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Vermont

Vermont Business Search

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

The short answer

Vermont businesses are searched on the Secretary of State's Business Search by business name or record number, with "Starts With", "Contains" or "Exact Match" options and filters for record type, status and filing date. The advanced search also finds records by principal name, filing number or registered agent name.

On this page
  1. LLC lookup, step by step
  2. What the status means
  3. Agent, filings, owners
  4. Your Record Number
  5. Is the name available?
  6. DBA and UCC search
  7. Fees and deadlines
  8. Questions
  9. Sources

Vermont at a glance

Who runs it
Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division
Online Business Service Center
Cost to search
Free
Searching needs no account. Plain copies are free; certified copies are $25.
Account needed
No
Search without signing up
Search by
Business Name/Record Number ("Starts With", "Contains" or "Exact Match"), Record Type
and 3 more

State fees

  • Form an LLC$155No extra fee for filing online.Articles of OrganizationOfficial source
  • Annual Report$45Domestic LLC. A foreign LLC pays $170.Within the first three months after the fiscal year end on record. Find the fiscal year end on the business record.Official source
  • Certificate of Existence$35Domestic LLC.Proof the business is currentOfficial source
  • Change registered agent$35Statement of Change.Every LLC must have oneOfficial source

An LLC lookup in Vermont is the same search as a business search. The Online Business Service Center, kept by the Vermont Secretary of State, lists LLCs alongside corporations and other registered businesses. You can search by business Name/Record Number, record Type, record Status or initial Filing Date range. It's free, and you don't need an account.

  1. Open the Business Search in the Online Business Service Center.
  2. Type the name or record number in "Business Name/Record Number" and pick "Starts With", "Contains" or "Exact Match".
  3. Narrow the results with "Record Type", "Record Status" or the "Initial Filing Date" range if you get too many.
  4. Use "Advanced Search" to look up a "Principal Name", "Filing Number" or "Registered Agent Name".
  5. Click "Search" and open the record to read its status and fiscal year end.

Good to know in Vermont: Vermont lets you search by "Principal Name", so you can look up the people listed on a business record, which many states don't allow. The annual report deadline depends on each LLC's fiscal year end on record, and a business that falls behind shows "Terminated" first and "Inactive" later, depending on how long it has been out of compliance.

What the search shows you

  • Business name and record number
  • Record type
  • Status
  • Fiscal year end (used to work out the annual report deadline)

What the status words mean

Vermont 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 Online Business Service Center, in the state's own wording.

StatusWhat it means
ActiveThe registration is current. Active records keep sole rights to their business name.
TerminatedGood standing ended because the business didn't file its annual report on time or didn't keep a Vermont registered agent. A terminated record still holds its name, and an LLC can reinstate.
InactiveShown instead of "Terminated" once a business has been out of compliance longer. Records listed as "Inactive Expired" no longer hold rights to the name.
Expiration PendingA status that still holds rights to the name. The Secretary of State's pages don't define it further.
DissolvedThe business is dissolved and no longer holds rights to its name.

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

Finding the registered agent, filing history and owners

Registered Agent

The advanced search finds records by "Registered Agent Name".

Filing history

Plain copies of filed documents are free on the fee schedule; certified copies are $25.

Owners, managers and officers

The advanced search has a "Principal Name" field for finding businesses by the people listed on them. 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 a Vermont Record Number

Vermont gives every business on its register a Record Number. It's the quickest way to pin down the right company when names are alike.

What it looks like
The number the Secretary of State assigns to each business record. The public help pages don't describe its layout.
Where to find yours
On the business record in the Business Search.
Search by it
Yes. The Online Business Service Center accepts it.

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 Vermont

  1. Search the name first. Vermont requires a new name to be "distinguishable in the records" from other registered names.
  2. Names that differ only by punctuation, spacing, articles like "the", an entity ending, or "Vermont" vs "VT" are not distinguishable.
  3. Records with a status of Active, Terminated, Expiration Pending, Registered, Reserved or Hold still hold their names. Inactive Expired, Dissolved, Withdrawn, Canceled, Merged and Converted records don't.
  4. An LLC name reservation is $25.

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 Vermont

DBAs and assumed names

What it's called
Assumed Business Name
Where they're filed
Registered with the Secretary of State. An LLC that does business under a name other than its legal name registers an assumed business name; it's not a way to form a business.
State fee
$70. Registration. Reregistration is $65.
How long it lasts
Renew every five years.

UCC liens

Lenders file UCC financing statements with the Vermont Secretary of State, Business Services Division. The online search is free. Our Vermont UCC search guide has the steps and fees.

Vermont 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

$155
  • Articles of Organization.
  • Filings received by mail take 7 to 10 business days.
File online Fee source

Annual Report

$45
  • Due: Within the first three months after the fiscal year end on record. Find the fiscal year end on the business record.
  • If you're late: Missing the report ends good standing, and the status reads "Terminated" or "Inactive". LLC reinstatement costs $35.
  • All annual reports are filed through the Online Business Service Center. To pay by paper check, choose "I Want to Print & Mail With Check" on the eCheck payment screen.
File the report Fee source

Change your registered agent

$35
  • Every Vermont LLC must have one.
  • Statement of Change.
Fee source

Certificate of Existence

$35
  • Proof the company exists and is current, from the Vermont Secretary of State.
  • Domestic LLC.
Order one Fee source

6,992 new business applications were filed in Vermont from January to September 2026, up 20.7% on last year, according to the Census Bureau. See every state.

Starting a business in Vermont?

A lot of people search the Online Business Service Center 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 VermontTakes two minutes, steps on this page
  2. 2File your LLC with the stateArticles of Organization, $155 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 Vermont?

Search the Online Business Service Center, the official database kept by the Vermont Secretary of State. You can search by business Name/Record Number, record Type, record Status or initial Filing Date range. 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 Vermont business search free?

Yes. You can search without an account, and plain copies of filed documents are free. Certified copies are $25.

Can I see who is behind a Vermont LLC?

Partly. The advanced search has a "Principal Name" field, so you can find businesses by the people listed on them.

What does "Terminated" mean on a Vermont business record?

The business lost its good standing for not filing its annual report on time or not keeping a registered agent. An LLC can reinstate for $35.

When is a Vermont LLC's annual report due?

Within three months after its fiscal year end on record. The fee is $45 for a Vermont LLC.

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.Online Business Service Center: Business SearchChecked November 8, 2026
  2. 2.Online Business Service Center home pageChecked November 8, 2026
  3. 3.Secretary of State: FeesChecked November 8, 2026
  4. 4.Secretary of State: Annual/Biennial ReportsChecked November 8, 2026
  5. 5.Secretary of State: Reinstatements (Terminated and Inactive status)Checked November 8, 2026
  6. 6.Secretary of State: Business Name Rules & AvailabilityChecked November 8, 2026
  7. 7.Secretary of State: Assumed Name RegistrationChecked November 8, 2026
  8. 8.Secretary of State: UCC LiensChecked November 8, 2026
  9. 9.Lien Records SearchChecked November 8, 2026

See something out of date? Report it and we'll look into it.

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