A business entity lookup is a search of a state's company register. It tells you whether a company exists in that state, its exact legal name, its status and who receives legal papers for it. The register belongs to the state where the company was formed or registered, so the first step is always the state.
What a state entity record shows
Most state records carry the same core details, even when each state lays them out differently:
- Legal name and entity type, such as LLC, corporation, nonprofit corporation or limited partnership.
- Entity or file number, the state's own ID. It is the most reliable way to find the same company again.
- Status, which tells you if the company is in good standing, behind on its reports or dissolved.
- Formation date and, for a company from another state, the date it registered locally.
- Registered agent, the person or company that accepts legal papers in that state, with an address there.
- Filing history, often with copies of the articles, annual reports and amendments.
Some states also show managers, members, officers or directors. Few show who owns the company. See the business owner lookup guide for the other places to look.
How to read the result
Start with the status. Words such as Active, Good Standing, In Existence or Current mean the company is up to date with the state. Words such as Delinquent, Forfeited, Revoked or Administratively Dissolved mean it missed a report or a tax, and in some states it cannot do business until it fixes that. Each state uses its own words, and the business entity status guide explains them.
Then check the name exactly as filed, including the ending. "Blue Harbor LLC" and "Blue Harbor Holdings LLC" are two different companies. Note the entity number before you leave the page.
Checking a name before you form
Use the search at the top of this page. It strips endings like LLC and Inc., punctuation and words like "the", then looks the core name up in our copy of the state's public register and lists the records it finds, with their status and file number. For states we do not hold yet, it opens the state's own search with the name filled in. If nothing close comes up, the name is likely free, but only the state decides when it accepts your filing. Our guide on how to check if an LLC name is available covers the rules in more detail.
What this site is
BusinessEntityLookup.org is an independent guide. We do not hold any state records and we are not a state office. We read each state's own pages, fee schedules and statutes, and we show the source and check date next to every fact so you can confirm it yourself. Our data and sources page explains how.