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Every state runs a free public registry where you can look up any registered business — check whether a name is taken, confirm a company is real and in good standing, or find its registered agent. The problem is that the links are scattered across 51 different websites, several states don’t use the Secretary of State at all, and lookalike commercial sites imitate the official ones. This directory links only the official state search tools, one per jurisdiction.
Official Business Entity Search, State by State
| State | Agency | Official search | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Secretary of State | Search Alabama businesses → | — |
| Alaska | Division of Corporations (DCCED) | Search Alaska businesses → | Alaska has no Secretary of State — corporations live with the Dept. of Commerce |
| Arizona | Corporation Commission | Search Arizona businesses → | Corporations live with the ACC, not the Secretary of State |
| Arkansas | Secretary of State | Search Arkansas businesses → | — |
| California | Secretary of State (bizfile Online) | Search California businesses → | — |
| Colorado | Secretary of State | Search Colorado businesses → | — |
| Connecticut | Secretary of the State | Search Connecticut businesses → | — |
| Delaware | Division of Corporations | Search Delaware businesses → | Name search is free; full records are paid |
| District of Columbia | Dept. of Licensing & Consumer Protection | Search District of Columbia businesses → | BOSS portal (formerly CorpOnline) |
| Florida | Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) | Search Florida businesses → | — |
| Georgia | Secretary of State | Search Georgia businesses → | — |
| Hawaii | Business Registration Division (DCCA) | Search Hawaii businesses → | — |
| Idaho | Secretary of State (SOSBiz) | Search Idaho businesses → | — |
| Illinois | Secretary of State | Search Illinois businesses → | — |
| Indiana | Secretary of State (INBiz) | Search Indiana businesses → | — |
| Iowa | Secretary of State | Search Iowa businesses → | — |
| Kansas | Secretary of State | Search Kansas businesses → | Business filing center page; search sits behind it |
| Kentucky | Secretary of State | Search Kentucky businesses → | — |
| Louisiana | Secretary of State | Search Louisiana businesses → | — |
| Maine | Secretary of State | Search Maine businesses → | — |
| Maryland | SDAT (Business Express) | Search Maryland businesses → | Corporations live with SDAT, not the Secretary of State |
| Massachusetts | Secretary of the Commonwealth | Search Massachusetts businesses → | — |
| Michigan | LARA (MiBusiness Registry) | Search Michigan businesses → | New portal — replaced COFS in June 2025; corporations live with LARA |
| Minnesota | Secretary of State | Search Minnesota businesses → | — |
| Mississippi | Secretary of State | Search Mississippi businesses → | — |
| Missouri | Secretary of State | Search Missouri businesses → | — |
| Montana | Secretary of State | Search Montana businesses → | — |
| Nebraska | Secretary of State | Search Nebraska businesses → | — |
| Nevada | Secretary of State (SilverFlume) | Search Nevada businesses → | — |
| New Hampshire | Secretary of State (QuickStart) | Search New Hampshire businesses → | — |
| New Jersey | Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services | Search New Jersey businesses → | Filings live with Treasury/DORES, not the Secretary of State |
| New Mexico | Secretary of State | Search New Mexico businesses → | — |
| New York | Department of State | Search New York businesses → | — |
| North Carolina | Secretary of State | Search North Carolina businesses → | — |
| North Dakota | Secretary of State (FirstStop) | Search North Dakota businesses → | — |
| Ohio | Secretary of State | Search Ohio businesses → | — |
| Oklahoma | Secretary of State | Search Oklahoma businesses → | — |
| Oregon | Secretary of State | Search Oregon businesses → | — |
| Pennsylvania | Department of State | Search Pennsylvania businesses → | — |
| Rhode Island | Department of State | Search Rhode Island businesses → | — |
| South Carolina | Secretary of State | Search South Carolina businesses → | — |
| South Dakota | Secretary of State | Search South Dakota businesses → | — |
| Tennessee | Secretary of State | Search Tennessee businesses → | — |
| Texas | Comptroller (free) / SOSDirect (paid) | Search Texas businesses → | The free public search is the Comptroller’s; the SOS’s own SOSDirect charges $1/search |
| Utah | Division of Corporations & Commercial Code | Search Utah businesses → | — |
| Vermont | Secretary of State | Search Vermont businesses → | — |
| Virginia | State Corporation Commission | Search Virginia businesses → | Corporations live with the SCC, not the Secretary of the Commonwealth |
| Washington | Secretary of State (CCFS) | Search Washington businesses → | — |
| West Virginia | Secretary of State | Search West Virginia businesses → | — |
| Wisconsin | Dept. of Financial Institutions | Search Wisconsin businesses → | Corporations live with DFI, not the Secretary of State |
| Wyoming | Secretary of State | Search Wyoming businesses → | — |
Watch out for imitations: several commercial sites use official-sounding domains and rank for “[state] secretary of state search.” Every link above goes to the state government’s own tool. In 7 jurisdictions the registry isn’t run by the Secretary of State at all — the Agency column shows who actually holds the records.
Found your name available?
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if a business name is taken?
Search the official business registry of the state where you plan to register — every state offers a free public entity search (all 51 official links are in the table above). If the exact name (or one too similar under that state’s distinguishability rules) is already registered by an active entity, you’ll need a different name. Note that a state registry search doesn’t check trademarks — search the USPTO database separately for those.
Is the secretary of state business search free?
In every state the basic entity search is free and requires no account. Two partial exceptions: Delaware shows names free but charges for detailed records, and Texas’s own SOSDirect system charges $1 per search — which is why the free public option in Texas is the Comptroller’s taxable entity search.
Which states don’t use the Secretary of State for business filings?
Seven jurisdictions register businesses somewhere else: Arizona (Corporation Commission), Michigan (Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs), Maryland (State Dept. of Assessments and Taxation), New Jersey (Treasury’s Division of Revenue), Virginia (State Corporation Commission), Wisconsin (Dept. of Financial Institutions), and Alaska (Dept. of Commerce). Searching “[state] secretary of state” in those states leads you to the wrong agency.
What can I find in a business entity search?
Typically: the entity’s exact legal name, status (active, dissolved, revoked), formation date, entity type, registered agent and office address, and in most states the full filing history. Several states also show officers or members and let you download filed documents free.
Each state name in the table links to our full guide to starting a business in that state — licensing, filing fees, and the agencies you’ll deal with after the name search.