A Secretary of State business search is a free online lookup, run through the filing office in the state where a company is registered, that tells you whether the business is legally formed, what its current status is, who its registered agent is, and what documents it has on file. Every state offers one, the interfaces differ, and the process takes a few minutes once you know the entity’s legal name or ID number.
What to Have Ready Before You Search
The fastest way to pull up a company is by its entity identification number, a unique code the state assigns when the business first registers. That number appears on formation documents, past tax filings, and official correspondence from the filing office. Enter it and you’ll land on the exact record without sifting through lookalikes.
When you don’t have the ID, search by legal name. The legal name is the formal name on file with the state, which isn’t always the name on the storefront, website, or invoice. Many businesses operate under a trade name, often called a “doing business as” or DBA, which is a separate registration and may not appear in the main entity search. If a trade name returns nothing, try the parent company’s legal name. Some states keep a separate fictitious name or DBA index alongside the entity database, so check both if you’re unsure which name is the legal one.
Legal names for corporations and LLCs almost always include a required suffix like “Inc.,” “Corp.,” “LLC,” or “Ltd.” Including the suffix narrows the results, though most tools return matches without it.
How to Run the Search
Start at the Secretary of State website for the state where the business was formed or registered. Look for links labeled “business entity search,” “business filings,” or “commercial recordings.” The search field accepts a name or ID number, and most tools offer filters like “starts with,” “contains,” or “exact match.” Use “starts with” when you know the beginning of the name but not the exact suffix. Use “contains” for partial matches, and expect a longer list.
A common name like “Summit Construction” might return dozens of entries. Compare formation dates, registered addresses, and entity types to identify the right one. Clicking an entity from the results list opens its detailed record, which is where the useful information lives. Most states let you download annual reports, articles of incorporation, and amendments directly from that page at no charge.
What the Record Shows
A typical entity record includes the legal name, entity type (corporation, LLC, limited partnership, and so on), the original formation or registration date, and the current status. You’ll also see the state of formation, which matters because a company incorporated in Delaware but operating in Texas will appear in both states’ databases with different records.
The registered agent is listed on nearly every record. This is the person or company designated to accept legal documents like lawsuits and official notices on behalf of the business, and the listing includes a physical street address because most states require the agent to have an actual location where process can be served during business hours. If you need to serve legal papers, the registered agent address is where they go.
Many records also display the principal office address and the names of current officers or directors. Depth varies by state. Some list every officer and director with titles and addresses; others show only the registered agent and the principal address. Annual reports filed by the company often contain the most current officer information, and those reports are usually viewable in the filing history.
Reading the Status Field
Status is often the single most important piece of information in a business search, and the labels mean specific things.
- Active or Good Standing: the entity has met its filing obligations and paid its fees, and is authorized to conduct business in the state.
- Inactive: the entity exists on record but is not currently authorized to transact business, often because it missed a filing or fee deadline.
- Dissolved: the owners voluntarily wound the entity down through a formal filing. It no longer exists as a legal entity.
- Administratively Dissolved or Revoked: the state terminated the entity involuntarily, usually for failing to file annual reports or respond to a compliance notice within the required window.
- Forfeited: the entity lost its authority to do business for failure to pay required taxes, typically franchise or income taxes owed to the state.
- Suspended: the entity’s powers have been temporarily halted, often by a tax agency rather than the Secretary of State. The entity still exists but cannot legally operate until the issue is resolved.
If you’re vetting a company before signing a contract, anything other than “active” or “good standing” is a warning. A dissolved or forfeited entity may lack the legal capacity to enter into enforceable contracts, and its owners may have lost the liability protection the entity structure was meant to provide.
What You Won’t Find
Public business search databases have real limits. Most states do not list the individual owners or members of an LLC unless those individuals also serve as managers or officers. A handful of states allow “anonymous” LLCs where neither members nor managers appear in public filings. Even in states that require manager names, the actual equity owners behind the company may not be disclosed.
The federal Corporate Transparency Act originally required most domestic companies to report their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), but a 2025 interim final rule exempted all U.S.-formed entities and their beneficial owners, limiting the reporting requirement to foreign-formed companies registered to do business in the United States. FinCEN’s beneficial ownership database isn’t open to the public in any case; access is restricted to law enforcement, national security agencies, and financial institutions with compliance obligations.
When the Business Is Registered in Another State
A company formed in one state but operating in another typically must register as a “foreign” entity in each additional state where it does business. “Foreign” here means out-of-state, not international. A Delaware LLC with offices and employees in California should appear in both Delaware’s and California’s databases, but the records look different: Delaware’s shows the formation details, California’s shows the foreign qualification filing.
This creates a common search problem. If you search only in the state where you encountered the company and find nothing, the business may still be legitimate and simply registered elsewhere. Check the state of formation listed on any contracts or correspondence, then search that state’s database. If you do find a foreign-qualified entity, the record usually lists the home state and original formation date so you can trace it back.
Businesses that operate in a state without registering as a foreign entity risk losing access to that state’s courts and may face penalties. An unregistered company isn’t automatically fraudulent, but it is out of compliance, which is worth knowing before you hand over money.
Getting an Official Certificate or Certified Copy
A screen-level search is enough for most due diligence, but some transactions require an official document with the state’s seal. The most common is a Certificate of Good Standing, also called a Certificate of Existence or Certificate of Status depending on the state. This document confirms that the entity is properly formed and current on its filings as of the date the certificate is issued.
You’ll typically need one when opening a business bank account, applying for financing, registering the entity in another state through a foreign qualification filing, closing a business sale or merger, or renewing certain professional licenses. Fees generally range from $10 to $50, depending on the state and whether you need a standard or long-form version. Most states offer instant digital downloads; mailed copies with physical seals cost a few dollars more and take longer.
You can also order certified copies of formation documents, amendments, and other filings from the entity’s history. Certified copies carry an official attestation and are self-authenticating in federal court proceedings, which means the opposing party cannot force you to bring in a witness just to prove the document is genuine.1Cornell Law School. Federal Rules of Evidence 902 – Evidence That Is Self-Authenticating
Related Searches Worth Running at the Same Time
Most Secretary of State offices also maintain Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings, which are records of security interests that creditors hold in a business’s assets. A UCC-1 financing statement is a public notice that a lender has a claim on specific collateral, such as equipment, inventory, or accounts receivable. These filings remain effective for five years and must be renewed through a continuation statement before they expire. Running a UCC search is a separate function from the entity search, though both are usually accessible from the same website. If you’re buying a business, extending credit, or signing a major contract, a UCC search reveals whether the company’s assets are already pledged to other creditors. Fees generally fall between $5 and $50.
A Secretary of State search confirms legal registration and status, but it doesn’t tell you whether a company is honest, solvent, or competent. For a fuller picture, pair the entity search with a check of the company’s standing at the state tax authority (a separate agency in most states), a review of any professional licenses through the relevant licensing board, and a UCC search for liens on the company’s assets. No single database tells the whole story, but the Secretary of State search is the right place to start.