Secretary of State business search: look up any US business

There is no national business registry

The United States has no single federal list of companies. LLCs, corporations and limited partnerships are created under state law, so each state keeps its own records. Most states run them through the Secretary of State. A few use another agency: Arizona's Corporation Commission, New Jersey's Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, Virginia's State Corporation Commission, Maryland's Department of Assessments and Taxation, Michigan's LARA, and Wisconsin's Department of Financial Institutions.

That means a good business lookup starts with one question: which state? Search the state where the business operates first. If nothing turns up, try Delaware, Nevada and Wyoming, where many companies form even when they work elsewhere. A company formed in another state must also register as a "foreign" entity in each state where it does business, so it often appears in more than one database.

Pick the right tool for what you need

How to run a business entity search

• Search a distinctive word, not the full legal name. "Summit" finds "Summit Roofing LLC" and "Summit Roofing & Exteriors, Inc."
• Try the registered agent or officer search if the state offers one. It shows every company tied to the same person.
• Read the status carefully. "Active" or "Good Standing" means filings are current. "Forfeited," "Suspended," "Administratively Dissolved" or "Revoked" means the company missed a report, fee or tax.
• Open the filed documents. Annual reports often list officers or managers. Many states do not list LLC owners at all.
• Check DBAs separately. Trade names are filed with the state in some places and with the county in others. Our state guides explain which.

Good standing only means the paperwork is current. No state registry rates quality, confirms a license or endorses a business.

EIN, DUNS and NAICS lookups

An LLC lookup won't show tax or credit IDs. The IRS does not offer a public EIN search; it discloses an EIN only to people authorized for that business. Our separate guides cover each ID: EIN lookup, DUNS number lookup and NAICS code lookup.

State business lookup guides

These guides cover the official registry, DBA rules, licensing boards and formation costs for each state:

Business entity search by state

Every link below goes to the official state agency. Searching is free unless noted. Links were checked in October 2026. Where a search page could not be confirmed, we link the agency's business page instead.

Business lookup FAQs