New York business lookup
Find a New York business in our directory, then confirm it with the New York State Department of State corporation search, county clerk records and the city or county that licenses the trade.
To look up a New York business, use the New York State Department of State's free Corporation and Business Entity Database (Public Inquiry). Search by name or DOS ID to see status, formation date, county and the address for service of process. Sole-proprietor DBAs are filed with county clerks. Most contractors are licensed locally, for example by NYC's DCWP.
Updated October 2026Search our directory first
USA Business Search lists New York businesses from Foursquare open place data and owner submissions, with phone numbers, websites and addresses. Start at the New York hub. New York City is organized by borough:
Many New York City businesses register under one borough's county name (New York County is Manhattan, Kings is Brooklyn, Richmond is Staten Island) and operate in another. Keep that in mind when you compare our listing with the state record. Owners can claim a listing to fix it. We don't verify or endorse listed businesses.
NYS Department of State corporation search
New York has no "Secretary of State business search" by that name. The registry is run by the Department of State's Division of Corporations. Its Corporation and Business Entity Database is free, and the DOS help page explains how to use it. Search by entity name or DOS ID.
A record shows:
- Entity name, DOS ID, entity type and the date of the initial filing.
- Jurisdiction and the county named in the filing.
- Current status, such as Active or Inactive (dissolved, merged or annulled).
- The address where the Department of State forwards legal papers, plus any registered agent.
- Assumed names filed by corporations, LLCs and LPs, and the filing history.
New York does not keep officer, director or member names in this database. To find the people behind a company, read filed documents, court records or the business's own license records.
A Certificate of Status costs $25, with optional expedited handling for an extra $25 to $150, per the DOS fee schedules, as of October 2026.
Assumed names: state for entities, county for individuals
Corporations and LLCs
They file a Certificate of Assumed Name with the Department of State for $25. Corporations also pay county fees for each county where they use the name. These assumed names show up in the state database.
Sole proprietors and partnerships
They file a business certificate with the county clerk in each county where they do business. The usual fee is $25, or $100 in the five NYC counties. Search the county clerk's records, not the state database.
Check a contractor or professional license
New York State does not license general contractors or home improvement contractors. Local governments do, so check the city or county where the work happens:
- New York City: the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) requires a Home Improvement Contractor license for residential work over $200. The Department of Buildings licenses master plumbers and master electricians. Its guide to checking construction professionals explains the lookup.
- Long Island and Westchester: Nassau and Suffolk counties license home improvement contractors through their consumer affairs offices. Westchester uses its Department of Consumer Protection.
- State-licensed occupations: the Department of State's Division of Licensing Services licenses real estate brokers, appraisers, home inspectors, barbers, cosmetologists, security guards, private investigators and others. Use its licensing pages to find the right search.
Upstate cities such as Buffalo and Rochester set their own rules. Start a shortlist on plumbers in New York and check each license with the city or county.
Starting a business in New York
Form an LLC
Articles of Organization cost $200. LLCs then file a biennial statement every two years for $9. Both are as of October 2026; confirm on the DOS fee schedules.
The publication requirement
Within 120 days of formation, a New York LLC must publish notice in two newspapers chosen by the county clerk for six weeks in a row. It then files a Certificate of Publication ($50). An LLC that misses this loses its authority to do business until it complies. See forming an LLC in New York.
Publication costs vary a lot by county. In Manhattan it can cost far more than the state filing fee, so budget for it before you choose where the LLC's county is listed.
New York business lookup FAQs
Is the NYS Department of State corporation search free?
Yes. The Corporation and Business Entity Database is free to search. Certificates and certified copies have fees, such as $25 for a Certificate of Status.
Why doesn't the New York record list the owners?
The Department of State does not collect officer, director or member names for its database. It records the entity, its status and where to send legal papers.
Where do I find a New York DBA?
Corporate and LLC assumed names are in the state database. Sole-proprietor and partnership business names are filed with the county clerk.
Does New York State license contractors?
Not general or home improvement contractors. NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and many cities license them locally.
What happens if a New York LLC never publishes?
Its authority to do business is suspended until it files the Certificate of Publication. The LLC still exists, and filing the certificate later restores its authority.
Own a New York business?
Add your business to USA Business Search free, or claim your existing listing to update your phone, website and borough.