Secretary of State Business Entity Search
If you need to search a business entity — an LLC, corporation, LP, or LLP — you need the right link to the official state database. This page compiles all 50 U.S. states, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, with direct links to each Secretary of State (SOS) portal and business entity search tool.
What Is a Business Entity Search?
A business entity search (also called a corporate record search) lets you look up any company registered with a state. Using the official state database, you can:
- Verify whether a company is legally registered and in good standing
- Check a company’s current status (active, dissolved, suspended, or revoked)
- Find a company’s registered agent and official address
- View filed documents such as Articles of Organization or Incorporation
- Check name availability before forming a new LLC or corporation
This is one of the first steps you should take when starting a business, vetting a potential partner, conducting due diligence as an investor, or verifying whether a vendor is legitimate.
Who Manages Business Registrations in Each State?
In most states, business registrations are managed by the Secretary of State (SOS). However, the name of the governing body varies by state:
- Secretary of State — most common (e.g., California, Texas, Florida, Illinois)
- Department of State — used in New York and Pennsylvania
- Commonwealth — used in Virginia and Massachusetts
- Division of Corporations / Business Services Division — the sub-department responsible for forming, amending, dissolving, and maintaining records of all registered business entities
Pro tip: It’s generally best to form your LLC in the state where you’re doing business. For most people, that’s their home state.
All 50 States: Secretary of State Websites & Business Entity Search (2026)
The table below is current as of 2026 and links directly to each state’s official business entity search page.
Note for New Hampshire: The Business Entity Search doesn’t always work well in Google Chrome. Use Firefox or Microsoft Edge instead.
| State Department | Business Division | Business Entity Search |
| Alabama Secretary of State | Alabama Business Services | Alabama Business Entity Search |
| State of Alaska | Alaska Division of Corporations, Business & Professional Licensing | Alaska Corporations Database |
| Arizona Secretary of State | Arizona Corporation Commission | Arizona Business Entity Search |
| Arkansas Secretary of State | Arkansas Business & Commercial Services | Arkansas Business Entity Search |
| California Secretary of State | California Business Entities | California Business Search |
| Colorado Secretary of State | Colorado Business Organizations | Colorado Business Database Search |
| Connecticut Secretary of State | Connecticut Business Services | Connecticut Business Inquiry Search |
| State of Delaware | Delaware Division of Corporations | Delaware Business Entity Search |
| District of Columbia | DC Dept. of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs | DC Business Filings Search (login required) |
| Florida Department of State | Florida Sunbiz | Florida Business Name Search |
| Georgia Secretary of State | Georgia Corporations Division | Georgia Business Search |
| State of Hawaii | Hawaii Business Registration (BREG) | Hawaii Business Entity & Documents Search |
| Idaho Secretary of State | Idaho Business Entities | Idaho Business Entity Search |
| Illinois Secretary of State | Illinois Business Services | Illinois Corporation & LLC Search |
| Indiana Secretary of State | Indiana’s INBiz | Indiana Business Search |
| Iowa Secretary of State | Iowa Business Services | Iowa Business Entities Search |
| Kansas Secretary of State | Kansas Business Filing Center | Kansas Business Entity Search (BESS) |
| Kentucky Secretary of State | Kentucky Business Services | Kentucky Business Entity Search |
| Louisiana Secretary of State | Louisiana Business Services | Louisiana Business Filings Search |
| Maine Secretary of State | Maine Bureau of Corporations | Maine Corporate Name Search |
| Maryland Secretary of State | Maryland Dept. of Assessments & Taxation | Maryland Business Entity Search |
| Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth | Massachusetts Corporations Division | Massachusetts Business Entity Search |
| Michigan Secretary of State | Michigan Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau | Michigan Business Entity Search |
| Minnesota Secretary of State | Minnesota Business Services | Minnesota Business Filings Search |
| Mississippi Secretary of State | Mississippi Business Services Division | Mississippi Business Search |
| Missouri Secretary of State | Missouri Business Services Division | Missouri Business Entity Search |
| Montana Secretary of State | Montana Business Services Division | Montana Business Entities Search |
| Nebraska Secretary of State | Nebraska Business Services Division | Nebraska Corporation & Business Search |
| Nevada Secretary of State | Nevada Commercial Recordings Division | Nevada Business Search |
| New Hampshire Secretary of State | New Hampshire Corporation Division | NH QuickStart Business Search |
| New Jersey Department of State | NJ Department of the Treasury | NJ Business Entity Name Search |
| New Mexico Secretary of State | New Mexico Corporations Bureau | New Mexico Business Search |
| New York Department of State | New York Division of Corporations | NY Corporation & Business Entity Database |
| North Carolina Secretary of State | NC Business Registration Division | North Carolina Business Search |
| North Dakota Secretary of State | North Dakota Business Services | North Dakota Business Search |
| Ohio Secretary of State | Ohio Business Services | Ohio Business Search |
| Oklahoma Secretary of State | Oklahoma Business Services | Oklahoma Corporation Entity Search |
| Oregon Secretary of State | Oregon Corporation Division Services | Oregon Business Name Search |
| Pennsylvania Department of State | PA Bureau of Corporations & Charitable Organizations | Pennsylvania Business Entity Search |
| Puerto Rico Departamento de Estado | Puerto Rico Registro de Corporaciones | Puerto Rico Corporation Search |
| Rhode Island Secretary of State | Rhode Island Business Portal | Rhode Island Corporate Database |
| South Carolina Secretary of State | South Carolina Business Entities | SC Business Name Search |
| South Dakota Secretary of State | South Dakota Business Services | SD Business Information Search |
| Tennessee Secretary of State | Tennessee Business Services | Tennessee Business Entity Search |
| Texas Secretary of State | Texas Business Services | Texas Taxable Entity Search |
| Utah Secretary of State | Utah Division of Corporations & Commercial Code | Utah Business Search |
| Vermont Secretary of State | Vermont Business Services | Vermont Business Search |
| Commonwealth of Virginia | Virginia State Corporation Commission | Virginia Business Entity Search |
| Washington Secretary of State | Washington Corporations Division | Washington Corporations Search |
| West Virginia Secretary of State | West Virginia Business Division | WV Business Entity Search |
| Wisconsin Secretary of State | Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions | Wisconsin Corporate Records Search |
| Wyoming Secretary of State | Wyoming Business Division | Wyoming Business Entity Search |
How to Search for a Business Entity — Step by Step
- Identify the state where the company is (or claims to be) registered.
- Find the state in the table above and go to the Business Entity Search link.
- Enter the business name, registration number, or registered agent name in the search field.
- Review the results — check entity status, formation date, registered agent address, and filed documents.
If you don’t find the company in the state you expected, try searching neighboring states or use a multi-jurisdiction aggregator like OpenCorporates as a starting point — then always verify on the official state portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there a national database to search all 50 states at once?
There is no official national business registry. However, OpenCorporates aggregates data from many jurisdictions and can help narrow down which state a company may be registered in. Always confirm the information on the official state website. - How do I check if a company is legitimate?
Search the company in the state where it claims to be registered. If it doesn’t appear, or if its status shows as “inactive,” “dissolved,” or “revoked,” that’s a red flag. Also verify that it has a valid registered agent and has filed its required annual reports. - Can I search for an LLC by the owner’s name?
Some states allow you to search by member or manager name, but not all. This functionality varies by state. - Is a business entity search free?
In the vast majority of states, the search itself is free. Some states may charge fees for downloading certified documents or official records. - How long does it take to form an LLC?
Processing times vary widely — from a few hours in states that offer expedited processing to several weeks for standard filings. It depends on the state and the filing method chosen. - What’s the difference between the Secretary of State website and the Business Division?
The Secretary of State is the main governing body. The Business Division (sometimes called the Corporations Division or Business Services Division) is the sub-department specifically responsible for registering and maintaining records of business entities like LLCs and corporations. - Why Use Official State Databases?
Third-party sites can pull outdated or incomplete data. The official Secretary of State portals are the only authoritative source for a company’s legal status, registered agent, and filed documents. Always use the official state search when making business or legal decisions.
