
Do state business searches cost money?
Almost all are free to search. Delaware charges $50 per entity for a status record search, and most states charge for certified copies and good standing certificates.
Is a business entity search the same as an SOS business search?
Usually, yes. In most states the Secretary of State keeps the business register, so both names point to the same database. The exceptions include Arizona and Virginia, where a corporation commission keeps it, Maryland (SDAT), Wisconsin (DFI), Michigan (LARA) and DC (DLCP).
How do I find out who owns a company?
It depends on the type of business. Corporation officers appear on state annual reports, large shareholders of public companies on SEC filings, nonprofit directors on Form 990, and sole proprietors on county DBA records. Many LLCs list only a registered agent.
Does a state business search show a company's EIN?
Almost never. The EIN is a federal tax number and state registers do not publish it, with Florida's Sunbiz as a notable exception. EINs are public for tax-exempt organizations and SEC filers.
What does "not in good standing" mean on a business record?
The company has missed a required report or tax payment. It still exists, but if it does not catch up, most states will administratively dissolve or revoke it, and it can usually be reinstated by filing what was missed.
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration, Register your business
- USPTO trademark search
- SEC EDGAR full-text search
- U.S. Census Bureau regions and divisions
Data Updated Recently
Ready to check a business name?
Start with the order of checks that keeps a name safe until the state accepts it.