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United States

Business Entity Search for Every State

Each state runs its own registry, with its own search, its own words and its own rules about what it shows for free. Here's the official search for all 50 states and DC, with a full guide to every one.

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against official sources · How we research
On this page
  1. How state searches work
  2. State guides
  3. All 51 jurisdictions
  4. After the lookup
  5. Questions

Key takeaways

  • There is no official nationwide business search. Each state keeps its own records, so search the state where the company was formed.
  • Almost every state search is free. Texas charges $1 a search, and Delaware charges extra to show a company's status.
  • Status words differ by state. "Active" doesn't always mean the company is up to date on its filings.

How state business searches work

When a company forms an LLC or corporation, it files with a state agency, usually the Secretary of State, sometimes a Corporation Commission, Department of State, or in Maryland's case the Department of Assessments and Taxation. That agency keeps the public record: the legal name, the formation date, the registered agent, the status, and the documents the company has filed since. The business search is the public window onto that record.

Three things are true in every state. The search is run by the state, not by a private company. The record only covers what the state asked for, so some states show owners and some show nothing but an address. And the status word on the record is the state's word, with the state's meaning, which is why "Active" in Maryland comes with a separate "Good Standing" field and "Active" in New York says nothing about whether the biennial statement is current.

Everything else varies: whether it is free (nearly always), whether you need an account (rarely), whether you can download the filings (usually), and whether you can search by the name of a person (sometimes). The state guides below cover each.

One thing this site does not do: run its own search across states. The sites that claim to are either indexing the same public pages or selling data compiled from them. We send you to the official portal, because that is where the current record is.

The states people look up most

Every state and DC has a full guide below. Each one covers the official search, the steps, the state's own status words, where the agent and owners show up, and the fees that come after.

LLC lookup and business search, state by state

After the lookup

The state search gives you a record. These guides answer what people usually ask next.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a nationwide business search?

Not an official one. Business entities are registered state by state, and each state runs its own registry. A company that operates in several states has a separate record in each. This site is an index of those registries with a guide to each one; it does not host a copy of the records.

Are state business searches free?

Almost all of them. Texas charges $1 per search on SOSPortal, but the Comptroller's Franchise Tax Account Status search is free. Delaware's search is free and shows the company and its registered agent, but the status costs $10.

Which state should I search?

The state where the company was formed. If you do not know, start with the state where it operates; if it is registered there as a foreign entity, the record will name the home state.

Why can I not find a business I know exists?

Usually one of three things. The name you know is a trade name (DBA) and the legal name is different. The business is a sole proprietorship and was never registered with the state. Or you are searching the wrong state.