Why it happens
States dissolve companies on their own when a requirement goes unmet. The usual causes are a missed annual report, an unpaid annual fee or franchise tax, or no registered agent on file. The state normally sends notice first and gives a window to fix it.
It's different from a voluntary dissolution, where the owners file to close the company on purpose.
What it means for the business
A dissolved company generally can only wind up its affairs. It may lose the right to use its name, which another business can then register, and it can't get a certificate of good standing. Banks and lenders often check this status.
Getting reinstated
Most states let a dissolved company come back by filing the missing reports, paying what's owed plus any penalties, and filing a reinstatement form. Time limits and fees vary by state, and some states also require a tax clearance first. Check the state guide for the exact steps.
How each state shows it on the business search
| State | Status shown | What the state says it means |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Exists | The formation documents were processed and the entity is on record. The Secretary of State notes that any entity showing "Exists" is subject to being taxed until it dissolves. |
| Alaska | Involuntarily Dissolved | A domestic entity dissolved by the state, for example after missing biennial reports. An LLC can reinstate if it has been less than 2 years. Its name becomes available to others 6 months after dissolution. |
| Arizona | Delinquent | Per the A.C.C. tip sheet, a corporation that has failed to file one or more annual reports. It can catch up by filing the overdue reports and late fees. |
| Arkansas | Revoked | The entity failed to comply with its franchise tax obligations, most often by not paying the annual franchise tax. Revoked entities put their liability protection at risk and are barred from many activities. |
| California | Suspended or Forfeited | The SOS, the FTB, or both took away the entity's rights. The SOS does it for a missing Statement of Information. The FTB does it for unfiled returns or unpaid tax, penalties, fees, or interest. A suspended business can't legally do business or defend itself in court. |
| Colorado | Delinquent | The status after an entity stays Noncompliant for 60 days without filing the missing form. The glossary calls it the result of failing to perform a legal duty, such as filing the annual report. |
| Connecticut | Forfeited | The status given to a business that was administratively dissolved, usually for not filing annual reports. It may not conduct business except to wrap up its affairs, and its name becomes available to others. A Connecticut business can file a reinstatement online to become active again. |
| Delaware | Good Standing | The entity's existence hasn't been ended, voluntarily or administratively. |
| District of Columbia | Active - Not in Good Standing | DLCP's help pages don't define this status. Good standing depends on filed biennial reports and a registered agent, so check the report history on the record. |
| Florida | Inactive | The business entity is inactive. The name is available to use. |
| Georgia | Admin. Dissolved | The Secretary of State administratively dissolved the corporation or LLC, most often for not filing its annual registration. It may not carry on business except to wind up its affairs. A Georgia entity can apply for reinstatement within 5 years of the dissolution. |
| Hawaii | Adm. Terminated (V) | Administratively terminated. Under Hawaii Revised Statutes 428-809, the director may terminate an LLC that fails to pay fees, goes two years without filing its annual report, or doesn't keep a registered agent. A domestic LLC can apply for reinstatement within two years ($25). |
| Idaho | Inactive-Dissolved (Administrative) | The Secretary of State administratively dissolved the entity, for example for not filing its annual report or not having a registered agent for 60 consecutive days. It may only wind up its affairs. An Idaho entity can apply for reinstatement within 10 years ($30). |
| Illinois | Not in good standing | The LLC is behind on its annual report or fees. It has to pay any late penalty when it files, and it can't terminate or withdraw until it's back in good standing. |
| Indiana | Admin Dissolved | The Secretary of State administratively dissolved the domestic entity. Grounds include a biennial report or fee more than 60 days late, or no registered agent for 60 days in a row. The state sends written notice first, and the entity has 60 days to fix the problem. |
| Iowa | Inactive | The 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. |
| Kansas | Delinquent | The information report wasn't filed by the due date. The business gets a three-month window to still file it, and while delinquent it's limited in what documents it can file. |
| Kentucky | Inactive, good standing | The entity filed articles of dissolution and was left in good standing, changed its name, or merged into another entity. |
| Louisiana | Not in Good Standing | Defined in La. R.S. 12:1308.2 as an LLC that is delinquent in filing its annual report. It can't do business with the state or its agencies, and state contracts with it can be declared void. |
| Maine | Administratively Dissolved | Under 31 MRSA §1591, the Secretary of State can dissolve an LLC that doesn't pay fees or penalties, doesn't file its annual report or pay the late penalty, has no registered agent, or doesn't report an agent change. The reinstatement fee for missed annual reports is $150, capped at $600. |
| Maryland | Not in Good Standing | The business hasn't met a requirement, such as a missing annual report or personal property return, unpaid late fees, a tax or labor issue, a bounced payment, or no resident agent. |
| Massachusetts | Administratively dissolved | Under M.G.L. c. 156C §70, the state secretary can dissolve an LLC that fails for 2 consecutive years to file annual reports, or that has become inactive. The LLC gets written notice and 90 days to fix the problem. A dissolved LLC continues only to wind up its affairs. |
| Michigan | Not in good standing | The LLC didn't file an annual statement within two years of its due date. It can't get a certificate of good standing, its name becomes available to others, and LARA won't accept other filings from it until it files a Certificate of Restoration of Good Standing. |
| Minnesota | Inactive | The business is no longer active in Minnesota. The Secretary of State says the most common reason is a missed annual renewal, which leads to administrative dissolution. It can be reinstated by filing a current renewal and paying a fee, if the name is still available. |
| Mississippi | Administratively Dissolved | Under the Mississippi LLC Act, the Secretary of State can dissolve an LLC that, among other grounds, doesn't deliver its annual report within 60 days after it's due or has no registered agent for 60 days. The LLC gets written notice and 60 days to fix it first. |
| Missouri | Administratively dissolved | The Secretary of State dissolved the entity, for example for failing to keep a registered agent. An LLC reinstates by requesting a rescission packet online and filing the Application for Reinstatement (CORP 50AD). |
| Montana | Involuntary Dissolution | Administratively dissolved for missed filings and fees, or for not keeping a registered agent. Montana LLCs can reinstate within 5 years of the dissolution date. |
| Nebraska | Administratively Dissolved | Dissolved by the Secretary of State for not filing a biennial report by the delinquency date, not keeping a registered agent, or reaching the end of its stated existence. A domestic LLC must reinstate to keep doing business. |
| Nevada | Revoked | An entity that stays in default for one year moves to revoked status. Reinstating means paying all back fees and penalties, including the business license fee. The LLC reinstatement fee is $300. |
| New Hampshire | Not in Good Standing | The annual report and fee weren't filed and paid by April 1. |
| New Jersey | Revoked | A business that fails to file annual reports for two consecutive years may have its charter voided or its authority to do business in New Jersey revoked. It can reinstate online, starting with the annual report filing. |
| New Mexico | Pending Administrative Revocation | A status you can filter on. The portal doesn't define it. Open "View History" on the record to see the filings behind it. |
| New York | Inactive | The entity ended or left New York. The record gives a reason, such as "Voluntarily Dissolved", "Authority Surrendered" (a foreign entity gave up its New York authority), or "Merged Out of Existence". |
| North Carolina | Administratively dissolved | The Secretary of State dissolved the entity, for example after a missed annual report wasn't fixed within 60 days of a Notice of Grounds. Reinstatement means filing the missed reports and a $100 reinstatement fee. |
| North Dakota | Inactive - Involuntary | The search doesn't define this label. The Secretary of State says a business is typically involuntarily terminated if it doesn't file its past-due annual report within 6 to 12 months of being placed in Not Good Standing. |
| Ohio | Dead | On file as no longer in business after the business voluntarily dissolved. The name is no longer protected. |
| Oklahoma | Inactive | If no Annual Certificate is filed within the 60-day grace period, the entity becomes inactive and not in good standing. The inactive date isn't available online; call the Annual Certificate Department at (405) 522-2822. |
| Oregon | Administratively dissolved | The business didn't file its annual report, or didn't name a new registered agent after the old one resigned. It can reinstate within 5 years if the name is still available, by updating its information and paying a reinstatement fee plus the missed annual fees. |
| Pennsylvania | Inactive | The entity no longer exists or is no longer registered. The record adds the reason, such as Dissolved, Terminated, Merged Out, Withdrawn, or Cancelled. No annual report is required. |
| Rhode Island | Revoked (Entity or Authority) | The entity didn't respond to the 60-day revocation notice. It keeps owing annual reports and the $400 minimum tax while revoked, and after more than a year it may lose the right to its name. |
| South Carolina | Good Standing | The entity has not been dissolved on the Secretary of State's records. It does not mean the business is currently operating, only that its legal existence hasn't ended. For a nonprofit, it doesn't mean the group may solicit charitable contributions. |
| South Dakota | Delinquent | The annual report wasn't filed within 2 months after its due date. A delinquent report costs an extra $55 late fee. |
| Tennessee | Inactive | An entity that failed to file its annual report on time may be administratively dissolved and placed in inactive status. Check the record's filing history for details. |
| Texas | Forfeited | The Comptroller forfeited the right to transact business because franchise tax filing requirements weren't met. It gives at least 45 days' notice first. A forfeited entity can't sue or defend itself in a Texas court, and its officers and directors can be liable for its debts. Form 801 ($75) asks the SOS to reinstate it and set the tax forfeiture aside. |
| Utah | Delinquent | The annual renewal is overdue. Fix it by filing the renewal, plus the $10 late renewal fee. You can still order a Certificate of Existence. |
| Vermont | Inactive | Shown instead of "Terminated" once a business has been out of compliance longer. Records listed as "Inactive Expired" no longer hold rights to the name. |
| Virginia | Pending Inactive | A warning status. For example, a business without a registered agent 31 days after the agent resigned moves to pending inactive, and if it isn't fixed by the last day of the second month after the notice, it is terminated, revoked or canceled automatically. |
| Washington | Delinquent | The business didn't file its annual report. A Washington LLC has 120 days from the notice date to file the past-due report, or it is administratively dissolved. |
| West Virginia | Revoked (Failure to File Annual Report) | A termination reason. The Secretary of State says LLCs that fail to file the annual report may be sent an administrative dissolution or revocation notice. |
| Wisconsin | Delinquent | Not current with annual report filings. It is cured by filing a current annual report and paying the back annual report fees. |
| Wyoming | Inactive - Administratively Dissolved (Tax) | The entity didn't file its required annual report by the 60th day after the due date. The record may read "Revoked (Tax)" instead. |
From our state guides, each checked against the state's official site. Click a state for the full guide and sources.