Business search by state
Secretary of State business search
Every state keeps a public register of the companies formed or registered there, usually run by its Secretary of State. Here is each state's own search, and the 15 states where Clerkfield searches the official records for you.
What a business search shows
The record a state keeps for every company, though each state publishes a different set of fields.
Legal name and ID
The exact name the company registered and the number the state gave it. Search by that number when names are similar.
Status, in the state's words
Each state has its own vocabulary: Colorado says "Delinquent", Connecticut says "Forfeited", Arkansas says "Forfeited Charter". Each state page explains them.
When it was formed
The filing or formation date, which tells you how long the company has existed.
Agent and people
The registered agent who receives legal papers, and in some states the officers, members or managers the company filed.
Business search in every state
States Clerkfield covers link to a page that explains that state's records. For the rest, here is the state's own search.
When a company doesn't show up
It was formed elsewhere
A company appears first in its state of formation. Another state has a record only if the company registered there to do business.
It trades under another name
Assumed names (DBAs) have their own records in states such as Idaho, Oregon and Minnesota. Find the company behind the name.
The data lists active companies only
New York's and Oregon's open data leave inactive companies out, so a missing company may be dissolved rather than never registered.
The filing is very new
Some states post the date they've processed filings through. On November 4, 2026, New Mexico's was a week behind.
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It's a lookup in the public register of companies a state keeps, usually run by its Secretary of State. It shows whether a company is registered there, under what exact legal name, its status, when it was formed and who receives legal papers for it.
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In most states, yes. Some charge: Texas, for example, charges $1 per search on its SOSPortal. Certificates that prove good standing usually cost extra, such as $25 in New York or $40 in Pennsylvania.
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Start with the state where the company was formed, which may not be where it operates. A company doing business in other states also registers there as a foreign entity, so a second state's record can exist too.
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15 today: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas. Each has its own page above, and every result shows the official source and the date of the data.
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Only where the state collects it. New York and Colorado don't collect LLC members or officers, while states such as Connecticut, Kentucky and New Mexico publish the people a company filed. A missing name is not proof that someone isn't an owner.