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Iowa

Iowa Business Search

Written byRegistryWise Editorial TeamFact-checked against the Iowa Secretary of State · How we research

The short answer

Iowa business records are searched for free on the Secretary of State's Business Entities Search by the first letters of the business name or by the complete business number. Each record shows the status, the registered agent, the home office, and every name the business has used, but Iowa doesn't collect LLC owner names.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Business No. (business entity number)
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Iowa at a glance

Who runs it
Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division
Business Entities Search
Cost to search
Free
Searching is free. A Certificate of Existence is $5 from the business's summary page.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Search by Business Name (first few letters or words), Search by Business Number (complete number, numbers only)

State fees

  • Form an LLC$50Can be filed online through Fast Track Filing.Certificate of OrganizationOfficial source
  • Biennial Report$30$30 online through Fast Track Filing, $45 on paper.Every odd-numbered year, from January 1 to April 1. The office's FAQ gives March 31, so file by then to be safe. The registered agent starts getting notices in January of the filing year.Official source
  • Certificate of Existence$5Bought from the "Print Certificate of Existence" link on the business summary.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agentNo feeNo fee for a Statement of Change.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in Iowa is the same search as a business search. The Business Entities Search, kept by the Iowa Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by search by Business Name or search by Business Number. It's free, and you don't need an account.

The Business Entities Search search page, with the name box marked 1 and the search button marked 2.
The Business Entities Search as we found it on November 8, 2026. We marked where to type (1) and what to click (2). The state may change its layout.
  1. Open the Business Entities Search. Under "Step 1: Choose Search Type", pick "Search by Business Name" or "Search by Business Number".
  2. Type the first few letters or words of the name, or the complete business number using numbers only, then click "Search".
  3. Check the Status and Type columns. Type tells you whether a row is the legal name, a fictitious name, a former name, or a reservation.
  4. Click the Business No. to open the record with the registered agent, home office, and names list.
  5. For proof of good standing, click "Print Certificate of Existence" above the business name on the summary. It costs $5.

Good to know in Iowa: Iowa's name search is a starts-with match, and it strips "THE" and "AN" from the front and words like "CORPORATION" or "INC" from the end before searching. Results include every name type on file, so a fictitious name or a former name can appear next to the legal name. Results stop at 1,000, so search by business number when you have it.

What the search shows you

  • Business No., legal name, and status
  • Name type for each name on file (Legal, Fictitious Name, Former Name, Reserved, and others)
  • State of incorporation and the Iowa Code chapter the business falls under
  • Filing date, effective date, and expiration date
  • Registered agent name and address
  • Home office address
  • Filed document images, with Social Security numbers redacted

What the status words mean

Iowa uses its own words for a company's status, and they don't always mean the same thing as in other states. Here's what you'll see on the Business Entities Search, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
ActiveThe business is active on the Secretary of State's records. Filing the biennial report every other year is what keeps it active.
InactiveThe business is no longer active on the records. A common cause is not filing the biennial report, and those businesses can apply for reinstatement. The search help doesn't define the status further.
Inactive (in the Names list)In the Names table on a record, an old name the business no longer uses shows as Inactive while the current legal name shows as Active.
Modified? YesThe legal name contains a character that can't be typed in the search, such as a tilde over an N or a degree symbol.

For how these compare across states, see what business entity status means.

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

Shown under "Registered Agent or Reserving Party" with the agent's name and address. Changing the agent with a Statement of Change has no fee.

Filing history

The database holds the business's filings, and document images are available online with Social Security numbers redacted.

Owners, managers and officers

Not for LLCs. The Secretary of State says ownership and membership are kept in the company's own records and aren't filed with the office. If the state record doesn't name anyone, our guide on how to find the owner of an LLC covers where else to look.

Finding an Iowa Business No. (business entity number)

Iowa gives every business on its register a Business No. (business entity number). It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
Numbers only, for example 492116.
Where to find yours
On the business's record in the Business Entities Search and in the Business No. column of search results.
Search by it
Yes. The Business Entities Search accepts it.

It's easy to mix it up with these, which come from other offices:

  • Business tax permit numbers (Iowa Department of Revenue). Sales and use tax, withholding, and several other tax types each need a separate permit number, registered through GovConnectIowa. They're separate from the Secretary of State's business number.

Your federal EIN is a different number again. See which business number a form is asking for.

Checking whether a business name is available in Iowa

  1. Search by business name. You can leave off "LLC" and similar words, since the search strips them anyway.
  2. Reserve a name for $10 with a Reservation of Name, online through Fast Track Filing or on paper.
  3. A fictitious name for an existing LLC is a separate $5 filing with the Secretary of State.

A clear result on the state search isn't a trademark clearance. If the name matters to you, also search the USPTO trademark database and check the domain. More in our business name search guide.

DBA and UCC search in Iowa

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
Fictitious Name (LLCs) or Trade Name (sole proprietors)
Where they're filed
An LLC adopts a fictitious name by filing a Fictitious Name Resolution with the Secretary of State, and it appears in the Business Entities Search as name type "FN". Sole proprietors file a Trade Name Application with the County Recorder in the county where they do business.
State fee
$5

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Iowa Secretary of State. Our Iowa UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

Iowa fees and deadlines

These are the state's own fees, before any service charges. Each row links to the official page we took it from.

Form an LLC

$50
  • Certificate of Organization.
  • The Secretary of State doesn't publish a standard processing time. Expedited service is available for a surcharge per document.
  • Faster options: Five business days $15, two business days $50, same business day $125, or one hour $200. The surcharge is on top of the filing fee and isn't refundable.
File online Fee source

Biennial Report

$30
  • Due: Every odd-numbered year, from January 1 to April 1. The office's FAQ gives March 31, so file by then to be safe. The registered agent starts getting notices in January of the filing year.
  • If you're late: No late fee is listed. An LLC that doesn't deliver the report within 60 days after it's due can be administratively dissolved (Iowa Code 489.708). Reinstatement is $5 and needs only the two most recent biennial reports.
File the report Fee source

Change your registered agent

No fee
  • Every Iowa LLC must have one.
  • No fee for a Statement of Change.
Fee source

Certificate of Existence

$5
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the Iowa Secretary of State.
  • Bought from the "Print Certificate of Existence" link on the business summary.
Order one Fee source

30,457 new business applications were filed in Iowa from January to September 2026, up 13.6% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in Iowa?

A lot of people search the Business Entities Search to see if a name is taken before they file. If that's you, here's the order to do things in.

  1. 1Check the name is free in IowaTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateCertificate of Organization, $50 state fee
  3. 3Or let a service file it for youCompared on what you pay in year two

Step 3 goes to our comparison page, which has sponsored links. We earn a commission if you buy, and it doesn't change our rankings. How that works.

Frequently asked questions

How do I look up an LLC in Iowa?

Search the Business Entities Search, the official database kept by the Iowa Secretary of State. You can search by search by Business Name or search by Business Number. It's free, and you don't need an account. Open the matching record to see the LLC's status, registered agent and filing history.

Is the Iowa business search free?

Yes. Searching and viewing records is free. A Certificate of Existence costs $5 from the business's summary page.

Can I find the owner of an Iowa LLC?

Not from the Secretary of State. The office says ownership and membership are kept in the company's internal records and aren't filed with it. The record shows the registered agent and home office.

What does "FN" mean in Iowa search results?

It's the name type "Fictitious Name". Other codes include L for the legal name, F for a former name, and R for a reserved name.

When is the Iowa LLC biennial report due?

In odd-numbered years, between January 1 and April 1. It costs $30 online or $45 on paper.

Sources

We take every fee, deadline and rule on this page from these pages and nowhere else. Rules change, so open the source before you pay anything.

  1. 1.Business Entities SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Business Entities Search Help (name types)Checked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Business Entity Forms and FeesChecked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Business FAQsChecked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.Certificate of ExistenceChecked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.Business ReinstatementChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.Preclearance and Expedited ServicesChecked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.Fast Track FilingChecked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) feesChecked November 8, 2026
  10. 10.UCC Certified/Federal Liens SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  11. 11.Fast Track help: Understanding UCC Search LogicChecked November 8, 2026
  12. 12.Fictitious Name Resolution, form 635_9999 (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
  13. 13.Iowa Code 489.708, grounds for administrative dissolution (PDF)Checked November 8, 2026
  14. 14.Iowa Department of Revenue: Business Permit RegistrationChecked November 8, 2026

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